Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Development Policy”

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 811 records · Page 45Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Hepatitis A in Australia in the 1990s: future directions in surveillance and control.

The national notification data from 1952 to 1997 was examined in order to characterise hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection in Australia in the 1990s, and to determine whether currently available surveillance data are sufficient to inform disease control strategies and vaccination policies. Hepatitis A annual notification rates declined dramatically from a high of 123 notifications per 100,000 persons in 1961, to 3 per 100,000 in 1989. During 1991-97, the hepatitis A notification rate was 12 per 100,000 persons per year, although rates varied substantially between States and Territories. The Northern Territory had the highest notification rate of 52 per 100,000 persons per year. Seventy-six per cent of cases were adults, although in most regions notification rates were significantly higher in children than adults. Nationally, the male to female ratio was 1.7:1 (p < 0.001). The Northern Territory was the only area with no significant difference in notifications between the sexes. Large outbreaks were detectable through the notification system but risk factors for transmission could only be inferred from age and sex distribution of notifications, and from previous outbreak reports. National hepatitis A surveillance would be improved by collecting basic risk factor data, which identify cases as food-borne, sporadic, related to another case, or travel related. In addition, a population based serosurvey to measure age-specific hepatitis A susceptibility would assist vaccination policy development. Serosurveillance data are also needed, in conjunction with enhancements of the notification data, to provide baseline information against which the impact of changes in vaccination policy can be assessed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Smoking policy and cessation in an inner-city hospital.

Hospital policies regarding cigarette smoking can affect the smoking habits of employees, patients, and visitors. Successful smoking policy development and impact have been reported in a number of hospitals. These reports have been from financially secure or university hospitals. This article reports on the policy experience at Interfaith Medical Center, a public hospital serving an economically disadvantaged black inner-city community. Policy implementation and smoking cessation efforts were directed by a broad-based hospital committee. An employee survey demonstrated support for a policy restricting but not banning smoking (89% of nonsmokers, and 80.2% of smokers). Among smoking employees, 87.6% wanted to quit. A policy restricting smoking to designated areas in the cafeteria and coffee shop was enacted. Health fairs and smokeout contests were enthusiastically received and resulted in short-term cessation verified by exhaled carbon monoxide levels. Assemblies where ex-smokers were given "Hall of Fame" certificates, "stop smoking" art contests, and a "stop smoking hotline" generated further cessation activity. The department of medicine, in cooperation with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's Smoking Education Program, set up a training program for residents on how to help patients quit. Overall, the smoking prevalence, attitudes, and enthusiasm to quit were similar to previous reports in financially secure hospitals. Unfortunately, lack of resources and staff turnover led to dissolution of the program. Institutional stability and a funding source are critical for the long-term success of hospital smoking cessation programs.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Scaling-up treatment for HIV/AIDS: lessons learned from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

The UN has launched an initiative to place 3 million people in developing countries on antiretroviral AIDS treatment by end 2005 (the 3 by 5 target). Lessons for HIV/AIDS treatment scale-up emerge from recent experience with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis. Expansion of treatment for multidrug-resistant tuberculosis through the multipartner mechanism known as the Green Light Committee (GLC) has enabled gains in areas relevant to 3 by 5, including policy development, drug procurement, rational use of drugs, and the strengthening of health systems. The successes of the GLC and the obstacles it has encountered provide insights for building sustainable HIV/AIDS treatment programmes.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1989

Hospital policy on advance directives. Do institutions ask patients about living wills?

Surveys have shown that a substantial proportion of the population has prepared an advance directive. The purpose of this exploratory study was to assess the existence and nature of hospital policy regarding these documents. A survey questionnaire was sent to 394 randomly selected hospitals in the United States. Of the 219 responding hospitals, 146 (67%) reported having a formal policy regarding advance directives. The large majority of those with a policy require the patient to notify the hospital of an advance directive, while only 4% of the respondents actively inquire about these documents. Hospitals in states with legislation that sanctions advance directives were significantly more likely to have a formal policy regarding these documents than hospitals in states without such legislation. Forty-six percent of the respondents reported having an ethics committee; however, the presence of an ethics committee was not significantly associated with the presence of a formal policy. Of the 69 hospitals that had both a formal policy and an ethics committee, only 30 (43%) reported that the policy had been reviewed by the ethics committee. Ethical and legal issues regarding hospital policy on advance directives are discussed. Hospitals should adopt formal policies to ask all adult patients at the time of admission whether they have prepared a living will, durable power of attorney, or similar document; and ethics committees should play a more active role in policy development.

Communication↗
PubMed2000

Sentencing sex crimes against children: an empirical and policy analysis.

This study investigated factors that contributed to the sentencing outcomes of 387 sex crimes against children who were prosecuted in a large East Coast city. Hypothesized variables that were indexed to predict sentencing included several offense, victim, and perpetrator characteristics. The findings revealed that individual victims' experiences are generally less predictive of sentencing outcomes than perpetrators' characteristics, that sentences generally tend to be lenient, that intra-family and stranger abuse seem to be taken equally seriously, and that the criminal justice system does seem to incarcerate those society is most worried about-persistent predators who abuse several children. The article ends with suggestions for further research and policy development.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Charting the course. A quality journey.

