The role of health services regulation in healthcare delivery

Daniel Asamoah

doi:10.29333/ejmds/16003

Full Text (PDF)

Daniel Asamoah ¹ ² ^*

More Detail

¹ Health Facilities Regulatory Agency Head Quarters, Accra, GHANA² Livingstone International University of Tourism Excellence and Business Management, Lusaka, REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Ethical standards for healthcare professionals are vital for promoting integrity and accountability within the healthcare workforce. The regulatory scope also includes cost control measures, data privacy, and security protocols, enhancing healthcare delivery efficiency and effectiveness. This study utilizes a comprehensive review of existing literature, regulatory guidelines, and empirical studies to evaluate regulation’s impact on healthcare delivery. The synthesis of diverse sources reveals the multifaceted impact of regulation on healthcare delivery. The analysis highlights the critical role of regulatory bodies in fostering continuous improvement initiatives, bolstering emergency preparedness, and promoting equitable access to care across diverse populations. Recognizing the extensive influence of health services regulation is crucial for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and stakeholders. Understanding these dynamics is essential for navigating the evolving landscape of healthcare delivery and ensuring optimal outcomes for patients and communities.

Keywords

health services regulation
healthcare delivery
quality assurance
patient safety
regulatory compliance

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Review Article

ELECTR J MED DENT STUD, Volume 14, Issue 1, 2025, Article No: em0108

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmds/16003

Publication date: 19 Feb 2025

Article Views: 51

Article Downloads: 28

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

WHO. Delivering quality health services: A global imperative. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2018. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264300309-en
Nega DT, Ancha VR, Manenti F, Adeel Z. A comprehensive policy framework for unlocking the potential of water hyacinth in Ethiopia’s circular bioeconomy. J Clean Prod. 2024;435:140509. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2023.140509
Clayton JL, Miller KJ. Professional and regulatory infection control guidelines: Collaboration to promote patient safety. AORN J. 2017;106(3):201-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2017.07.005 PMid:28865630
Farokhzadian J, Dehghan Nayeri N, Borhani F. The long way ahead to achieve an effective patient safety culture: Challenges perceived by nurses. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):654. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-018-3467-1 PMid:30134980 PMCid:PMC6106875
Fusco LA, Alfes CM, Weaver A, Zimmermann E. Medication safety competence of undergraduate nursing students. Clin Simul Nurs. 2021;52:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2020.12.003
WHO. Health care accreditation and quality of care: Exploring the role of accreditation and external evaluation of health care facilities and organizations. World Health Organization; 2022. Available at: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240055230 (Accessed: 21 May 2024).
Usak M, Kubiatko M, Shabbir MS, Viktorovna Dudnik O, Jermsittiparsert K, Rajabion L. Health care service delivery based on the Internet of things: A systematic and comprehensive study. Int J Commun Syst. 2020;33(2):e4179. https://doi.org/10.1002/dac.4179
Varkey B. Principles of clinical ethics and their application to practice. Med Princ Pract. 2021;30(1):17-28. https://doi.org/10.1159/000509119 PMid:32498071 PMCid:PMC7923912
Bell DJ, Self MM, Davis III C, Conway F, Washburn JJ, Crepeau-Hobson F. Health service psychology education and training in the time of COVID-19: Challenges and opportunities. Am Psychol. 2020;75(7):919-32. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000673 PMid:32584062
Lombardi C, Sharman JE, Padwal R, et al. Weak and fragmented regulatory frameworks on the accuracy of blood pressure-measuring devices pose a major impediment for the implementation of HEARTS in the Americas. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2020;22(12):2184-91. https://doi.org/10.1111/jch.14058 PMid:33022866 PMCid:PMC8030047
Magri M, Martín RE. The accreditation process. New York City (NY): Springer; 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-64492-5_14 PMid:36122138
Humphrey BA. Data privacy vs. innovation: A quantitative analysis of artificial intelligence in healthcare and its impact on HIPAA regarding the privacy and security of protected health information. Moon Twp (PA): Robert Morris University; 2021.
Arote KS, Salade DA, Patil NV. A brief review on regulatory affairs: Ensuring compliance, safety, and market access. Int J Pharm Sci. 2023;1(10):22-30.
