“Empanelment = core of PCIC, PCIC = huge” So said one of the participants of the Person-Centered Integrated Care (PCIC) collaborative’s third workshop, held February 13–15, 2019, in Bangkok, Thailand. The workshop was led by Ariadne Labs and Qualis Health and graciously hosted by Mahidol University, through Dr. Borwornsom Leerapan, Assistant Professor Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, and the able team at the International Medical Conference Promoting Center. This was our final workshop and in-person meeting for this phase of the PCIC collaborative, which ends April 30, 2019. The PCIC collaborative began in early 2017 and accelerated in October 2017 at our first in-person meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam, as one of the collaboratives participating in the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage’s (JLN) scoping workshop. At this workshop, the collaborative identified empanelment and multidisciplinary teams as top priorities for primary care service delivery, but ultimately selected empanelment as a foundational element of PCIC and chose it to be the primary area of focus for the collaborative’s efforts moving forward. Empanelment was a new term and concept for many participants, which prompted the collaborative to develop an Empanelment Summary and a consensus-derived definition of empanelment. These were further developed during the second workshop, held in Accra, Ghana, in March 2018, and by a country participant workgroup formed following the workshop, that met virtually to continue work on the summary and definition. At the February 2019 workshop, participants provided finishing touches to both the summary document and empanelment definition. This final endorsement of the document as well as plans on how to use the product marked an important milestone and accomplishment by the 10 countries attending the workshop, including China, Ghana, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Morocco, South Korea, Sudan, Thailand, and Vietnam. At the second workshop, in March 2018, members also identified the need for an empanelment implementation guide, but, with discussion, realized that before such a tool could be used it would be necessary for countries and primary care facilities to assess and improve their readiness to implement empanelment. No such assessment tool currently existed, so the collaborative decided that its second key output would be a tool to assess empanelment readiness, and we formed a second workgroup–the “Tool Workgroup.” Between the second and third workshops, this workgroup developed a draft national, sub-national, and facility-level assessment tool, and during the recent Bangkok workshop, we meticulously reviewed and improved both sections of the Empanelment Assessment Tool. While work remains to incorporate the rich feedback, the country participants’ efforts during the workshop substantially progressed the Empanelment Assessment Tool. Our goal is to have a pilot-ready tool by April 30, 2019. During our third workshop, we learned more about PCIC and empanelment in China, Indonesia, and Mongolia, and we conducted site visits to two primary health facilities in Ayutthaya, Thailand: Wat Phra Yatikaram Health Center Wat Intaram Health Center The site visits began with presentations about the primary health system in Thailand, successes in strengthening primary care, and Thailand’s constitutional commitment to “Establishing a primary health care system in which there are family physicians to care for the people in an appropriate proportion.” We then took a guided tour of the facilities to see multidisciplinary teams in action, providing primary health care services. The facilitation team, led by Ariadne Labs and Qualis Health, expresses deep gratitude and appreciation for the engagement, commitment, and contributions from our country participants. Empanelment was an interesting and at times challenging topic to tackle, especially as we added new countries and participants along our journey together. Throughout the collaborative, there has been strong and positive regard for the work at hand along with an eagerness to actively participate, to advance a shared understanding of empanelment, and to develop two products. The PCIC collaborative is well on its way to a final version of the Empanelment Summary and a pilot-ready version of the Empanelment Assessment Tool after incorporating the rich feedback from the recent workshop. We look forward to completing both products ahead of April 30.

he Joint Learning Fund (JLF) supported a three day joint workshop from November 12-14, 2018, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

Dear Friends, On behalf of the Joint Learning Network for Universal Health Coverage (JLN), I would like to extend a heartfelt, “Happy Universal Health Coverage Day,” to you. Today, December 12, 2018, marks the first time that UHC Day will be officially celebrated as a United Nations day of observance, recognizing the significant global support and national commitments to deliver health for all. While this official recognition further emphasizes growing political will for UHC reforms, our work continues to make political commitments a reality. Over the past year, the JLN has expanded to 33 member countries and has continued assisting practitioners and policymakers connect, share, and learn with each other to build relationships, jointly problem solve, and generate practical solutions to shared UHC challenges. As the Convener of the JLN’s Steering Group, I am constantly inspired by our members’ and partners’ dedication and commitment to tackle the multi-faceted and context-specific challenges that countries face throughout their journeys to implementing UHC. I encourage you to review some of our newest resources co-developed by JLN members, reflecting their unique expertise and experiences. As 2018 comes to a close, I feel confident on this UHC Day that our community is well positioned to strengthen our relationships with and the engagement of our members in 2019 and beyond to support their efforts to advance UHC policies and systems. Sincerely, Modupe Ogundimu National Health Insurance Scheme, Nigeria JLN Convener

Governments are increasingly turning to data to help guide them in the development and strengthening of Universal Health Coverage. Health data has the potential to influence policies and programs that can increase the accessibility and quality of services, enable better financial management, and identify new efficiencies within the health system. Despite great advancement in this area, many countries still face complicated, foundational challenges with harnessing the value of their health data. Over the course of 2017, the Data Foundations Collaborative came together to share their experience and expertise in using health care data. Practitioners from ten countries (Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Korea, and Sudan) collaboratively prepared examples of data use best practices and the entrenched challenges that countries still face. A new publication, Using Health Data to Improve Universal Health Coverage: Three Case Studies, presents the lessons and findings from these conversations in order to capture the knowledge shared between countries. Through the lens of South Korea’s experience, the case studies present an inspirational example of data use, as well as how other countries are moving towards more effective use of data. Framed around three topic areas, the case studies take an in-depth look at how data are used for chronic disease management and financial management, as well as the use of insurance claims data. Chronic Disease Management The first case study examines how national health programs have used data to identify populations at risk of chronic disease, shape new care models, reduce care variation, and improve outcomes using evidence-based treatment. Data allow countries to have a more comprehensive view of chronic disease over time, plan for future demands on the health system, and engage populations in prevention programs to decrease individual risk. Financial Management The second case study examines how data are used in financial management of health programs. It provides examples of different financial structures and how countries apply data to budgeting, real-time financial management, and risk analysis. Countries have a wide variety of financial systems supporting health care, so understanding different ways data can be leveraged provides new ideas for creating stability and sustainability for UHC programs. Claims Data Utilization The final case study examines ways to use claims data to improve operational efficiency and service delivery and understand the cost of those services. Claims data can be a rich source of health information if stakeholders are able to access, visualize, and translate this data into useable information. In addition, claims data can help detect improper spending, identify new areas of efficiency, detect fraud within the health system, and monitor overall quality of health services. As health systems continue to introduce digital tools to collect and analyze data, more focus will be placed on making timely and effective use of this data. As expectations grow, countries will be looking for examples and best practices for using health data. Countries have specific contexts that require unique approaches, but many of the challenges they face are common across contexts. These challenges require transformative thinking and solutions that address the fragmentation of health information. Following the development of these case studies, the Data Foundations Collaborative began developing a companion guide that will help countries adapt and adopt the recommendations and findings found in the case study. Our hope is that countries will be able to use the assessment guide and case studies to begin conversations on data use and help move them forward to mature, connected health information systems. The case studies are available to download on the JLN website, and the companion guide will be available in early 2019.