Document Detail


Micro-level planning using rapid assessment for primary health care services.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  10137744     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This paper describes the use of a rapid assessment technique in micro-level planning for primary health care services which has been developed in India. This methodology involves collecting household-level data through a quick sample survey to estimate client needs, coverage of services and unmet need, and using this data to formulate micro-level plans aimed at improving service coverage and quality for a primary health centre area. Analysis of the data helps to identify village level variations in unmet need and develop village profiles from which general interventions for overall improvement of service coverage and targeted interventions for selected villages are identified. A PHC area plan is developed based on such interventions. This system was tried out in 113 villages of three PHC centres of a district in Gujarat state of India. It demonstrated the feasibility and utility of this approach. However, it also revealed the barriers in the institutionalization of the system on a wider scale. The proposed micro-level planning methodology using rapid assessment would improve client-responsiveness of the health care system and provide a basis for increased decentralization. By focusing attention on under-served areas, it would promote equity in the use of health services. It would also help improve efficiency by making it possible to focus efforts on a small group of villages which account for most of the unmet need for services in an area. Thus the proposed methodology seems to be a feasible and an attractive alternative to the current top-down, target-based health planning in India.
The authors describe the use of a rapid assessment technique in micro-level planning for primary health care (PHC) services which has been developed in India. The technique involves collecting household-level data through a quick sample survey to estimate client needs, service coverage, and unmet need. The data are then used to develop plans designed to improve service coverage and quality for a primary health center area. Analyzing the data helps to identify village-level variations in unmet need and develop village profiles from which general interventions for overall service coverage improvement and targeted interventions for selected villages are identified. A PHC area plan is developed and the system implemented in 113 villages of three PHC centers of a district in Gujarat state. The program demonstrated the feasibility and utility of the approach, while also revealing barriers in institutionalizing the system on a broader scale. This planning methodology should improve the client responsiveness of the health system, provide a basis for increased decentralization, promote equity in the use of health services, and help improve efficiency. The methodology therefore appears to be both feasible and preferred over the current top-down, target-based health planning approach employed in India.
Authors:
J K Satia; D V Mavalankar; B Sharma
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Health policy and planning     Volume:  9     ISSN:  0268-1080     ISO Abbreviation:  Health Policy Plan     Publication Date:  1994 Sep 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  1994-11-30     Completed Date:  1994-11-30     Revised Date:  2004-11-17    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8610614     Medline TA:  Health Policy Plan     Country:  ENGLAND    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  318-30     Citation Subset:  H; J    
Affiliation:
Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Community Health Centers / organization & administration,  standards
Community Health Planning / methods*
Family Health
Health Plan Implementation
Health Policy
Health Services Needs and Demand*
Humans
India
Models, Theoretical
Primary Health Care / organization & administration,  standards*
Quality of Health Care
Questionnaires
Small-Area Analysis

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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