User:Kristiedelvalle/sandbox

For my area research, I will add to the page "Healthcare in Costa Rica" a new section called "Reformed Healthcare Litigation"

Reformed Healthcare Litigation
The development of the current public and private healthcare system in Costa Rica and its movement towards a progressive system came about as a response to a growing constitutional health rights in Costa Rica. The Supreme Court (the Sala IV) released litigations for medications, treatments, and other health care issues. Criticism from inside the health system regarding “the court’s jurisprudence elevated the right to health above financial considerations, and as a result posed a threat to the financial well-being of the state-run health care system." To address these criticisms, the Sala IV partnered with the Cochrane Collaboration to integrate medical professional evaluations in its decision-making process for claims seeking access to medication.

A  2014 study researched successful health rights litigation and showed that >70% of favorable rulings were for low-priority medications in Costa Rica, revealing an unfair access to medications. Then a study was conducted researching the court’s reformed ruling process and whether it has changed in favor of the health rights conversation. It revealed that the probability of winning a medication lawsuit has increased drastically over time. The percent of rulings granting experimental medications has declined while the percent granting high-priority medications increased. Based on these results, in comparison to the court’s pre-reform process, the reformed new process has led to some minor gains in fairness.

For my sector research, I will add to the page “Clinic” a new section 4 “Mobile Clinics" (between existing sections 3 and 4)

Mobile Clinics
Before foreign aid orgs or the state government were involved in healthcare, Costa Rica's inhabitants managed their own health care, and before biomedicine was even introduced, people relied on various socio cultural adaptations to prevent illnesses, such as personal hygiene and settlement patterns. A study done in rural Namibia, researchers observed the health changes of orphans and vulnerable children as well as  non-vulnerable children visiting a mobile clinic in rural Namibia where health facilities are far from the remote villages. Over 6 months, information on immunization status, diagnosis of anemia, skin and intestinal disorders, nutrition, dental disorders and referral was collected and showed that regular mobile clinic visits improved the health indices of child attendees.The study concluded that “careful planning of these [mobile clinic] programs in areas with similarly identified barriers may help correct the health disparities among Namibian [orphans and other vulnerable children] OVC and could be a first step in improving child morbidity and mortality in difficult-to-reach rural areas.