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AHA blasts federal policy on home health ownership.

A month after the Health Care Financing Administration implemented its new transfer payment policy, the American Hospital Association has blasted federal investigators for unfairly targeting hospital discharge planners. According to the association, recent actions by investigators suggest that the government is set to crack down on hospitals that own home health agencies, and particularly on discharge planners, who remain under suspicion for allegedly limiting patient choice in steering patients to hospital-owned agencies. The AHA's senior associate director of policy development stresses the importance of reviewing and correcting all discharge policies to make sure financial incentives aren't driving discharge decisions.

American Hospital Association↗

Sharing patient data: competing demands of privacy, trust and research in primary care.

BACKGROUND: Patient privacy may conflict with the advancement of knowledge through data sharing. The data contained in primary care records are uniquely comprehensive. AIM: To explore the knowledge and attitudes of patients and members of the primary healthcare team regarding the sharing of data held in primary care records, with particular reference to data sharing for research and the impact that this may have on trust between patients and health professionals. DESIGN OF STUDY: Qualitative study using quota sampled, semi-structured interviews. SETTING: Five general practices in Leicestershire, UK. METHOD: Grounded theory and framework methodology were used. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically. RESULTS: Twenty patients and 15 healthcare professionals and managers were interviewed. Patients had limited knowledge of the type of information held in their general practice records and the ways in which these data are shared, but appeared ready to form preliminary views on issues such as data sharing for audit and disease registration. In this climate of limited awareness, there was no suggestion that concern about data sharing for research adversely affects patient trust or leads patients to withhold relevant information from health professionals in primary care. Interviews carried out with staff suggested a lack of clear practice policies regarding data sharing. CONCLUSIONS: General practices may need to develop policies on data sharing, bring these to the attention of their patient population and improve patient awareness about the nature of the data contained in their records. Researchers should ensure that patients are adequately informed about the nature of data contained in patient records when seeking consent for data extraction.

Confidentiality↗

Promoting good medical care.

This paper sets out the policy of the Union Europeenne des Medecins Specialistes/European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) on quality assurance (QA), which is defined here as the regular review against defined standards of medical care. Its aim is to provide a framework for confirming the good quality of health care in Europe and, specifically, of the contribution of specialist doctors. The paper provides guidelines that can be adopted for use in QA systems in all European countries. It will show that this can best be achieved when QA is based on valid evidence, which can also facilitate improvements in medical care and justify the provision of necessary resources. This UEMS policy paper builds upon considerable evidence of successful, well-established QA systems that are found in many parts of Europe. Fundamental features of these are that they are led by specialist doctors who control resources allocated solely for the purpose of QA. Accordingly, the UEMS recognises its responsibility to develop policy based on this experience and invites all interested parties to support this. The UEMS considers QA to be an essential component of an agenda focused on high standards of medical practice. The other parts of that agenda include continuing professional development as a form of quality improvement-covered separately in the 2001 UEMS policy document "The Basel Declaration"-and its policy being developed on regulating the medical profession. This paper is addressed to all who have an interest in the quality of health care provision: patients, doctors, medical associations, health service employers and hospitals, fund holders, regulatory authorities and national and European legislators. The UEMS considers that, in the context of the QA of medical care, all share the following agenda: The UEMS draws attention to the lack of evidence demonstrating any additional effectiveness of mandatory systems over the model described here. The following list of key points drawn from the text expands this summary. It also serves as an index to specific paragraphs of the paper. KEY POINTS:

Journal Article↗

Family planning in the balance.

Family planning has long been acknowledged as an effective public health intervention. In recent years, however, family planning has come under increased scrutiny from conservative politicians and constituents. National US policies instituted since 2001 are resulting in cutbacks in family planning programs worldwide. In the long run, these conservative initiatives may set back several decades of progress in reproductive health and reproductive rights. In promoting an ideologically driven approach to sexual and reproductive health, the recent policy developments threaten to subvert ethical standards of medical care and the principle of evidence-based policy.

