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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Health, Well-Being and Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 18889

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Vivian Valdmanis

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Guest Editor

School of Interdisciplinary Health Programs, Western Michigan University, Grand Rapids, 200 Ionia Avenue SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49503, USA
Interests: hospital productivity; development economics; sustainability

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This special issue will present research papers that assess the sustainability of public programs, health care systems, and health economics. Authors are encouraged to submit papers, for consideration, that examine government policies, health programs, and assess these topics using health economic methodologies. Since this is a journal focusing on sustainability, this concept must be an integral portion of the submissions. Sustainability is an important issue in assessing health care programs and public policy, especially for such programs and policies to ensure success in the long run. Sustainability can include ongoing financial support, continued stakeholder interest, active participation of providers and patients/clients, and political input that is not disruptive. Sustainability is particularly important to vulnerable populations either due to socio-economic status, geographic remoteness, and limited number of providers. These are issues that are germane in both developed and developing countries. Authors evaluating sustainability for health care programs and policies can be either preventative or curative in nature, but in either case it is incumbent upon authors to apply concepts from health care economics to provide additional support for the benefits of sustaining such programs and/or policies. Continuing policies/programs often include positive economic analysis and it is relevant for authors of submissions to include such an analysis. Papers that will be considered include original research, literature review papers, and policy analysis.

Prof. Vivian Valdmanis
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainability
health policy
health economics
government policies
health care program sustainability
political implications
stakeholders

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 723 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differentiation in Healthcare Financing in EU Countries

by Tomasz Rokicki, Aleksandra Perkowska and Marcin Ratajczak

Sustainability 2021, 13(1), 251; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su13010251 - 29 Dec 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3958

Abstract

The main aim of this work was to identify and present the situation and changes in the level of expenditure on healthcare in the European Union in the years 2013–2017. This involved an analysis of the available literature on healthcare financing, data from the EUROSTAT database. For this work, the comparative method was used, dynamics indicators were used, the Gini concentration coefficient was calculated, and the degree of concentration was presented using the Lorenz curve. Pearson’s linear correlation coefficients were also used. A descriptive, tabular and graphic method was used to present the test results that were obtained. A high concentration of expenditure on healthcare was found in the EU countries with the largest population and that are the most economically developed. These results also relate to these expenses on a per capita basis. The main factor differentiating the level of healthcare financing was the level of economic development. This regularity was confirmed in the statement of expenditure per capita, the relationship between this expenditure and the value of GDP and the results obtained when calculating the correlation between expenditure and economic development. In addition to the economic situation, an important factor determining the amount of expenditure on healthcare was the percentage of the country’s population that are older people. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Public Policy and Health Economics)

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13 pages, 907 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Electroacupuncture with Usual Care for Patients with Non-Acute Pain after Back Surgery: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Alongside a Randomized Controlled Trial

by NamKwen Kim, Kyung-Min Shin, Eun-Sung Seo, Minjung Park and Hye-Yoon Lee

Sustainability 2020, 12(12), 5033; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12125033 - 19 Jun 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2045

Abstract

Electroacupuncture (EA) is used to treat pain after back surgery. Although this treatment is covered by national health insurance in Korea, evidence supporting its cost-effectiveness and contribution to the sustainability of the national health care system has yet to be published. Therefore, an economic evaluation, alongside a clinical trial, was conducted to estimate the cost-effectiveness of EA and usual care (UC) versus UC alone to treat non-acute low back pain (LBP). In total, 108 patients were recruited and randomly assigned to treatment groups; 106 were included in the final cost utility analysis. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of EA plus UC was estimated as 7,048,602 Korean Rate Won (KRW) per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) from the societal perspective (SP). If the national threshold was KRW 30 million per QALY, the cost-effectiveness probability of EA plus UC was an estimated 85.9%; and, if the national threshold was over KRW 42,496,372 per QALY, the cost-effectiveness probability would be over 95% percent statistical significance. Based on these results, EA plus UC combination therapy for patients with non-acute LBP may be cost-effective from a societal perspective in Korea. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Public Policy and Health Economics)

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17 pages, 2120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Productivity Growth in Chinese Medical Institutions during 2009–2018

by Xueli Chen, Vivian Valdmanis and Tuotuo Yu

Sustainability 2020, 12(8), 3080; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12083080 - 12 Apr 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1670

