Identification of priority research questions in three thematic areas: human resources for health, health financing and the role of the non-state sector
Health Financing and Role of the Non-State Sector in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand
The ultimate goal of this study is to identify regional research priorities for health policy and systems research, based on the current and emerging policy concerns related to health care financing, human resources for health and the role of the non-state (private) sector – as perceived by policy-makers, civil society organizations and other research users. A network of three institutions in South East Asia jointly identified research priorities in each country, as well as in the broader region. The three institutions were the National Institute of Health Research and Development, Centre for Health Systems and Policy Research & Development, Jakarta, Indonesia; UNU-International Institute for Global Health, Faculty of Medicine, UKM , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and the Centre for Health Economics, Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Data and information from various sources, namely public domain documents, published planning documents within the health sector (Ministry of Health) as well as in other relevant sectors (Planning & Development Board, Planning Unit, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Social Welfare, National Parliament Commission working on Health Sector) were identified. Researchers collected information on national health visions and missions, main strategies, health goals and objectives, medium-term and annual health plan; through documented policy statements, planning documents, reports and minutes of meetings & hearings with the National Parliament; workshops with civil society, interviews with key informants as well as results of regional health meetings (SEARO, ASEAN). Existing research priorities in each country and in the region and results of the research priority setting exercises were also reviewed, using structured and unstructured instruments, then reviewed and analysed.
Findings
Indonesia
After review and consultation with informants, the following health policy topics were ranked highest in each country by policy-makers.
- Health Financing
- Development of social health insurance systems
- Effectiveness of current health care spending
- Financing of "public good" programmes & essential public health services
- Human Resources for Health
- Health Workers in underserved areas
- Uneven distribution of trained health workers
- Impact of decentralization in the health sector on human resources management
- Role of the Non-state Sector
- Regulation, licensing, accreditation and oversight of private health care facilities
- Role of private health sector in serving the poor
- Quality and patterns of care provided in private facilities, and how to influence them
Malaysia
- Health Financing
- Improvement of efficiency in public spending
- Health care financing for the poor
- Provider payment mechanism in health financing
- Human Resources for Health
- Human resource planning: estimation and anticipation of needs and supply
- Uneven distribution of trained human resources for health
- Low motivation of health workforce
- Role of the Non-state Sector
- Quality and patterns of care provided in private health facilities and how to influence them
- Role of the private health sector in serving the poor
- Interaction and partnership between private and public health
Thailand
- Health Financing
- Effectiveness of current health care spending
- Composition of benefits package
- Health care financing for the poor
- Human Resources for Health
- Human resource policies to work in under-served area
- Impact of decentralization in the health sector on human resource management
- Adequate number of trained human resources for human resources for health
- Role of the Non-state Sector
- Role of the private health sector in serving the poor; regulation, licensing, accreditation and oversight of private health care facilities
- Quality and patterns of care provided in private health facilities and how to influence them
- Financing of the provision of services by private health care facilities.
Implications of these findings for research funding agencies are that each country generally has its own reseach needs that are not necessarily similar to those of other countries or in accordance with regional needs. Thus, funding of research activities should be tailored to individual country needs and funding for regional research should be carefully prepared and discussed, and also tailored to the actual individual country needs.
Project description
Programme:Identification of priority research questions in three thematic areas: human resources for health, health financing and the role of the non-state sector
Research title:Health Financing and Role of the Non-State Sector in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand
Thematic Research Area: Cross-cutting
Grantee Country:Indonesia
Grantee Institution:Center for Health Policy and Systems Research & Development – National Institute of Health Research and Development
Program Coordinator/Principle Investigator: Dr. Sowearta Kosen
Start date:
Status of grant: Completed in March 2008