Sofie Mejsner Email & Phone Number

Region Hovedstaden, Danmark

Århus, Midtjylland, Danmark

Denmark

Esbjerg

The overall aim of this thesis was to examine informal patient payments and equity in access to health care as parts of health systems governance. Informal patient payments are gifts or cash payments to services that someone is entitled to, and thus also a type of out-of-pocket payment that may impoverish people. The idea was to identify and describe the process through which these payments may take place, using Serbia as a case. Evidence from the other Western Balkan countries were included to capture the overall picture on informal patient payments in the region. I used a multi methods design where I conducted qualitative interviews, a literature reviews and a scoping review (see articles below). The qualitative interviews included civil servants (information workers and intercultural mediators) and asylum seeking migrants in Serbia. The literature reviews included all Western Balkan countries.I find that the phenomenon of informal patient payments in the Western Balkan countries is complex. This thesis provides an understanding of these payments in Serbia and how they might contribute to the inequity in access to health care services. The results pointed towards a poor consistency in evidence of who in society pay most, the incidents, and whether informal patient payments are made in gratitude or being forced. All studies of the thesis identify both positive and negative perceptions of informal patient payments, in that providing gifts to providers is accepted, while others believe it to be corrupt and unacceptable. Similarly, the high level of out-of-pocket payments reported in Serbia and other Western Balkan countries illustrates a financial barrier in access to health care in these countries. Reducing these private out-of-pocket spending for health care is highly important to not push people further into poverty and to not facilitate inequity in access to health

Preparing for doctoral studies. Teaching Assistant at Princess Nora University in Saudi Arabia, wehere i assisted in teaching, group work and administration of the course "Implementation and Evaluation" of health policies. Finally, I have lectured on the Master of Public Health course "Health Policy" at SDU and finished courses in Nvivo, Project application and Questioning (for teaching).

Denmark

Thesis project regarded health systems governance and informal patient payments in healthcare. The project was structured as a feasibility study constituting a qualitative study, a systematic literature review and a study protocol. I traveled to Serbia to conduct qualitative interviews with civil servants (primary care doctors and public health officials), which was analysed with a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. The primary focus was the informal patient payments that persisted in the Serbian health care system, and if this created an unequal delivery of health care. The study revealed that informal patient payments (cash and gratitude gifts) were common as a way of saying thank you to health care providers. Though some also felt a need to bribe health care providers, due for instance their low salary level or the poor resources available in the health care institutions. This project inspired to PhD project I conducted afterwards.

I have through this program gained a strong academic profile within theoretical and practical experience with theory of science and quantitative and qualitative research methods. I also attained practical experience with advocacy in human rights at the United Nations (Geneva), where I managed to analyze various human rights conventions and how they were implemented correctly in different countries. I also assisted and succeeded in developing and implementing Næstved Municipality's health policy through the evaluation of health services for citizens. Further, I developed evaluation forms for rehabilitation services.

Denmark, Næstved

In this internship I was in the administration at The Health Centre og Næstved. My responsibilities was to develop, monitor, document and evaluate various offers to citizens of Næstved. Among other things, I had a big party in the evaluation of a measure against stress and depression-stricken citizens. Based on this, I developed my skills in analyzing and collecting data. Also i got knowledge in how to interpret and communicate this knowledge to the municipal leadership and to structure my own workflow by recognizing demand, needs and requirements.

Geneva Area, Switzerland

This NGO works to ensure the implementation of human rights in different countries. During this internship, I made summaries and analyzes of meetings at the United Nations, with a focus on the international relations between the member states. I was additionally at different sessions, in example the 25th Human Rights Council and hearings in different committees, such as the Vatican City in the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Besides this, there were administrative tasks such as scheduling conferences and meetings. Finally all the interns had a three week intensive course in the UN structure and the international human rights system. From this I am able to work with other interdisciplinary partners and to participate and contribute to the organization, analysis, planning, execution and evaluation of a project.

Denpasar Area, Bali, Indonesia

During this stay, I worked in a home for physically and mentally disabled children. Here I developed my professional skills by in example independently preparing treatments. I realized among other things, the importance of a functioning health system for the spread of diseases.

In this program I managed, through internships, to increase quality of life and life of citizens with physical and mental challenges. I have also gained a strong academic profile within occupational therapy theory, concerning activity and participation for improved health and wellbeing. At the same time, I have attained skills in pedagogy and psychology through interventions with citizens. Further, i have in this degree gained international experience through an internship at Bali, where I acted as children occupational therapist.

Master Of Public Health (M.P.H), Global Public Health

Bachelor Of Science (B.Sc.), Occupational Therapy/Therapist

Activities and Societies: The international "Buddy" program; The occupational therapy student council; Initiator and Member of the board.

Education record

Education record