Abortion, Induced↗

Survey of the implementation of workplace alcohol and smoking policies among employers in Fife.

A survey of major employers in Fife shows that at present 33% of respondents have implemented written alcohol policies, while 40% have implemented written smoking policies. A total of 19% have both alcohol and smoking policies in place. The initiative for policy development appears to have arisen mainly from management, but trade unions and management have co-operated well during policy formulation. The majority of policies have been implemented for more than three years. A small number of companies in Fife appear to be interested in the development and implementation of written alcohol and smoking policies in the workplace.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Bridging the gaps between agricultural policy, land-use and biodiversity.

The fate of biodiversity is intimately linked to agricultural development. Policy reform is an important driver of changes in agricultural land-use, but there is considerable spatial variation in response to policy and its potential impact on biodiversity. We review the links between policy, land-use and biodiversity and advocate a more integrated approach. Ecologists need to recognize that wildlife-friendly farming is not the only land-use strategy that can be used to conserve biodiversity and to research alternative options such as land sparing. There is also a need for social scientists and ecologists to bring their approaches together, so that land-use change and its consequences can be investigated in a more holistic way.

Journal Article↗

Policies for interim analysis and interim reporting of results.

The key ethical issues involved in developing policies for interim reports and interim analyses are considered. Then the twin topics of the appropriate contents of interim reports and the components of an appropriate interim analysis are discussed. Finally, suggested policies are offered.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗

Administrative challenges to working with HIV-positive clients: experiences of mental health and substance abuse program directors in Florida.

Administrators of publicly-funded mental health and substance abuse programs described their agencies' activities, policy development, the administrative impediments, and training needs related to caring for HIV-infected clients. Almost all have served HIV-infected clients and admit clients to their programs regardless of HIV status. The administrators reported little staff opposition to working with this clientele. Liability and confidentiality concerning testing and client/staff safety were major concerns. The difficulty of providing needed medical care and the expense of treating such clients were also viewed as major impediments to service delivery. The most critical training needs were for mental health interventions related to death and dying, grief counseling, and neuropsychological complications, as well as for policy and procedure development concerning legal and ethical issues.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Evaluation of school-based HIV prevention education programs in New Jersey.

This paper presents results from a process evaluation conducted by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE). Representative samples of middle and high school superintendents, principals, lead health teachers, and HIV teachers provided information assessing whether local district policy content was consistent with the state's policy code, the dynamics of local policy development, and school district staff perceptions and practices regarding HIV education policies. NJDOE also was interested in determining: if inservice training was accessible to teachers assigned to provide HIV education; the scope and impact of HIV inservice programs; and the training needs of staff assigned to teach the HIV curriculum. Finally, NJDOE was interested in determining: local curricula scope, sequence, and approach; the extent to which local curricula were skills-based; and local expectations for instructional outcomes. As a result of the evaluation, program staff identified areas needing remediation and planned for program improvement in new areas.

Adolescent↗

The Australian joint inquiry into the Protection of Human Genetic Information.

The Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) and the Australian Health Ethics Committee are currently engaged in an inquiry into the Protection of Human Genetic Information. In particular, the Attorney-General and the Minister for Health and Ageing have asked us to focus, in relation to human genetic information and tissue samples, on how best to ensure world's best practice in relation to: privacy protection; protection against unlawful discrimination; and the maintenance of high ethical standards in medical research and clinical practice. While initial concerns and controversies have related mainly to aspects of medical research (e.g. consent; re-use of samples) and access to private insurance coverage, relevant issues arise in a wide variety of contexts, including: employment; medical practice; tissue banks and genetic databases; health administration; superannuation; access to government services (e.g. schools, nursing homes); law enforcement; and use by government authorities (e.g. for immigration purposes) or other bodies (e.g. by sports associations). Under the Australian federal system, it is also the case that laws and practices may vary across states and territories. For example, neonatal genetic testing is standard, but storage and retention policies for the resulting 'Guthrie cards' differ markedly. Similarly, some states have developed highly linked health information systems (e.g. incorporating hospitals, doctors' offices and public records), while others discourage such linkages owing to concerns about privacy. The challenge for Australia is to develop policies, standards and practices that promote the intelligent use of genetic information, while providing a level of security with which the community feels comfortable. The inquiry is presently reviewing the adequacy of existing laws and regulatory mechanisms, but recognizes that it will be even more important to develop a broad mix of strategies, such as community and professional education, and the development of official standards and industry codes that reflect emerging international best practice in the area.

