3,800 results
Search Results
2. Commentary on the EMA reflection paper on the pharmaceutical development of medicines for use in the older population.
- Author
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van Riet‐Nales, Diana A., van den Bemt, Bart, van Bodegom, David, Cerreta, Francesca, Dooley, Brian, Eggenschwyler, Doris, Hirschlérova, Blanka, Jansen, Paul A. F., Karapinar‐Çarkit, Fatma, Moran, Abigail, Span, Jan, Stegemann, Sven, and Sundberg, Katarina
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OLDER patients , *OLDER people , *MEDICAL personnel , *POPULATION aging , *DRUG laws , *DRUGS - Abstract
Older people are often affected by impaired organ and bodily functions resulting in multimorbidity and polypharmacy, turning them into the main user group of many medicines. Very often, medicines have not specifically been developed for older people, causing practical medication problems for them like limited availability of easy to swallow formulations, easy to open packaging and dosing instructions for enteral administration. In 2020, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published a reflection paper 'Pharmaceutical development of medicines for use in the older population', which discusses how the emerging needs of an ageing European population can be addressed by medicines regulation. The paper intends to help industry to better consider the needs of older people during pharmaceutical/clinical medicines development by summarising data on the most relevant topics, providing early suggestions on how to move forward and prompting expert discussions and studies into knowledge gaps. Topics include patient acceptability, (dis)advantages of an administration route, formulation, dosage form, packaging, dosing device and user instruction. While the paper is directed at older people and the pharmaceutical industry, the reflections are also relevant to younger patients with similar disease‐related needs and of value to other stakeholders parties, e.g., healthcare professionals, academics, patients and caregivers, as the paper makes clear what can be expected from industry and where collaborative work is needed. This commentary provides an overview of the different steps in the development of the reflection paper, discusses points considered most controversial and/or subject to (multidisciplinary) expert discussions and indicates their value for real world clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Shifts in the Australian public's opinions towards alcohol policies: 2004-2019.
- Author
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Torney A, Room R, Jiang H, Livingston M, and Callinan S
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- Humans, Australia, Alcohol Drinking epidemiology, Alcohol Drinking prevention & control, Attitude, Ethanol, Public Opinion, Health Policy
- Abstract
Introduction: After a period of stagnation, alcohol policy in Australia has received increased attention in the past decade, with Sydney's lockout laws and Queensland's restrictions on trading hours garnering media attention. This study will investigate any changing trends in support towards alcohol policy and identify any demographic-specific shifts., Methods: Respondents from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (conducted every 3 years from 2004 to 2019) were asked to gauge their level of support for 16 alcohol policy items proposed to reduce the problems associated with excessive alcohol use. Mean levels of support for various policy options, as well as demographic predictors of support, were assessed., Results: After an increase from 2004 to 2013, support for more evidence-based policies on alcohol (e.g., restricting the availability of alcohol) has decreased since 2013. Support for policy items that focus less on the restriction of the availability of alcohol and more on education remained relatively stable in comparison. While demographic groups continue to vary in their extent of support, shifts appear to be occurring fairly uniformly across sex, age, states and drinking groups., Discussion and Conclusions: Support for public health-oriented alcohol policies has been decreasing since 2013. The introduction of high-profile policies and less of a media focus on alcohol may be contributing to decreases in support., (© 2023 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)
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- 2023
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4. How Small Policy Changes Can Transform the Implementation of Physical Activity Minutes in Kentucky Public Schools: A White Paper.
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HEALTH policy , *SCHOOL environment , *SEDENTARY lifestyles , *STUDENT health , *CHILDHOOD obesity , *HEALTH status indicators , *HUMAN services programs , *PHYSICAL activity , *ACADEMIC achievement , *RESPONSIBILITY , *SCHOOLS , *PUBLIC sector , *GOVERNMENT aid - Abstract
As obesity and physical inactivity rates continue to rise in the United States, Kentucky ranks third in childhood obesity rates (10‐17 year olds) and 50th in physical inactivity. The public school environment is a logical place to examine practices and closely discern how time is spent. Federal legislation over the past 50 years has largely dictated the emphasis and priority of our public education system and how schools are funded and assessed. Recently, new federal legislation, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, moved more power, flexibility, and accountability to the states allowing for additional funding opportunities surrounding not just reading and mathematics standardized test scores. Kentucky made promising steps toward including a well‐rounded education in their accountability plan, however; ultimately removed those measures in their revised submission to the US Education Department. We must reexamine our current priorities and policies based on evidence‐based best practices regarding health, physical activity, and academic achievement. This report outlines history, issues, and policy solutions which will move Kentucky's youth toward better opportunities for quality physical activity in our public schools within our current resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Nurses' health beliefs about paper face masks in Japan, Australia and China: a qualitative descriptive study.
