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Health Services Optimization, Improvement, and Management: Worldwide Experiences
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Centre for Public Administration and Public Policies, Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Universidade de Lisboa, Rua Almerindo Lessa, 1300-663 Lisbon, Portugal
CERIS, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
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Health Services Optimization, Improvement, and Management: Worldwide Experiences

Abstract submission deadline
31 January 2026
Manuscript submission deadline
30 April 2026
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374

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, health systems have encountered several challenges, and particularly with the COVID-19 pandemic, they have had to undertake a restructuring process to enhance cooperation across all levels of healthcare. This is a worldwide problem that impacts all nations, irrespective of the type of funding, whether it is public or private, which is committed to healthcare.

This topic aims to examine various international instances of care integration, improvement, optimization, and management, both horizontally (between healthcare units of similar care levels or different departments within a hospital) and vertically (between health units operating at different care levels), with a focus on outcomes related to access, efficiency, productivity, and quality of health outcomes, as well as user and/or professional satisfaction.

The Topic “Health Services Optimization, Improvement, and Management: Worldwide Experiences” provides a platform for publishing reviews and original research papers on all aspects of nursing, health services, and health policies. Please join us in creating a diverse collection of articles for a variety of topics. We look forward to receiving contributions.

Dr. Alexandre Morais Nunes
Dr. Diogo Filipe da Cunha Ferreira
Topic Editors

Keywords

  • healthcare performance
  • patient satisfaction
  • hospital management
  • healthcare reforms
  • vertical integration
  • health services
  • health policy

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Hospitals
hospitals 		- - 2024 15.0 days * CHF 1000 Submit
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
ijerph 		- 8.5 2004 25.8 Days CHF 2500 Submit
Nursing Reports
nursrep 		2.0 2.8 2011 37.1 Days CHF 1800 Submit
Healthcare
healthcare 		2.7 4.7 2013 20.3 Days CHF 2700 Submit

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the second half of 2024.


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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Article
Enhancing Healthcare Integrity Using Simple Statistical Methods: Detecting Irregularities in Historical Dermatology Services Payments
by Andrej F. Plesničar, Nena Bagari Bizjak and Pika Jazbinšek
Healthcare 2025, 13(12), 1464; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13121464 - 18 Jun 2025
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Abstract
Background and Objectives: Healthcare payment systems face challenges such as fraud and overbilling, which often require costly and resource-intensive detection tools. In response, the utility of simple statistical tests was explored in this study as a practical alternative for identifying irregularities in dermatology [...] Read more.
Background and Objectives: Healthcare payment systems face challenges such as fraud and overbilling, which often require costly and resource-intensive detection tools. In response, the utility of simple statistical tests was explored in this study as a practical alternative for identifying irregularities in dermatology service payments within the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia (HIIS). Materials and Methods: Ten-year-old anonymized billing data from 30 dermatology providers in Slovenia (with a population of 2 million) were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology while aiming to avoid reputational harm to current providers. The dataset from 2014 included variables such as the “number of services charged”, “total number of points charged” (under Slovenia’s point-based tariff system at the time), “number of points per examination”, “average examination values (EUR)”, “number of first examinations”, and “total number of first/follow-up examinations”. Data credibility was assessed using Benford’s Law (for calculating χ2 values and testing null hypothesis rejection at the 95% level), and Grubbs’ test, Hampel’s test, and T-test were used to identify outliers. Results: An analysis using Benford’s Law revealed significant deviations for the “number of services charged” (p < 0.005), “total number of points charged” (p < 0.01), “number of points per examination” (p < 0.0005), and “average examination values (EUR)” (p < 0.005), suggesting anomalies. Conversely, data on the numbers of “first” (p < 0.7) and “total first/follow-up examinations” (p < 0.3) were found to align with Benford’s Law, indicating authenticity. Outlier detection consistently identified two institutions with unusually high values for points per examination and average examination monetary value. Conclusions: Simple statistical tests can effectively identify potential irregularities in healthcare payment data, providing a cost-effective screening method for further investigation. Identifying outlier providers highlights areas needing detailed scrutiny to understand anomaly causes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Health Services Optimization, Improvement, and Management: Worldwide Experiences)
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