Identifying possible gaps and gray areas in the draft Universal Health Care Act implementing rules and regulations: A thematic analysis of a roundtable event on local health systems

Theo Prudencio Juhani Z Capeding; Ma-ann M Zarsuelo; Michael Antonio F Mendoza; Ma Esmeralda C Silva; Leonardo Jr R Estacio Jr

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Identifying possible gaps and gray areas in the draft Universal Health Care Act implementing rules and regulations: A thematic analysis of a roundtable event on local health systems

Author: Theo Prudencio Juhani Z. Capeding ^{1
,

2} ; Ma-Ann M. Zarsuelo ^{1
,

2} ; Michael Antonio F. Mendoza ^{1
,

3} ; Ma. Esmeralda C. Silva ^{1
,

4} ; Leonardo Jr. R. Estacio Jr. ^{1
,

5}
Author Information

1. University of the Philippines Manila Health Policy Development Hub
2. Institute of Health Policy and Development Studies, National Institutes of Health, University of the Philippines Manila
3. College of Dentistry, University of the Philippines Manila
4. College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila
5. College of Arts and Sciences, University of the Philippines Manila
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: health systems; thematic analysis
MeSH: Universal Health Care; Policy Making; Medical Assistance; Government Programs; Health Policy;
From: Acta Medica Philippina 2020;54(6):760-768
CountryPhilippines
Language:English
Abstract: Background:The Universal Health Care (UHC) Act is a landmark legislation that seeks to improve provision of comprehensive health services through the integration of local health systems. The Department of Health (DOH) conducted a series of roundtable discussions to gather stakeholders' inputs and concerns to refine the initial draft of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of UHC.
Methods:On April 4, 2019, the Department of Health led a roundtable discussion on the Local Health Systems sections of the UHC IRR in collaboration with University of the Philippines Manila. A total of 65 stakeholders from different sectors participated in a semi-structured roundtable event. The proceedings were audio recorded and transcribed. A thematic analysis was done using NVivo 12 software to document gaps and gray areas identified by the participants.
Results:Concerns of the participants revolved around the following: role of the private sector in local health systems; the integration of different municipal and other component health systems into a province-wide health system; organizational design of the health systems; pooling and utilization of the Special Health Fund (SHF). Gaps andgray areas were concentrated on the transfer of personnel and other health resources to the province-wide system, the composition of the Provincial Health Board, and the utilization and management of the SHF.
Conclusion:The roundtable event acquired various perspectives from stakeholders that could help the DOH identify priority action points that could be resolved at the agency level. The identified themes from the study analysis could be of value to decision makers to clarify issues, address policy gaps, and to prioritize future research directions.
Full text:2623-Article Text-14206-1-10-20201226 (1).pdf