Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Policy Making”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Judging who needs emergency department care: a prerequisite for policy-making.

The debate regarding risks and benefits of triaging nonurgent patients away from emergency departments (EDs) stems from widely varying estimates as to what proportion of ED visits are inappropriate. A study was undertaken based on the hypothesis that these discrepant estimates might be due to differences in how "appropriateness" is defined. This cross-sectional study included 596 ED patients. Seven different indicators of "Inappropriate" ED visits were used. Two could be determined by the patient; two were based on the triage nurse's assessment; three were determined retrospectively, by chart review. All 21 possible pairs of indicators were compared for agreement using the kappa statistic. The proportion of ED visits classified as inappropriate by the different indicators ranged from 10% to 90%. Kappa values for agreement between indicators ranged from -0.04 to 0.31, indicating poor agreement beyond that expected due to chance alone. Decisions as to which ED visits are appropriate depend heavily on the criteria used. Limiting patients' access to EDs without the aid of a valid and reliable standard for what constitutes an appropriate ED visit could create harmful barriers to care.

Cross-Sectional Studies↗
PubMed1991

The service system at the crossroad of demography and policy making--implications for the elderly.

In many countries today, there is an ongoing debate regarding health in 'crisis'. Each country seems to experience a crisis regardless of the level of expenditures in the field of social and health services. This article discusses different influences that affect social and health service systems in relation to the elderly, and brings up the controversy concerning the elderly as a threat to available resources in society. Most examples are based on Swedish sources, but some American and British sources are used as well. Borrowing from the age stratification model, the concepts role and cohort are used as analytical concepts. The role concept is discussed in relation to the development of organizations for retired people. The analysis offered little support for the thesis that the elderly would attain a power position. Thus, a demand for societal resources by means of political strength is less feasible. When looking at the elderly from the cohort perspective, the article includes a discussion of the interdependent forms of care for the elderly; self-care, informal care and formal care. Although great challenges await social and health services systems in this respect, the article concludes that any possible crisis in health and social service systems is socially constructed and not a deterministic effect of demography as such.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Defining cooking salt intakes for patient counselling and policy making.

The role of salt (NaCl) in the development of high blood pressure has been a matter of debate, however, the Intersalt Study showed that sodium (Na) intake in various areas of the World is related to the slope of blood pressure with age. Accurate amounts of the total salt intake or that coming from a particular source are needed, both, for physicians who need to consider the salt intake of their patients and for public health workers who are in charge of the implementation of public health programs where salt is used as a carrier of other nutrients. An analysis of the literature suggests that exaggerated values for total salt intakes have often been obtained from indirect estimates; discretionary salt use, i.e. home-cooking salt has invariably been overestimated. A method is described for measuring the contribution of cooking salt to total salt intake since it is a confusing area where inappropriate methods have been used to assess its contribution. The method described is based on the use of small amounts of lithium carbonate fused with NaCl. Validation experiments were undertaken to determine the naturally occurring lithium (Li) in a number of foods including fresh, frozen and tinned vegetables, and the use of Li tagged salt for cooking vegetables and for direct use in cooked foods. We also assessed whether Li was taken up proportionally with Na into foods during cooking. In general vegetables contained variable but only small amounts of Li except aubergine and spinach, and Li was taken up proportionally with Na in a variety of vegetables. Results showed that 36, 35 and 21% of the salt added during cooking was recovered in carrots, runner beans and potatoes respectively, the rest being discarded in the cooking water. This suggest that about a third of salt added during the cooking of vegetables will be ingested by the household. Attempts to rely simply on the total use of household salt supplies will clearly exaggerate, markedly, the true intake of individuals.

Adult↗