S1 P ersonalized healthcare is the tailoring of medical management and patient care to the individual characteristics of each patient. This is achieved by incorporating the genetic and genomic makeup of an individual and his or her family medical history, environment, health-related behaviors, culture, and values into a complete health picture that can be used to customize care. Another level o...

this commentary explores some of the issues raised by gilbert et al.short communication, morality and markets in the nhs. the increasing role of market mechanisms and the changing types of healthcare providers together with the use of choice and competition to drive improvements in quality in the national health service (nhs), all have important ethical implications. in order for the nhs to con...

mcdonough’s perspective on healthcare reform in the us provides a clear, coherent analysis of the mix of access and delivery reforms in the affordable care act (aca) aka obamacare. as noted by mcdonough, this major reform bill is designed to expand access for health coverage that includes both prevention and treatment benefits among uninsured americans. additionally, this legislation includes s...

For more than three decades healthcare decentralization has been promoted in developing countries as a way of improving the financing and delivery of public healthcare. Decision autonomy under healthcare decentralization would determine the role and scope of responsibility of local authorities. Jalal Mohammed, Nicola North, and Toni Ashton analyze decision autonomy within decentralized services...

BACKGROUND Patient satisfaction is an important measure of healthcare quality as it offers information on the provider's success at meeting clients' expectations and is a key determinant of patients' perspective behavioral intention. The aim of this paper is first to assess the degree of patient satisfaction, and second, to study the relationship between patient satisfaction of healthcare syste...

In the wake of the 21st century, healthcare systems around the globe are faced with an exponential rise in expenses, heavy utilization of services associated with a steep rise in aging population, and limited financial as well as human resources to manage the growing healthcare needs. Multiple studies in the past have noted the prevalence of chronic diseases in the aging population. Medicare’s ...

BACKGROUND Universal health coverage (UHC) is critical to global poverty alleviation and equity of health systems. Many low-income and middle-income countries, including small island states in the Pacific, have committed to UHC and reforming their health financing systems to better align with UHC goals. This study provides the first comprehensive evidence on equity of the health financing syste...

With aid budgets shrinking in richer countries and more money for healthcare becoming available from domestic sources in poorer ones, the rhetoric of value for money or improved efficiency of aid spending is increasing. Taking healthcare as one example, we discuss the need for and potential benefits of (and obstacles to) the establishment of a national institute for aid effectiveness. In the ca...

To the Editor: The African region bears more than 24% of the global burden of disease, but has access to less than 1% of the financial resources. [1] Access to healthcare is a significant concern in South Africa (SA), and financial cost is a recognised cause of lack of access to adequate healthcare. Furthermore, increasing healthcare costs affect healthcare decisions taken by poorer households,...