Frameworks for health systems performance assessment: how comprehensive is Ghana's holistic assessment tool?
Developing country
Health indicators
Health system in Ghana
Health systems
Performance assessment framework
Trend assessment
Journal
Global health research and policy
ISSN: 2397-0642
Titre abrégé: Glob Health Res Policy
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101705789
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
2020
2020
Historique:
received:
19
11
2019
accepted:
25
02
2020
entrez:
14
3
2020
pubmed:
14
3
2020
medline:
14
3
2020
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Measuring the performance of a health system is an essential requirement in creating systems that generate efficient, equitable, patient-focused, accessible and sustainable results. A fundamental requirement for a performance measurement system is the development of an assessment framework within which specific performance measures could be defined and applied regularly. This paper examines the comprehensiveness of Ghana's health system assessment framework called the Holistic Assessment Tool in relation to some of the internationally recognized frameworks. The paper also analyzes trends in the performance of the health system to understand whether or not an improvement has been recorded following the adoption and implementation of the Holistic Assessment Tool. Mainly secondary data were used in this analysis While the tool provides a national framework for evaluating the performance of the Ghana Health system in several domains, the Holistic Assessment Tool does not cover key health system domains such as information systems for health, access to essential medicines, and patient-centeredness. Also, the scope of the assessment program seems limited to the evaluation of the Ministry of Health's annual plans, programs and projects. However, the health system has recorded improvements in population health indicators, such as life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, under-5 mortality, HIV prevalence and disease burden (in terms of disability adjusted life years). The Holistic Assessment Tool is a useful framework, but needs further refinement, both in scope and in conceptual robustness. Future studies should consider exploring factors influencing performance of the Ghanaian health system. Such information will help in strategizing for better and more improvements.
Sections du résumé
Background
Measuring the performance of a health system is an essential requirement in creating systems that generate efficient, equitable, patient-focused, accessible and sustainable results. A fundamental requirement for a performance measurement system is the development of an assessment framework within which specific performance measures could be defined and applied regularly. This paper examines the comprehensiveness of Ghana's health system assessment framework called the Holistic Assessment Tool in relation to some of the internationally recognized frameworks. The paper also analyzes trends in the performance of the health system to understand whether or not an improvement has been recorded following the adoption and implementation of the Holistic Assessment Tool.
Methods
Mainly secondary data were used in this analysis
Results
While the tool provides a national framework for evaluating the performance of the Ghana Health system in several domains, the Holistic Assessment Tool does not cover key health system domains such as information systems for health, access to essential medicines, and patient-centeredness. Also, the scope of the assessment program seems limited to the evaluation of the Ministry of Health's annual plans, programs and projects. However, the health system has recorded improvements in population health indicators, such as life expectancy at birth, infant mortality, under-5 mortality, HIV prevalence and disease burden (in terms of disability adjusted life years).
Conclusions
The Holistic Assessment Tool is a useful framework, but needs further refinement, both in scope and in conceptual robustness. Future studies should consider exploring factors influencing performance of the Ghanaian health system. Such information will help in strategizing for better and more improvements.
Identifiants
pubmed: 32166129
doi: 10.1186/s41256-020-00139-2
pii: 139
pmc: PMC7061475
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
10Informations de copyright
© The Author(s) 2020.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.
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