An Integrated Approach to Syrian Refugees’ Health Care in Lebanon

The purpose of this paper is to learn from the integrated health care approach for the Syrian Armenian refugees by the HKCC （Howard Karagheusian Commemorative Corporation） in Burj Hammoud in Lebanon from the perspective of the beneficiaries themselves, i.e. the Syrian Armenian refugees. One hundred families who had been residing in Burj Hammoud and who had been regularly benefiting from the health services of the HKCC for at least one year were interviewed. The interviewees used a semi-structured questionnaire. Data were analyzed and emerging themes were mapped. The Syrian Armenian refugees who participated in this study generally expressed their satisfaction with the equitable access afforded by the HKCC’s integrated health care approach. There were several reasons why the HKCC’s integrated approach to serve refugees and the local population on equal footing was given positive reviews by the sampled refugees. Based on the responses of the refugees, these reasons are mainly （a） the convenient location of the center, which is walking distance for most refugees; （b） the ability of the treating doctors to communicate with the refugees in Armenian, which facilitates diagnosis and understanding of the health problems; （c） suitable opening hours; （d） friendly staff; and （e） thorough doctors. The results do not statistically represent the overall refugee population that is served by the HKCC; due to the study’s limited demographic scope, the results cannot be generalized. This limitation was due to lack of funding to cover the whole beneficiary Syrian Armenian refugee population. The HKCC’s approach has helped in providing access to treatment and preventive measures to a refugee population that was in need of it; as a consequence, it may have improved the health outcomes of this refugee population, especially in regard to the immunization of children. An integrated approach to healthcare which provides “equal ability by refugees and host nationals to access the same healthcare resources from the same providers” seemed to have been successful in the case of the HKCC. This paper provided first exploration of an integrated health approach for refugee healthcare provision in Lebanon.

Satisfaction of Village Doctors with the Township and Village Health Services Integration Policy in the Western Minority-inhabited Areas of China

Township and Village Health Services Integration Management（TVHSIM） is an essential form of China＇s two-tiered health service integration plan at the township and village level. Its main purpose, also one of the target goals in China＇s new healthcare reform, is to gradually integrate rural health services and appropriately allocate rural health resources. This study aims to assess the village doctors＇ satisfaction with the TVHSIM and provide scientific base to further improve TVHSIM. A cross-sectional study was carried out in which 162 village doctors from Qinghai, Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang in western China were interviewed. Descriptive analysis, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, Spearman rank correlation and multiple linear regression were used to analyze the difference and relevance between village doctors＇ personal characteristics and their satisfaction with TVHSIM and six subscales. Village doctors with different years of practice, social insurance status and essential medical knowledge level showed statistically significant differences in their satisfaction levels（all P〈0.05）. Age（P〈0.05） and years of practice（P〈0.01） were negatively correlated with Drug and Medical Device Management and Financing Management. Essential medical knowledge level（P〈0.05） was negatively correlated with Operations Management as well. However, social insurance status（P〈0.05） was positively correlated with Human Resources Management and Drug and Medical Device management. Gender, age and years of practice respectively had significant influence on village doctors＇ satisfaction with TVHSIM（P〈0.01）. In conclusion, in order to further promote TVHSIM policy in rural China, a well-rounded social insurance model for village doctors is urgently needed. In addition, the development of TVHSIM is regionally imbalanced. Efficient and effective measures aiming at rationalizing gender and age structure and enhancing essential medical training should be carefully considered.