Abstract

China is the most populous nation and considerations of economic efficiency in the social sectors is important for maintaining the wellbeing of such a large population. This is especially true when gauging the performance of the healthcare sector treating the population. In this paper, we examine the total factor productivity (TFP) growth in Chinese medical institutions during the period 2009–2018, which experienced a systemic healthcare reform. In order to identify the contribution from each component of TFP indicators and from each provincial or regional medical institutions, a generalized decomposition of productivity gains is applied to analyze hospital operations based on an aggregate directional distance function (DDF). The results show that the annual average TFP growth rate in Chinese medical institutions is 1.87% that is mainly driven by technological progress (0.75%, per annum), while less contributed by technical efficiency change (0.65%, p.a.) and scale efficiency change (0.47%, p.a.). Disparities of provincial hospital performances are observed that may provide policy implications for decision makers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Public Policy and Health Economics)

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9 pages, 578 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Priority Analysis of Right Remedies of Basic Living Recipients in Korea

by Kichan Yoon, Gyubeom Park and Munjae Lee

Sustainability 2020, 12(6), 2205; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12062205 - 12 Mar 2020

Viewed by 1777

Abstract

Through an active administration approach, the Local Living Security Commission (LLSC) has provided relief to protect the poor strata and reinforce the distribution of entitlements. However, the absence of a system to monitor operational performance makes it difficult to manage it efficiently. The purpose of this study is to find ways to strengthen and efficiently operate the functions of the LLSC through priority analysis of its operation. To this end, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was conducted based on the results of the focus group interview to derive priorities for the operation of the LLSC. The variables used in the AHP analysis included regional conditions, operational performance, organizational method, and network. The result of the analysis revealed, first, that the performance of the committee has increased due to a joint evaluation or verification survey conducted at the end of each year, second, that the creation of a budget for the organization and the operation of an independent LLSC is necessary, and third, that operational performance is the most important, followed by organizational method, network, and regional conditions. Therefore, a system for monitoring performance should be established to improve the operation performance of the LLSC. Additionally, it is necessary to establish an independent LLSC and secure the budget for each city and county. It should be possible to provide feedback on operations through regular priority analysis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Public Policy and Health Economics)

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16 pages, 1883 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Measuring Patients’ Perception and Satisfaction with the Romanian Healthcare System

by Smaranda Adina Cosma, Marius Bota, Cristina Fleșeriu, Claudiu Morgovan, Mădălina Văleanu and Dan Cosma

Sustainability 2020, 12(4), 1612; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12041612 - 21 Feb 2020

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 5685

Abstract

Measuring patient satisfaction of healthcare service quality represents a significant element of a healthcare’s system (HS) overall evaluation. It is the starting point for creating policies in national healthcare. The purpose of this paper was to evaluate Romanian patients’ perception and satisfaction of the quality of the national HS as a whole and of its components. Exploratory and descriptive research was used. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with Romanian patients, based on a questionnaire. Out of the 2305 respondents, 83% used the Romanian HS in the past 12 months and 58% of the respondents did not trust the system. The accommodation, food, and other facilities of Romanian hospitals were perceived as being at a low level. One third of the respondents were unsatisfied and very unsatisfied with respect to the overall impression of the Romanian HS. In addition, our research found a statistically significant relationship between confidence in the HS, age, and gender, and also between the overall impression on the HS, age and income. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Public Policy and Health Economics)

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14 pages, 447 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of the Health Promotion Programs on Happiness

by Munjae Lee and Kichan Yoon

Sustainability 2020, 12(2), 528; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su12020528 - 10 Jan 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3090

Abstract

The Healthy City program is a comprehensive health promotion program implemented by local governments to improve citizens’ health. The Healthy City program aims to improve citizens’ quality of life through health promotion activities in daily life. It also improves health by eliminating health risk factors and increasing citizens’ happiness. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of the Healthy City program on the happiness index of local residents and the correlation between the Healthy City program and the happiness index using quality of life as a parameter. We conducted a questionnaire survey of residents of Seoul, where Healthy City networks are actively promoted. A total of 392 responses were obtained. Structural equations were used to analyze the collected data. The Healthy City program had positive effects on the happiness index. In other words, it increased the happiness index by improving the health of the local residents. Relevant policy efforts are also being made to advance health services through Healthy City programs. For an effective Healthy City program, it is necessary to implement policies regarding health equity, to expand Healthy City programs based on a settings approach, and to implement a sustainable Healthy City program through the establishment of Healthy City governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability of Public Policy and Health Economics)

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