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Table 1 Glossary of Health Policy and Systems Terms Used for Content Analysis

From: Health policy and systems research agendas in developing countries

TOPIC

TERMS FOUND IN RESPONSES

Accessibility

Health seeking behaviour, determinants of utilization, coverage, outreach, referral, barriers to care, willingness and capacity to pay, cost-sharing, price regulation, prices, equity in access, demand for health services.

Community participation

Community-based strategies, community participation in governance, empowerment, school health, family health strategies, social support networks.

Costing & cost effectiveness

Determination & evaluation of costs, cost-benefit of services, economic evaluation, cost-effectiveness of resource allocation, alternative uses for resources.

Decentralisation/local health systems

Decentralization policy and process, impact of decentralization on services and health outcomes, district health system development, healthy cities, municipal health services, local government, devolution, community participation in local health services.

Disease burden

Prevalence and incidence of diseases, mortality and morbidity, disease profiles, health status, health needs, burden of disease studies, risk factors, determinants of health and disease other than economic or social policy.

Economic policy and health

Free trade agreements and health, TRIPPS and health, economic crises and health, impact of poverty reduction and adjustment policies on health, debt reduction and health, social policy and health, social assistance and health issues, intersectoral co-ordination, labour policies and health.

Equity

Equity of health system, impact of health reforms on equity, equity and poverty, poverty targeting of services, poverty and health, exclusion.

Financing

Financial mobilization, financial allocation, financing policies, national & district health accounts, financial equity, community health financing, financing of specific programmes.

Human resources

Personnel management, deployment, migration, motivation, knowledge, attitudes and practices of health personnel, satisfaction, quality of life, human resource policy, human resource performance, traditional healers, training and education of human resources, medical education curriculum assessment, evaluation of medical and nursing teaching programmes.

Information, education and communication (IEC)

Information and communication for the general public, health education strategies and impacts, knowledge attitudes and practices (KAP).

Information systems

Information needs, informatics, surveillance mechanisms and systems, strengthening of information systems, health monitoring systems, establishment of public domain databases, development of indicators for service management and policy.

Insurance

Risks and benefits covered by insurance schemes, community based health insurance, options for health insurance, insurance reform, impact of insurance on health and service outcomes.

Management & organization

Health service provider performance, delivery of services, administration, service management strengthening, contracting and provider payment mechanisms, impact of privatization on services, performance agreements, impact of hospital autonomy on service delivery, stakeholders in service management, community participation in management.

Pharmaceutical policy & management

Rational drug use, procurement, logistics, herbal medicine, dispensing practices, pharmaceutical regulation, national drug policy, essential lists.

Policy process

Stakeholder analysis, role and relationships of actors in the formulation and implementation of policy, role of government agencies in policy formulation, role of community and NGOs in policy formulation, factors influencing policy process, perceptions of policy, decision-making processes, policy negotiation.

Programme evaluation

Evaluation and assessment of impact of policies or programmes on specific diseases or services.

Quality

Clinical practice guidelines, evidence-based medicine, quality assurance, patient satisfaction.

Research to evidence

Health systems research training, health systems research training, outcomes of research, research impact, policy utilization and impact of research, research methods, creation of national HPSR database, priority setting of health research, research ethics, essential national health research, dissemination of research.

Sector Analysis

Health sector reforms and implications, health systems development, private health service development, intersectoral collaboration and co-ordination, public/private mix health care, health care organization, regulation, policy formulation on specific diseases, on programmes or on aspects of the health system, sector-wide and system-wide performance.