Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36890474›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2023

Healthcare workers´ experiences and perceptions of the provision of health insurance benefits to the elderly in rural Tanzania: an explorative qualitative study.

Paul Joseph Amani, Miguel San Sebastian, Anna-Karin Hurtig, Angwara Denis Kiwara, Isabel Goicolea

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
2.0field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Paul Joseph AmaniDepartment of Health Systems Management, School of Public Administration and Management, Mzumbe University, Morogoro, Tanzania. paul.amani@umu.se.
Miguel San SebastianDepartment of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Anna-Karin HurtigDepartment of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Angwara Denis KiwaraDepartment of Development Studies, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania.
Isabel GoicoleaDepartment of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Umeå University · SEMuhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences · TZMzumbe University · TZ

Funding

Styrelsen för Internationellt Utvecklingssamarbete 2015–2020
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundHealthcare workers play an important part in the delivery of health insurance benefits, and their role in ensuring service quality and availability, access, and good management practice for insured clients is crucial. Tanzania started a government-based health insurance scheme in the 1990s. However, no studies have specifically looked at the experience of healthcare professionals in the delivery of health insurance services in the country. This study aimed to explore healthcare workers' experiences and perceptions of the provision of health insurance benefits for the elderly in rural Tanzania.

methodsAn exploratory qualitative study was conducted in the rural districts of Igunga and Nzega, western-central Tanzania. Eight interviews were carried out with healthcare workers who had at least three years of working experience and were involved in the provision of healthcare services to the elderly or had a certain responsibility with the administration of health insurance. The interviews were guided by a set of questions related to their experiences and perceptions of health insurance and its usefulness, benefit packages, payment mechanisms, utilisation, and availability of services. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data.

resultsThree categories were developed that describe healthcare workers´ experiences and perceptions of delivering the benefits of health insurance for the elderly living in rural Tanzania. Healthcare workers perceived health insurance as an important mechanism to increase healthcare access for elderly people. However, alongside the provision of insurance benefits, several challenges coexisted, such as a shortage of human resources and medical supplies as well as operational issues related to delays in funding reimbursement.

conclusionWhile health insurance was considered an important mechanism to facilitate access to care among rural elderly, several challenges that impede its purpose were mentioned by the participants. Based on these, an increase in the healthcare workforce and availability of medical supplies at the health-centre level together with expansion of services coverage of the Community Health Fund and improvement of reimbursement procedures are recommended to achieve a well-functioning health insurance scheme.

Indexed as

Health PersonnelInsurance BenefitsAgedHumansInsurance, HealthQualitative ResearchTanzaniaElderlyHealthcare workersHealth insuranceQualitativeRuralTanzania

Identifiers

PMID36890474
PMCPMC9996914
OpenAlexW4323652673

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.