Dreiher D, Blagorazumnaya O, Balicer R, Dreiher J. National initiatives to promote quality of care and patient safety: achievements to date and challenges ahead. Isr J Health Policy Res. 2020;9(1)62. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13584-020-00417-x PMid:33153491 PMCid:PMC7642577
De Gagne JC, Hwang H, Jung D. Cyberethics in nursing education: Ethical implications of artificial intelligence. Nurs Ethics. 2023;31(6):1021-30. https://doi.org/10.1177/09697330231201901 PMid:37803810
Vian T. Anti-corruption, transparency and accountability in health: Concepts, frameworks, and approaches. Glob Health Action. 2020;13(sup1):1694744. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2019.1694744 PMid:32194010 PMCid:PMC7170369
Lancaster E, Wick E. Standardized care pathways as a means to improve patient safety. Surg Clin North Am. 2021; 101(1):49-56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.suc.2020.08.011 PMid:33212079
Haque M, McKimm J, Sartelli M, et al. Strategies to prevent healthcare-associated infections: A narrative overview. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2020;13:1765-80. https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s269315 PMid:33061710 PMCid:PMC7532064
Leslie K, Moore J, Robertson C, et al. Regulating health professional scopes of practice: Comparing institutional arrangements and approaches in the US, Canada, Australia and the UK. Hum Resour Health. 2021;19(1):15. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-00550-3 PMid:33509209 PMCid:PMC7841037
Abraham V, Meyer JC, Godman B, Helberg E. Perceptions of managerial staff on the patient safety culture at a tertiary hospital in South Africa. Int J Qual Stud Health Well-being. 2022;17(1):2066252. https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2022.2066252 PMid:35445629 PMCid:PMC9037162
de Bienassis K, Kristensen S, Burtscher M, Brownwood I, Klazinga NS. Culture as a cure: Assessments of patient safety culture in OECD countries. Paris: OECD Publishing; 2020. https://doi.org/10.1787/6ee1aeae-en
WHO. Global patient safety action plan 2021-2030: Towards eliminating avoidable harm in health care. World Health Organization; 2021. Available at: https://www.who.int/teams/integrated-health-services/patient-safety/policy/global-patient-safety-action-plan (Accessed: 21 May 2024).
Ichoku HE, Ifelunini AI. The changing political undercurrents in health services delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. Int J Health Serv. 2017;47(3):489-503. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020731416660964 PMid:27487834
Zon H, Pavlova M, Drabo KM, Groot W. Municipal health services provision by local governments: A systematic review of experiences in decentralized sub-Saharan African countries. Health Policy Plan. 2017;32(9):1327-36. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czx082 PMid:28981661
Doctor HV, Nkhana-Salimu S, Abdulsalam-Anibilowo M. Health facility delivery in sub-Saharan Africa: Successes, challenges, and implications for the 2030 development agenda. BMC Public Health. 2018;18(1):765. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5695-z PMid:29921275 PMCid:PMC6011205
Alegbeleye BJ, Mohammed RK. Challenges of healthcare delivery in the context of COVID-19 pandemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. Iberoam J Med. 2020;2(2):100-9. https://doi.org/10.53986/ibjm.2020.0018
Amu H, Dowou RK, Saah FI, Efunwole JA, Bain LE, Tarkang EE. COVID-19 and health systems functioning in sub-Saharan Africa using the “WHO building blocks”: The challenges and responses. Front Public Health. 2022;10:856397. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2022.856397 PMid:35444973 PMCid:PMC9013894
Oyediran KA, Makinde OA, Adelakin O. The role of telemedicine in addressing access to sexual and reproductive health services in sub-Saharan Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. Afr J Reprod Health. 2020;24(2):49-55.
Babalola TK, Moodley I. Assessing the efficiency of health-care facilities in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol. 2020;7: 2333392820919604. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333392820919604 PMid:32426420 PMCid:PMC7218466
Nuhu S, Mpambije CJ, Ngussa K. Challenges in health service delivery under public-private partnership in Tanzania: Stakeholders’ views from Dar es Salaam Region. BMC Health Serv Res. 2020;20:765. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05638-z PMid:32811497 PMCid:PMC7436953
Hollingworth S, Fenny AP, Yu SY, Ruiz F, Chalkidou K. Health technology assessment in sub-Saharan Africa: A descriptive analysis and narrative synthesis. Cost Eff Resour Alloc. 2021;19(1):39. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12962-021-00293-5 PMid:34233710 PMCid:PMC8261797
Bharali I, Yamey G, Mao W, et al. Can strategic purchasing of health services be better coordinated? Experiences of five countries in sub-Saharan Africa. SSRN;2023. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4452836
