Oscar Méndez

Household catastrophic health expenditures: A comparative analysis of twelve Latin American and Caribbean Countries

OBJECTIVE Compare patterns of catastrophic health expenditures in 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. MATERIAL AND METHODS Prevalence of catastrophic expenses was estimated uniformly at the household level using household surveys. Two types of prevalence indicators were used based on out-of-pocket health expense: a) relative to an international poverty line, and b) relative to the households ability to pay net of their food basket. Ratios of catastrophic expenditures were estimated across subgroups defined by economic and social variables. RESULTS The percent of households with catastrophic health expenditures ranged from 1 to 25% in the twelve countries. In general, rural residence, lowest quintile of income, presence of older adults, and lack of health insurance in the household are associated with higher propensity of catastrophic health expenditures. However, there is vast heterogeneity by country. CONCLUSIONS Cross national studies may serve to examine how health systems contribute to the social protection of Latin American households.

Protección financiera en salud: México, 1992 a 2004

OBJECTIVE To document trends in financial protection in the health care system in Mexico between 1992 and 2004, applying a series of indicators that measure catastrophic and impoverishing health spending and the Index of Fairness in Financial Contributions. MATERIALS Y METHODS: This study uses the biannual time series of the Survey of Household Income and Expenditures (ENIGH) spanning the period 1992 to 2004. The methodologies seek to measure the level and distribution of the burden of health care finance on households, and the financial protection offered to them by the health care system. Four indicators are presented: 1) the Index of Fairness in Financial Contributions, 2) the proportion of households with catastrophic health expenditure, 3) the proportion of households with impoverishment due to health spending and 4) the sum of the proportion of households with catastrophic or impoverishing health spending, which is referred to as excessive health spending. The analysis presented in this document is descriptive, leaving for later studies a deeper analysis of causal aspects. RESULTS The number of families that suffer impoverishment due to health spending increased from 5.2% in 1992, reached a high of 9.9% in 1996, and then gradually declined to 1.8% by 2004. The proportion of households with catastrophic expenses began at 2.8% in 1992, increased to 4.2% in 1998 and then fell to a level of 2.6% in 2004. The improvements from 2000 on are concentrated among the uninsured population, families affiliated to Popular Health Insurance, and households in the poorest two quintiles of the income distribution. CONCLUSIONS The patterns over time in excessive health spending reflect a worsening during periods of economic crisis, post-crisis recovery, and a sustained improvement beginning in the year 2000. The data suggest that part of the reduction in the number of households with excessive health spending is due to the extension of financial protection for Mexican families through the Popular Health Insurance, while another part is associated with a decline in poverty. In addition,this paper documents an important relationship between economic trends and catastrophic and impoverishing health spending, suggesting the importance of financially protecting families through health insurance. Financial protection assists in guaranteeing that when economic crisis--of a country or of a family--coincides with illness, health care payments do not become the cause of a long or permanent period of impoverishment for households.

La carga de la enfermedad en países de América Latina

OBJETIVO. Describir los estudios de carga de la enfermedad realizados en la region e identificar las principales prioridades en salud a partir del indicador anos de vida saludable perdidos (AVISA). MATERIAL Y METODOS: Mediante el uso de AVISA, identificar la carga de enfermedad en los distintos paises. RESULTADOS: Los AVISA destacan la emergencia de los trastornos mentales, la diabetes mellitus en las mujeres y los trastornos por consumo de alcohol y lesiones en los hombres. CONCLUSIONES: America Latina es la region con mas estudios nacionales de carga de la enfermedad realizados con una metodologia estandarizada, que permiten identificar problemas de salud que estan presionando a los servicios de atencion; por ello estos resultados constituyen un elemento a tomar en cuenta en el establecimiento de politicas publicas en cada pais.

El costo de la atención médica del cáncer mamario: el caso del Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social

OBJECTIVE: We studied the cost of health care for women with breast cancer treated at the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS, per its abbreviation in Spanish). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Using the Medical and Operative Information Systems of the IMSS, we constructed a cohort of patients diagnosed in 2002 and followed these patients to the end of 2006, identifying the use of resources and imputing the IMSS-specific cost structure. RESULTS: Only 14% of women were diagnosed in stage 1 and 48% were diagnosed in stages III-IV. The average cost of their medical care per patient-year was

Evaluation of Breast Cancer Knowledge Among Health Promoters in Mexico Before and After Focused Training

MX110,459. Costs for stage 1 were

Cobertura efectiva de las intervenciones en salud de América Latina y el Caribe: métrica para evaluar los sistemas de salud

MX74,522 compared to

Financial Crisis, Health Outcomes and Aging: Mexico in the 1980s and 1990s

102,042 for stage II, and were

Justicia financiera y gastos catastróficos en salud: impacto del Seguro Popular de Salud en México

MX154,018 for stage III and

[Fair health financing and catastrophic health expenditures: potential impact of the coverage extension of the popular health insurance in Mexico].

MX199,274 for stage IV. CONCLUSIONS: Breast cancer accounts for a significant part of the IMSS health budget. Later stage at diagnosis is associated with higher economic costs per patient-year of treatment and lower probability of five-year survival.

Desperdicio de recursos en el sistema de salud: el caso de la profesión médica y la enfermería en México

OBJECTIVE Breast cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Mexico. We assessed the effectiveness of a train-the-trainer program in two Mexican states in improving knowledge among professional and nonprofessional community health workers. MATERIALS AND METHODS We worked with local organizations to develop and implement a train-the-trainer program to improve breast cancer knowledge among community health workers, including professional health promoters (PHPs) who were trained and then trained nonprofessional community health promoters (CHPs). We surveyed participants before and after training that included in-person and online classes and again approximately 3 months later. We used paired t tests and chi-square tests to compare survey responses at the different times. We also used logistic regression to assess whether promoter characteristics were associated with greater improvements in breast cancer knowledge after training. RESULTS Overall, 169 PHPs (mean age, 36 years) completed training and provided a 10-hour training course to 2,651 CHPs, who also completed the pre- and post-training survey. For both PHPs and CHPs, post-training surveys demonstrated increases in an understanding of breast cancer as a problem; an understanding of screening, treatment, and insurance coverage issues; and knowledge of breast cancer risk factors, symptoms, and what constitutes a family history of breast cancer (all p < .05). These improvements were maintained 3 to 6 months after training. CONCLUSION Train-the-trainer programs hold promise for leveraging community health workers, who far outnumber other health professionals in many low- and middle-income countries, to engage in health promotion activities for cancer and other noncommunicable diseases.