The development of a nursing quality program is particularly challenging in the face of building a new hospital, hiring and orienting 800 staff, purchasing supplies and equipment, writing policies, developing workflows and processes, and implementing an electronic medical record. This is the story of one hospital's journey. Strategies for success and lessons learned along the way are shared.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Leader or left behind: national and international policies related to breastfeeding.

The U.S. and international breastfeeding policies over the past 80 years present a pattern of increased protection for women and children that influences breastfeeding acceptance. These begin with the Maternity Protection Convention of the International Labor Organization in 1919 and continue through the relatively recent establishment of the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee. State and U.S. federal laws lag well behind international action, and the U.S. record on adopting international initiatives is poor. Nurses can play an influential role in consciousness raising, policy development, and advocacy for breastfeeding support.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Practices surrounding ribavirin administration.

Fifty major pediatric medical centers were queried regarding their practice surrounding Ribavirin administration. The survey addressed safety precautions and prescriptive practices. The object of the survey was to assist community hospitals in policy development for Ribavirin use.

Academic Medical Centers↗
PubMed1994

Cost containment: the Pacific. New Zealand.

New Zealand is a small nation with an extensive state-funded system of health, education, and welfare that is currently under "reform." The healthcare system remains largely government-funded and is free to all New Zealand residents. Healthcare spending accounts for approximately 7.4% of the country's gross domestic product and has not changed in the last 5 yrs. Ninety-three percent of New Zealand's ICUs are in public hospitals, where ICU beds constitute 0.9% of the total number of beds. In all, there are 43 ICU beds/1 million inhabitants. Between 1989 and 1992, the number of public hospital beds decreased by 19% and the number of ICU beds decreased by 5%. ICU Resources have been limited for many years, and clinicians have responded by attempting to prevent disease and limit its severity, by vetting (and declining) requests for ICU admission, by reducing length of ICU stay of both survivors and nonsurvivors, and by reducing marginal costs. Both limiting and actively withdrawing therapy are well established practices in New Zealand ICUs. The country's physicians are conservative in their use of new technology but demand excellence and value in equipment. ICU technology and knowledge diffuse easily throughout New Zealand because of the country's geography and population distribution, in addition to the activities of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society (ANZICS) and the defined specialty training pathways for intensive care. Hospital care is relatively cheap and nurse extenders, respiratory therapists, and ward pharmacists are not used. Flow charts in the ICU are custom-designed and not computerized, but computers are increasingly being used for clinical databases and ICU policy development.

Cost Control↗
PubMed2002

Prevention and control of anemia: Thailand experiences.

Thailand has addressed nutrition in national development policy since the mid-1970s, including efforts to reduce iron deficiency anemia. Nutritional improvement has been implemented as an integral part of primary health care and community development extending beyond government services to include community participation. Utilization of village health volunteers has been a crucial feature of the program. Available data indicate that anemia rates have declined among pregnant women and preschool children, although there has been no formal evaluation of the program effect. Universal iron supplementation has been the major strategy for pregnant women, using village health volunteers to encourage continuation of the antenatal care schedule and encouraging a preventive approach by health service providers. Program obstacles have included lack of access to iron tablets by some populations and lack of understanding of the importance of anemia. Women's compliance was complicated by fear of having a large fetus, forgetfulness and side effects. Weekly iron supplementation of school children was piloted in 2000, and is now being extended. Other strategies utilized to address iron deficiency include food fortification, dietary improvement and complementary public health measures. Program monitoring and evaluation require strengthening to assess the effectiveness of intervention strategies and provide proper data for decision-making.

Anemia, Iron-Deficiency↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Future directions for IPPNW. International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War.

This paper is offered as my personal reflections for future directions of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War. The deep discussions that surrounded the war in Kosovo and Serbia have led me to examine some of the issues that confront IPPNW today in a different light. Rather than cataloguing all the work of IPPNW and the future steps in each, I focus on areas where we have a new opportunity, a new challenge, or a difficult decision to make in choosing a strategic direction for IPPNW. After a brief summary of our history and principles, I address the new challenges within IPPNW's triangle of concern--disarmament, environment and development. I then outline a series of strategies that have been proposed to advance our goals. Finally, I raise other issues that seem to warrant further discussion and policy development.

Humans↗
PubMed2005

Integrating environmental health into nursing and midwifery practice.

AIM: With the recognition that environmental health has relevance to all nursing and midwifery activities, the aim of this paper is to discuss nurses' and midwives' past and present involvement in environmental health in the UK, where the international situation demonstrates good practice, and the challenges and possibilities for greater and more effective UK-based activity in the future. BACKGROUND: The association between environmental hazards and adverse health effects has received increasing attention over recent years. In the United States of America (USA), the importance of developing an environmental health role for nurses outside of the "traditional" occupational and environmental health nursing specialty has been recognized and acted upon through education, information programmes and policy developments. In the United Kingdom (UK), the same degree of interest, commitment and activity is somewhat lacking. DISCUSSION: Little nursing and midwifery activity on environmental health issues has taken place in the UK over recent years. The lack of development in this field may relate to the problems of an already overstretched disease treatment service and the lack of an upstream approach to public health. Theoretical and philosophical influences, as well as individual and organizational obstacles or constraints, exist and may hinder nurses and midwives in their efforts to address the subject. Yet nurses and midwives are the largest group in the National Health Service workforce and this gives enormous potential for effective interventions in environmental health. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst barriers and obstacles to nursing and midwifery involvement in environmental health in the UK exist, they are all surmountable and appropriate interventions could prove cost-effective in the middle and long-term. Additionally, they may be viewed as a necessary activity for nurses and midwives in response to real health threats and the expressed worries and concerns of patients and communities.