Advisory Committees↗

Integration by migration?

"In terms of trade and capital flows, the Middle East is one of the least economically integrated regions of the world. The major exception is labor mobility, where intraregional migration flows are extensive. The explanation for this pattern lies in the extreme differences in factor endowments across the region and development policies adopted by both labor-importing and exporting countries. Because the obstacles to trade in goods have been greater than the obstacles to migration, labor mobility and its associated capital flows have been the most important mechanism through which the benefits of the oil windfall have been spread to the poorer states of the region. There is evidence that incomes across the Middle East have become more equal."

Africa↗

Medical journals' conflicts of interest in the publication of book reviews.

The purpose of the study was to assess medical journals' conflicts of interest in the publication of book reviews. We examined book reviews published in 1999, 2000, and 2001 (N = 1,876) in five leading medical journals: Annals of Internal Medicine, British Medical Journal (BMJ), Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), Lancet, and New England Journal of Medicine. The main outcome measure was journal publication of reviews of books that had been published by the journal's own publisher, that had been edited or authored by a lead editor of the journal, or that posed another conflict of interest. We also surveyed the editors-in-chief of the five journals about their policies on these conflicts of interests. During the study period, four of the five journals published 30 book reviews presenting a conflict of interest: nineteen by the BMJ, five by the Annals, four by JAMA, and two by the Lancet. These reviews represent 5.8%, 2.7%, 0.7%, and 0.7%, respectively, of all book reviews published by the journals. These four journals, respectively, published reviews of 11.9%, 25.0%, 0.9%, and 1.0% of all medical books published by the journals' publishers. Only one of the 30 book reviews included a disclosure statement addressing the conflict of interest. None of the journals had a written policy pertaining to the conflicts of interest assessed in this study, although four reported having unwritten policies. We recommend that scientific journals and associations representing journal editors develop policies on conflicts of interest pertaining to book reviews.

Bibliometrics↗

Citizen participation in the reform of health care policy: a case example.

The trend toward greater citizen participation in health care policy reform has its roots in the consumerism of the 1960s. This era witnessed the beginning of a dispersion of power in health care and an increase in the number and variety of stakeholders involved in the policy development process. Using the reform Ontario's long-term care policy as a case example, this paper offers observations about the benefits and challenges of participative policy-making. Despite the challenges and the paucity of hard evidence pointing to benefits, the author concludes that broad citizen participation in health care policy reform is a desirable goal. However, the capacity for genuine collaboration remains underdeveloped and requires more systematic refinement.

Community Participation↗

A comparison of the cost-effectiveness of hospital-based home care with that of a conventional outpatient follow-up for patients with mental illness.

The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of a hospital-based home-care model with those of a conventional outpatient follow-up for mentally ill patients in Taiwan by means of cost-effectiveness analysis. The study design was a two group posthoc design. We interviewed 40 mentally ill patients who were followed up in the psychiatric outpatient department. Another 40 mentally ill patients who participated in a hospital based home care program were also interviewed. The outcome measures we used for interviews were disease maintenance behavior, psychotic symptoms, social function, service satisfaction, and cost. The cost for each patient was the sum of costs for all direct mental health services. The cost-effectiveness ratio showed that the costs of the hospital-based home care model (4.3) were lower than those of conventional outpatient follow-up (13.5) and that over a one-year period, the hospital-based home care model was associated with improvements in mental conditions, social functional outcomes, and service satisfaction. The improved outcomes and the lower costs in the hospital-based home care program support the view that it is the most cost-effective of the two. Policy makers may consider this analysis as they allocate resources and develop policy for the care of mentally ill patients.

