Articles
What is National health system?
- November 16, 2021
- Posted by: mghalandari
- Category: Definition
National health system
Any national health system in a country at any stage of economic development may be analyzed according to five principal component parts: resources, organization, management, economic support, and delivery of services. The resources of a health system consist of human resources (personnel), facilities (hospitals, health centers, etc.), commodities (drugs, equipment, supplies, etc.), and knowledge. Each of these may be produced or acquired in different ways and to various extents.
Health programs may be organized under diverse sponsorships. In virtually all health systems, there is one principal authority of government (at several levels), other governmental agencies with health functions, voluntary health agencies, enterprises, and a private health-care market. The proportions among these five major forms of organization vary greatly in different countries. The management of health systems entails several processes: health planning, administration (supervision, consultation, coordination, etc.), regulation, and legislation.
The economic support of the various parts of a health system usually depends on one or more financial mechanisms. These may be governmental tax revenues (at different levels), social insurance (statutory), voluntary insurance, charity, and personal households. In economically less developed countries, foreign aid may play a role. The relative proportions among these different forms of support influence many features of a health system.
Finally, these four component parts of a health system lead to the crucial fifth part: the delivery of health services. These services may be analyzed according to several main subdivisions: primary health care (preventive and curative), secondary care, and tertiary care.
In most health systems, furtherÂmore, there are special modes of delivery of health services to certain populations and for certain disorders.
integrated health care system
According to the WHO, the vision of people-centered integrated health care is to provide the following:
- equal access to health care service of quality (universal health coverage)
- individualized services that cater to patients’ need and preferences
- coordinated services that facilitate comprehensiveness, safety, effectiveness, timeliness, and efficiency across the continuum of health care
- supportive working environments with motivated and competent health care workers.
Though still controversial in its definition and implementation, the benefits of integrated care have been widely acknowledged and it has been adapted extensively in North America and Europe, especially for the management of patients with chronic diseases.
Rapidly aging populations, as well as the increased burden of patients with chronic conditions and complex needs, call for health systems with comprehensive care. This requires not only good coordination between interdisciplinary health providers to reduce existing fragmentation of care, but also effective changes in funding and policy models.
To align with the vision, five key strategies for implementation have been suggested by the WHO:
- engaging and empowering the population
- reinforcing accountability and governance
- adapting a suitable care model
- coordinating services within and between sectors
- building a conducive environment