Healthcare service delivery: a literature review

Abstract

Despite the end of apartheid decades ago, the South African healthcare system continues to face significant challenges. Although efforts were made in the past to address the crisis, the system is said to be performing below standard. The South African government is in the process of implementing a multibillion rand national health insurance (NHI) programme intended to revamp the entire national health system to among others, ensure affordability and accessibility to healthcare. The purpose of this research study is to review the existing literature on healthcare services to gain more insights on healthcare service delivery from an international perspective, and to find out ways on how healthcare services can be strengthened and more effectively delivered within the South African context with special interest on the implementation of the NHI. A multidisciplinary literature study and analysis was undertaken using the narrative approach. The findings revealed that healthcare systems generally are becoming more multifaceted, and shifting progressively to technology driven process in assertive efforts to ensuring high quality and cost effective healthcare service delivery, with special interest on well-being and preventive orientation. Cracks in human resource and leadership, socioeconomic status, and infrastructure were identified within the South African context as challenges that could impede the implementation of the NHI scheme.