Dr. Stephan Brenner

MD, MPH

Postdoctoral Researcher

Stephan Brenner is a health systems researcher with a background in International Public Health and clinical medicine. He joined the Institute of Global Health in 2012. His research seeks to assess the impact of health financing policies and their implementation in low- and middle-income countries. His main research focus is thereby on assessing the impact of health financing interventions on the effectiveness of healthcare provision and resulting health outcomes. His areas of expertise include impact and process evaluations of complex health system interventions across a range of different primary and secondary health services. In his research work, Stephan applies both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection and analysis.

Education

Publications

• Do S, Lohmann J, Brenner S, Koulidiati JL, Souares A, Kuunibe N, Hamadou S, Hien H, Winkler V, De Allegri M (2020). Patterns of healthcare seeking among people reporting chronic conditions in rural sub-Saharan Africa: findings from a population-based study in Burkina Faso. Trop Med Int Health. 2020 Sep 27.  doi: 10.1111/tmi.13500.
• Mwase T, Lohmann J, Hamadou S, Brenner S, Somda SMA, Hien H, Hillebrecht M, De Allegri M (2020). Can Combining Performance-Based Financing With Equity Measures Result in Greater Equity in Utilization of Maternal Care Services? Evidence From Burkina Faso. Int J Health Policy Manag. 2020 Jul 27. doi: 10.34172/ijhpm.2020.121.
• Brenner S, Chase RP, McMahon SA, Lohmann J, Makwero CJ, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2020). Effect Heterogeneity in Responding to Performance-Based Incentives: A Quasi-Experimental Comparison of Impacts on Health Service Indicators Between Hospitals and Health Centers in Malawi. Health Syst Reform. 2020 Jan 1;6(1):e1745580. doi: 10.1080/23288604.2020.1745580.
• Nakovics MI, Brenner S, Bongololo G, Chinkhumba J, Kalmus O, Leppert G, De Allegri M (2020). Determinants of healthcare seeking and out-of-pocket expenditures in a "free" healthcare system: evidence from rural Malawi. Health Econ Rev. 2020 May 27;10(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s13561-020-00271-2.
• Chinkhumba J, De Allegri M, Brenner S, Muula A, Robberstad B (2020). The cost-effectiveness of using results-based financing to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in Malawi. BMJ Glob Health. 2020 May;5(5):e002260. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002260.
• Nguyen HT, Torbica A, Brenner S, Kiendrébéogo JA, Tapsoba L, Ridde V, De Allegri M (2020). Economic Evaluation of User-Fee Exemption Policies for Maternal Healthcare in Burkina Faso: Evidence From a Cost-Effectiveness Analysis. Value Health. 2020 Mar;23(3):300-308. doi: 10.1016/j.jval.2019.10.007.
• Rasul FB, Kalmus O, Sarker M, Adib HI, Hossain MS, Hasan MZ, Brenner S, Nazneen S, Islam MN, De Allegri M (2019). Determinants of health seeking behavior for chronic non-communicable diseases and related out-of-pocket expenditure: results from a cross-sectional survey in northern Bangladesh. J Health Popul Nutr. 2019 Dec 23;38(1):48. doi: 10.1186/s41043-019-0195-z.
• De Allegri M, Brenner S, Kambala C, Mazalale J, Muula AS, Chinkhumba J, Wilhelm D, Lohmann J (2019). Exploiting the emergent nature of mixed methods designs: insights from a mixed methods impact evaluation in Malawi. Health Policy Plan. 2019 Oct 18. pii: czz126. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czz126.
• Wilhelm D, Lohmann J, De Allegri M, Chinkhumba J, Muula AS, Brenner S (2019). Quality of maternal obstetric and neonatal care in low-income countries: development of a composite index. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2019,19:154 doi.org/10.1186/s12874-019-0790-0
• De Allegri M, Chase RP, Lohmann J, Schoeps A, Muula AS, Brenner S (2019). Effect of results-based financing on facility-based maternal mortality at birth: an interrupted time-series analysis with independent controls in Malawi. BMJ Global Health 2019;4:e001184. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2018-001184
• Nakovics MI, Brenner S, Robyn PJ, Tapsoba LDG, De Allegri M (2019). Determinants of individual healthcare expenditure: A cross-sectional analysis in rural Burkina Faso. Int J Health Plann Manage. 2019 Jun 21. doi: 10.1002/hpm.2812.
• Koulidiati JL, De Allegri M, Souares A, Ouedraogo S, Hien H, Robyn PJ, Brenner S (2018). Factors associated with effective coverage of child health services in Burkina Faso. Trop Med Int Health. 2018 Nov;23(11):1188-1199. doi: 10.1111/tmi.13140. Epub 2018 Sep 10.
• Brenner S, Mazalale J, Wilhelm D, Nesbitt RC, Lohela TJ, Chinkhumba J, Lohmann J, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2018). Impact of results-based financing on effective obstetric care coverage: evidence from a quasi-experimental study in Malawi. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018 Oct 19;18(1):791. doi: 10.1002/hpm.2812.