Clinical Nursing Research↗
PubMed2006

State of the art in research on equity in health.

This essay provided the introduction to a workshop in Bellagio, Italy, on the subject of translating research into policy for equity in health. The essay first defines equity in a way that facilitates its assessment and monitoring and then summarizes evidence from existing research. Directions for developing policy strategies follow from these principles. The role of health services in influencing the distribution of health in populations is discussed in the special context of primary-care-oriented health systems that are, at the same time, more effective, more efficient, and more equity producing than is the case for specialist-dominated health systems.

Congresses as Topic↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Drug offence sentencing practices in the United States of America.

The United States criminal justice system, in response to a variety of risks, makes available a range of options to help control drug offenders. Pre-arrest diversion, pre-trial diversion, pre-trial release, probation, split sentencing, warn release, incarceration and parole release are alternative dispositions involving a graduated scale of punishment, incarceration, specific deterrence and rehabilitation. New drug offence sentencing policies are emerging within the criminal justice system. Traditional values of rehabilitation are currently less favoured and contemporary doctrines advocate sentencing based on principles of uniformity and retribution. Drug law sentencing practices are a principal concern of this article and the major policy themes are systematically reviewed. Diversion, criminal responsibility, selective incapacitation, trafficking, and cocaine abuse are examined. Guidelines for policy development are recommended and the analysis covers the related concepts of sentencing ideology, decriminalization, and determinate sentencing models. Specific recommendations are offered for revision of drug offence sentencing policies to incorporate the emerging penal values.

Cocaine↗
PubMed2006

New developments in children's environmental health in Europe.

Important developments have taken place in Europe regarding children's environmental health (CEH) over the last few years. In 1999 the Third Ministerial Conference on Environment and Health identified CEH as a priority area and started a process of scientific review and policy development that culminated at the Fourth Ministerial Conference held in Budapest in June 2004 with the adoption of the Children's Environment and Health Action Plan for Europe (CEHAPE). The rationale of the CEHAPE is based on a thorough review of the scientific evidence on CEH and on a study that quantified for the first time the burden of disease related to the main environmental exposures of children and adolescents in Europe. The Action Plan suggests actions and policies to achieve the four main priority goals: clean air, safe water, chemical and physical agents, and injuries. Over the same period, the European Commission (EC) has strengthened its focus on environment and health issues, has supported research on CEH, and has developed a proposal for a new EU regulatory framework for chemicals that has clear implications for children and for the reproductive period. The proposed new system, called REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals), currently under examination by the European Parliament, aims at reducing risks to human health and improvement of environmental quality through the better and earlier identification of the properties of chemical substances. The EC also adopted policies and action plans that are very relevant to children, such as the EU European Environment and Health Strategy, referred to as the SCALE initiative (Science, Children, Awareness, Legislation, Evaluation), and the 2004-2010 Environment and Health Action Plan.

Child↗
PubMed1999

The Australian National Medicinal Drug Policy.

A responsibility of Government is to ensure that safe and efficacious medicines are available for people, from local industry, to treat illness and to maintain health. However, the cost of these medications to the public must be such that access is not denied because of financial barriers. Accessibility alone does not ensure that health outcomes are maximized. It is also necessary to have in place structures and processes which involve all stakeholders in ensuring the quality use of medicines. All of these components need to be incorporated in a national, co-ordinated policy which acts as a reference point for appropriate drug use, policy development and evaluation.

Australia↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[The population and the environment].

This paper discusses, on the basis of the Bruntland Report on development and environment, the relationship between population and development possibilities, and its consequences on natural and man made resources. The author emphasizes the need to design development policies in which the protection of the environment is a priority, specially in Latin American countries.

Developing Countries↗
PubMed1999

Reducing medical attrition: the role of the Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity.

This paper illustrates how adding an epidemiologic perspective to medical accession policy development allows the Department of Defense to address unacceptably high rates of premature attrition, lost duty time, avoidable medical care costs, sick leave, disability, and various wasteful, inefficient practices. The Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity is a major new epidemiologic entity. Historically, military medical accession policy and waiver deliberations were based heavily on expert opinion. A common limitation of expert opinion is that although experience teaches much about individuals with certain conditions who develop problems, it does not teach about individuals with the same conditions who remain well. The Accession Medical Standards Analysis and Research Activity produces the analyses of epidemiologic data necessary for the joint personnel and medical flag-level Department of Defense Accessions Medical Standards Steering Committee to make evidence-based accession policy decisions.

Absenteeism↗