Adult↗

Year 2000 health status indicators: a profile of California.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the health status of Californians using a set of 18 health status indicators (HSIs) corresponding to goals set forth in Healthy People 2000 and to develop a health status profile for use in research and surveillance, policy development program planning, and program evaluation. METHODS: Federal, state, and county data were used to evaluate California's performance on 18 indicators of health status related to mortality, disease incidence, and health risks. RESULTS: By 1994, California had achieved Year 2000 objectives associated with seven HSIs and significant declines in mortality associated with two other HSIs. Nationally, California was ranked among the states with the lowest rates for infant mortality, lung cancer, female breast cancer, and syphilis but among states with the highest rates for homicide, AIDS, measles, tuberculosis, late prenatal care, childhood poverty, and poor air quality. CONCLUSIONS: California's experience may provide a useful model for other state and local health agencies monitoring the health status of populations using HSIs associated with Year 2000 objectives.

Adolescent↗

The continuation of family caregiving in Japan.

The purpose of this study was to develop concepts that facilitate our understanding of why family caregivers of demented elderly persons can continue caregiving despite various difficulties of care. Twenty-six Japanese daughter or daughter-in-law caregivers of elderly parents with dementia who lived at home or in long-term care facilities were recruited through various senior service organizations in Japan. The caregivers underwent unstructured interviews, and the interview data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. Three categories emerged as reasons for care continuation: value of care, maintainers of value, and reinforcers of care continuation. Value of care came from societal norms and attachment, and was the basis of caregivers' motivation to continue care. Several maintainers of value and reinforcers of care continuation also emerged from the analysis. The contents and some longitudinal changes in these categories were explained. The findings highlight the need to assess these categories separately in order to develop appropriate interventions and they have implications for future research and policy development.

Adolescent↗

Use of dental service data to inform research and policy.

Data collected routinely in dental care delivery systems could be used to inform research and policy. Projects in which data were collected with the help of general dental practitioners are outlined. In an EU-funded project, six partners collaborated to develop a methodology designed to establish links between characteristics of a health care system and health outcome, and to determine the characteristics of oral health care systems which promote oral health and those which are detrimental to oral health. The results indicated that the data collected in the different systems investigated varied enormously, and they could not be easily adapted to help in developing policy. A theoretical model was developed in which the production of oral health care was considered separately from the production of oral health. In the second example, the longevity of the restorations in a dental care delivery system in Ireland was investigated by routine service data.

Data Collection↗

The establishment of a hospital clinical ethics committee.

In the Republic of Ireland the establishment of Clinical Ethics Committees (CECs) are relatively new. The need for such committees has occurred due to the fact that the consideration of ethical issues in healthcare has become an important and frequent part of discussions by individuals and institutions. A number of factors have contributed to this growth of ethical considerations. The Bon Secours Health System (BSHS) decided to establish a CEC and appointed a co-ordinating team to draw up terms of reference for such a committee. During this process the co-ordinating team drew on the experience of other countries and of its own staff. Potential criticisms of how such a committee would function were examined. A representative membership of the CEC was also arrived at. The following functions were identified for a CEC: the need to provide a mechanism for the identification, discussion and resolution of medical ethical issues; the need to identify medical ethical issues which may create challenges to the health system and to monitor the responses of the health system to these areas, and the provision of education. Policy development was seen as a primary function of the CEC. Ethical case review also emerged as one area of potential involvement by the CEC. During the staff consultation a large number of ethical issues emerged which the staff requested the CEC to address. A methodology necessary for coping with the differences within the BSHS was developed by the CEC. It is evident that CECs are here to stay and how they develop and function will have an impact on the quality of healthcare.

Ethics Committees, Clinical↗