• Koulidiati J-L, Nesbitt RC, Ouedraogo N, Hien H, Robyn PJ, Compaoré P, Souares A, Brenner S (2018). Measuring effective coverage of curative child health services in rural Burkina Faso: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2018 May 31;8(5):e020423. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-020423.
• Mwase T, Brenner S, Mazalale J, Lohmann J, Hamadou S, Somda SMA, Ridde V, De Allegri M (2018). Inequities and their determinants in coverage of maternal health services in Burkina Faso. Int J Equity Health. 2018 May 11;17(1):58. doi: 10.1186/s12939-018-0770-8.
• Lohmann J, Wilhelm D, Kambala C, Brenner S, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2018). 'The money can be a motivator, to me a little, but mostly PBF just helps me to do better in my job.' An exploration of the motivational mechanisms of performance-based financing for health workers in Malawi. Health Policy and Planning; 33(2): 183–191. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czx156.
• Brenner S, Wilhelm D, Lohmann J, Kambala C, Chinkhumba J, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2017). Implementation research to improve quality of maternal and newborn health care, Malawi. Bull World Health Organ;95:491–502. doi: 10.2471/BLT.16.178202.
• Chinkhumba J, De Allegri M, Mazalale J, Brenner S, Mathanga D, Muula AS, Robberstad B (2017). Household costs and time to seek care for pregnancy related complications: The role of results-based financing. PLoS One;12(9). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182326.
• Kambala C, Lohmann J, Mazalale J, Brenner S, Sarker M, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2017). Perceptions of quality across the maternal care continuum in the context of a health financing intervention: Evidence from a mixed methods study in rural Malawi. BMC Health Services Research 17(1):392. doi: 10.1186/s12913-017-2329-6.
• Wang Q, Brenner S, Kalmus O, Banda HT, De Allegri M (2016). The economic burden of chronic non-communicable diseases in rural Malawi: an observational study. BMC Health Serv Res. BMC Health Services Research, 16:457. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1716-8.
• McMahon SA, Brenner S, Lohmann J, Makwero C, Torbica A, Mathanga DP, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2016). Evaluating complex health financing interventions: Using mixed methods to inform further implementation of a novel PBI intervention in rural Malawi. BMC Health Services Research, 16:414. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1612-2.
• Wilhelm D, Brenner S, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2016). A Qualitative Study Assessing the Acceptability and Adoption of Implementing a Results Based Financing Intervention to Improve Maternal and Neonatal Health in Malawi. BMC Health Services Research, 16:398. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1652-7.
• Wulifan JK, Brenner S, Jahn A, De Allegri M (2016). A scoping review on determinants of unmet need for family planning among women of reproductive age in low and middle income countries. BMC Womens Health, 16(1):2. doi: 10.1186/s12905-015-0281-3.
• Kambala, C, Lohmann, J, Muula, AS, De Allegri, M, Brenner, S, Mazalale, J, Sarker M (2015). How do Malawian women rate the quality of maternal and newborn care? Experiences and perceptions of women in the central and southern regions. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 15:169. doi: 10.1186/s12884-015-0560-x.
• Brenner S, De Allegri M, Gabrysch S, Chinkhumba J, Sarker M, Muula AS (2015). The quality of clinical maternal and neonatal healthcare - a strategy for identifying 'routine care signal functions'. PLoS One,10(4). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123968.
• Mazalale J, Kambala C, Brenner S, Chinkhumba J, Lohmann J, Mathanga DP, Robberstad B, Muula AS, De Allegri M (2015). Factors associated with delivery outside a health facility: cross-sectional study in rural Malawi. Tropical Medicine & International Health, 20(5):617-626. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12473.
• Wang Q, Fu AZ, Brenner S, Kalmus O, Banda HT, De Allegri M (2015). Out-of-Pocket Expenditure on Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa: The Case of Rural Malawi. PLoS One, 13;10(1). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116897.
• Wang Q, Brenner S, Leppert G, Banda TH, Kalmus O, De Allegri M (2015). Health seeking behaviour and the related household out-of-pocket expenditure for chronic non-communicable diseases in rural Malawi. Health Policy and Planning, 30(2):242-52. doi: 10.1093/heapol/czu004.
• Brenner S, Muula AS, Robyn PJ, Bärnighausen T, Sarker M, Mathanga DP, Bossert T, De Allegri M (2014). Design of an impact evaluation using a mixed methods model--an explanatory assessment of the effects of results-based financing mechanisms on maternal healthcare services in Malawi. BMC Health Service Research,14:180. doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-180.