The Public and the Private: Insurers and Medical Attention in Mexico

Objectives: To analyze the evolution of private health insurance in Mexico during from 1986-1992, compared with the development of the insurance industry in Chile, Brazil and Argentina

Patient and physician satisfaction in an observational study with methyl aminolevulinate daylight-photodynamic therapy in the treatment of multiple actinic keratoses of the face and scalp in 6 European countries

BACKGROUND Guidelines recommend treating actinic keratoses (AKs) as they are recognized as precursors of invasive squamous cell carcinoma. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to collect real-world clinical data on the use of methyl aminolevulinate daylight photodynamic therapy (MAL DL-PDT) for the treatment of face and scalp AK in Europe. METHODS A prospective, multicenter, non-interventional study was conducted in six European countries in patients receiving a single treatment of MAL DL-PDT for face and/or scalp AK. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed by patient questionnaires at baseline and at 3 months after treatment, efficacy was assessed at 3 months using a 6-point global improvement scale, and adverse events (AE) were recorded at each visit. RESULTS Overall, 325 patients were enrolled from 52 investigational centres, 314 of whom attended the 3-month visit. Most patients had multiple lesions (58.4% had >10 lesions) with lesions mainly located on the scalp (60.0%) and/or forehead (54.2%). AKs were predominantly grade I (39.4%) or grade II (33.2%), and 10.5% of patients had grade III lesions. The proportions of patients and physicians that were overall satisfied to very satisfied with the MAL DL-PDT treatment were 80.4% and 90.3%, respectively. The vast majority of patients (90.0%) would consider using MAL DL-PDT again if needed. Physician-assessed efficacy at 3 months was at least much improved in 83.5% of patients, with 45.9% of patients requiring no retreatment. Related AEs were reported in 15% of patients. CONCLUSION Use of MAL DL-PDT for multiple face and/or scalp AKs resulted in high levels of patient and physician satisfaction in clinical practice in Europe, reflecting the good efficacy and high tolerability of this convenient procedure

Twenty-Five Years of Convoluted Health Reforms in Mexico

Núria Homedes and Antonio Ugalde discuss 25 years of reform to the Mexican health care system and argue that although costs and accessibility have increased, health inequities, efficiency, productivity, and quality of care have not improved

El Seguro Popular de Salud en México: pieza clave de la inequidad en salud

Objetivos: Presentar una análisis de la situación actual del Sistema de Salud mexicano, producto de las reformas realizadas desde la década de los ochenta. Se enfatiza en el papel del Seguro Popular de Salud (SPS) al respecto

O seguro Popular de Saúde no México: peça chave da inequalidade em saúde

Objetivos: Apresentar uma análise da situação atual do Sistema de Saúde mexicano, produto das reformas realizadas desde a década de oitenta. Enfatiza-se o papel do Seguro Popular de Saúde (SPS) a esse respeito

O público e o privado: as seguradoras e o atendimento médico no México

Objetivos: Analisar a evolução dos seguros médicos privados no México durante o período 1986-1992, comparando-a com o desenvolvimento da indústria seguradora no Chile, Brasil e Argentina

Desigualdad y políticas sociales erróneas producen inequidad en México

Resumen de artículo referido en la cita bibliográfica. Original en Castellano.Objetivos: Discutir los conceptos de equidad y desigualdad en salud, así como señalar su uso no diferenciado, además de revisar el grado de desigualdad social y de inequidad de salud existente en México.Departamento de Educación de los Estados Unidos, Título VI, TICFIA (Fondo para la Innovación y Colaboración Tecnológica para Acceder a Información en el Exterior), Universidad de Nuevo México/Universidad de Guadalajara, Centro Universitario de Ciencias de la Salud (CUCS