Papp J. Quality management in the imaging sciences. Amsterdam: Elsevier; 2023.
Tindall T, Topcu G, Thomas S, et al. Developing a patient care pathway for emotional support around the point of multiple sclerosis diagnosis: A stakeholder engagement study. Health Expect. 2023;26(2):858-68. https://doi.org/10.1111/hex.13711 PMid:36688446 PMCid:PMC10010079
Amaral E, Norcini J. Quality assurance in health professions education: Role of accreditation and licensure. Med Educ. 2023;57(1):40-8. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.14880 PMid:35851495
Hijazi HH, Harvey HL, Alyahya MS, Alshraideh HA, Al Abdi RM, Parahoo SK. The impact of applying quality management practices on patient centeredness in Jordanian public hospitals: Results of predictive modeling. Inquiry. 2018;55:0046958018754739. https://doi.org/10.1177/0046958018754739 PMid:29482410 PMCid:PMC5833210
Khanna S, Srivastava S. AI governance in healthcare: Explainability standards, safety protocols, and human-AI interactions dynamics in contemporary medical AI systems. Empiric Quests Manag Essenc. 2021;1(1):130-43.
Araujo CA, Siqueira MM, Malik AM. Hospital accreditation impact on healthcare quality dimensions: A systematic review. Int J Qual Health Care. 2020;32(8):531-44. https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzaa090 PMid:32780858
Bandari V. Enterprise data security measures: A comparative review of effectiveness and risks across different industries and organization types. Int J Bus Intell Big Data Anal. 2023;6(1).
Martin HM, Larsen J. Patient involvement in patient safety: A literature review about European primary care. The Danish Institute for Health Services Research for the Danish Society for Patient Safety and the LINNEAUS EURO-PC Project; 2012. Available at: https://pure.vive.dk/ws/files/2060933/dsi-3479.pdf (Accessed: 21 May 2024).
Dumitrache L, Nae M, Simion G, Taloș AM. Modelling potential geographical access of the population to public hospitals and quality health care in Romania. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020;17(22):8487. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17228487 PMid:33207761 PMCid:PMC7696721
Betancourt JR, Green AR, Carrillo JE, Owusu Ananeh-Firempong 2nd. Defining cultural competence: A practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care. Public Health Rep. 2003;118(4):293-302. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0033-3549(04)50253-4 PMid:12815076
Sahoo S, Sahoo J, Kumar S, Lim WM, Ameen N. Distance is no longer a barrier to healthcare services: Current state and future trends of telehealth research. Internet Res. 2023; 33(3):890-944. https://doi.org/10.1108/intr-10-2021-0774
Aminabee S. The future of healthcare and patient-centric care: Digital innovations, trends, and predictions. In: Garcia MB, de Almeida RPP, editors. Emerging technologies for health literacy and medical practice 2024. New York City (NY): IGI Global. p. 240-62. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1214-8.ch012
Cui Z, Liu X, Feng Z, Huang Z. Regulated pricing decisions and diagnostic test choices in personalized medicine: Navigating the implications within legal frameworks. Risk Manag Healthc Policy. 2024;17:2763-76. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-3897641/v1
Gronde TV, Uyl-de Groot CA, Pieters T. Addressing the challenge of high-priced prescription drugs in the era of precision medicine: A systematic review of drug life cycles, therapeutic drug markets and regulatory frameworks. PloS One. 2017;12(8):e0182613. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182613 PMid:28813502 PMCid:PMC5559086
Mackey TK, Cuomo RE. An interdisciplinary review of digital technologies to facilitate anti-corruption, transparency and accountability in medicines procurement. Glob Health Action. 2020;13(sup1):1695241. https://doi.org/10.1080/16549716.2019.1695241 PMid:32194014 PMCid:PMC7170358
Helbling N. Rural healthcare finance: An examination of challenges and opportunities [Doctoral dissertation]. Duluth (MN): The College of St. Scholastica; 2020.
Shetty SR, Chatterjee D, Pai YP. The role of health insurance and managed care in India. Int J Manag. 2020;11(12):679-92. https://doi.org/10.34218/ijm.11.12.2020.063
Pesapane F, Bracchi DA, Mulligan JF, et al. Legal and regulatory framework for AI solutions in healthcare in EU, US, China, and Russia: New scenarios after a pandemic. Radiation. 2021;1(4):261-76. https://doi.org/10.3390/radiation1040022
Karunarathne SM, Saxena N, Khan MK. Security and privacy in IoT smart healthcare. IEEE Internet Comput. 2021; 25(4):37-48. https://doi.org/10.1109/mic.2021.3051675
Szalados JE. Medical records and confidentiality: Evolving liability issues inherent in the electronic health record, HIPAA, and cybersecurity. In: Szalados JE, editor. The medical-legal aspects of acute care medicine: A resource for clinicians, administrators, and risk managers. New York City (NY): Springer; 2021. p. 315-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68570-6_13
Tschider CA. AI’s legitimate interest: Towards a public benefit privacy model. Hous J Health L Policy. 2021;21:125. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3725933
Nowrozy R, Ahmed K, Wang H, Mcintosh T. Towards a universal privacy model for electronic health record systems: An ontology and machine learning approach. InInform. 2023;10(3):60. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics10030060
Adler-Milstein J, Adelman JS, Tai-Seale M, Patel VL, Dymek C. EHR audit logs: A new goldmine for health services research? J Biomed Inform. 2020;101:103343. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbi.2019.103343 PMid:31821887
Tariq MU. Revolutionizing health data management with blockchain technology: Enhancing security and efficiency in a digital era. In: Garcia MB, de Almeida RPP, editors. Emerging technologies for health literacy and medical practice 2024 (pp. 153-175). New York City (NY): IGI Global; 2024. p. 153-75. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1214-8.ch008
Van Stekelenburg LH, De Ruyter D, Sanderse W. ‘Equipping students with an ethical compass.’ What does it mean, and what does it imply? Ethics Educ. 2021;16(1):91-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449642.2020.1860315
Gracyk TA. A structured principlist framework for decision making in healthcare [PhD dissertation]. Bowling Green (OH): Bowling Green State University; 2020.
Gubler DA, Makowski LM, Troche SJ, Schlegel K. Loneliness and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: Associations with personality and emotion regulation. J Happiness Stud. 2021;22(5):2323-42. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00326-5 PMid:33100896 PMCid:PMC7574670
Khin NA, Grandinetti C, Dixey H, et al. Tackling challenging data integrity topics in 2020: Update on good clinical practice perspectives from the US FDA and MHRA UK. Clin Pharmacol Ther. 2022;112(1):31-43. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpt.2386 PMid:34358334
Kim Y. Building organizational resilience through strategic internal communication and organization-employee relationships. J Appl Communn Res. 2021;49(5):589-608. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2021.1910856
Xiang T, Gerber BJ, Zhang F. Language access in emergency and disaster preparedness: An assessment of local government “whole community” efforts in the United States. Int J Disaster Risk Reduct. 2021;55:102072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102072
Shi J, Chen X, Hu H, Ung CO. Application of implementation science framework to develop and adopt regulatory science in different national regulatory authorities. Front Public Health. 2023;11:1172557. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1172557 PMid:37213606 PMCid:PMC10192700
Bergeron BP. Performance management in healthcare: From key performance indicators to balanced scorecard. New York City (NY): Productivity Press; 2017. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315102214-5
Fonseca MP, Fonseca MP. A study of the pillars of the corporate integrity and compliance program of the brazilian support service for micro and small enterprises–SEBRAE. J Entrep Res. 2023;1(1):43-53. https://doi.org/10.29073/jer.v1i1.10
Van Loo R. Regulatory monitors. Columbia Law Rev. 2019;119(2):369-444.
Hanno EC, Jones SM, Lesaux NK. Back to basics: Developmental catalysts of quality improvement in early education and care. Policy Insights Behav Brain Sci. 2021; 8(2):200-7. https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322211032258

How to cite this article

Vancouver

Asamoah D. The role of health services regulation in healthcare delivery. ELECTR J MED DENT STUD. 2025;14(1):em0108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmds/16003

APA

Asamoah, D. (2025). The role of health services regulation in healthcare delivery. Electronic Journal of Medical and Dental Studies, 14(1), em0108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmds/16003

AMA

Asamoah D. The role of health services regulation in healthcare delivery. ELECTR J MED DENT STUD. 2025;14(1), em0108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmds/16003

Chicago

Asamoah, Daniel. "The role of health services regulation in healthcare delivery". Electronic Journal of Medical and Dental Studies 2025 14 no. 1 (2025): em0108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmds/16003

Harvard

Asamoah, D. (2025). The role of health services regulation in healthcare delivery. Electronic Journal of Medical and Dental Studies, 14(1), em0108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmds/16003

MLA

Asamoah, Daniel "The role of health services regulation in healthcare delivery". Electronic Journal of Medical and Dental Studies, vol. 14, no. 1, 2025, em0108. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmds/16003