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Omura, M., Stone, T.E., Petrini, M.A., and Cao, R.
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PREVENTION of infectious disease transmission , *PREVENTION of communicable diseases , *CONTENT analysis , *CULTURE , *HEALTH attitudes , *RESEARCH methodology , *HEALTH policy , *NURSES' attitudes , *RESEARCH funding , *STATISTICAL sampling , *QUALITATIVE research , *SECONDARY analysis , *DESCRIPTIVE statistics , *COVID-19 - Abstract
Aim: To explore the health beliefs of clinical and academic nurses from Japan, Australia and China regarding wearing paper masks to protect themselves and others, and to identify differences in participants' health beliefs regarding masks. Background: The correct use of face masks and consensus among health professionals across the globe is essential for containing pandemics, and nurses need to act according to policy to protect themselves, educate the public and preserve resources for frontline health workers. Paper masks are worn by health professionals and the general public to avoid the transmission of respiratory infections, such as COVID‐19, but there appear to be differences in health beliefs of nurses within and between countries regarding these. Methods: This qualitative descriptive study used content analysis with a framework approach. Findings: There were major differences in nurse participants' beliefs between and within countries, including how nurses use paper masks and their understanding of their efficacy. In addition, there were cultural differences in the way that nurses use masks in their daily lives and nursing practice contexts. Conclusion: Nurses from different working environments, countries and areas of practice hold a variety of health beliefs about mask wearing at the personal and professional level. Implications for nursing policy and health policy: The COVID‐19 pandemic has sparked much discussion about the critical importance of masks for the safety of health professionals, and there has been considerable discussion and disagreement about health policies regarding mask use by the general public. Improper use of masks may have a role in creating mask shortages or transmitting infections. An evidence‐based global policy on mask use for respiratory illnesses for health professionals, including nurses, and the general public needs to be adopted and supported by a wide‐reaching education campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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6. Positioning uterus transplantation as a 'more ethical' alternative to surrogacy: Exploring symmetries between uterus transplantation and surrogacy through analysis of a Swedish government white paper.
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Guntram, Lisa and Williams, Nicola Jane
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ORGAN & tissue transplantation laws , *UTERUS , *HEALTH policy , *ORGAN donors , *TRANSPLANTATION of organs, tissues, etc. - Abstract
Within the ethics and science literature surrounding uterus transplantation (UTx), emphasis is often placed on the extent to which UTx might improve upon, or offer additional benefits when compared to, existing 'treatment options' for women with absolute uterine factor infertility, such as adoption and gestational surrogacy. Within this literature UTx is often positioned as superior to surrogacy because it can deliver things that surrogacy cannot (such as the experience of gestation). Yet, in addition to claims that UTx is superior in the aforementioned sense it is also often assumed (either implicitly or explicitly) that UTx is less fraught with ethical difficulties and thus should be considered a less morally problematic option. This article seeks to examine this assumption. Given that much UTx research has been performed in Sweden, a country where surrogacy is effectively although not currently explicitly forbidden, we do this through an analysis of the arguments underpinning a 2016 Swedish white paper which considered amending existing policy such that altruistic surrogacy arrangements would be permitted. By applying the white paper's arguments for a restrictive position on altruistic surrogacy to the case of UTx using living altruistic donors we find that such arguments, if they hold in the case of surrogacy, apply similarly to UTx. We thus suggest that, for reasons of consistency, a similar stance should be taken towards the moral and legal permissibility of these two practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2018
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7. Construction of nursing knowledge in commodified contexts: A discussion paper.
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Martínez‐Rodríguez, Ana, Martínez‐Faneca, Laura, Casafont‐Bullich, Claudia, and Olivé‐Ferrer, Maria Carmen
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BUSINESS , *MEDICAL care , *HEALTH policy , *NURSE-patient relationships , *NURSING , *NURSING practice , *REFLECTION (Philosophy) , *SOCIAL skills - Abstract
This original article outlines a theoretical path and posterior critical analysis regarding two relevant matters in modern nursing: patterns of knowing in nursing and commodification contexts in contemporary health systems. The aim of our manuscript is to examine the development of basic and contextual nursing knowledge in commodified contexts. For this purpose, we outline a discussion and reflexive dialogue based on a literature search and our clinical experience. To lay the foundation for an informed discussion, we conducted a literature search and selected relevant articles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese that included contents on patterns of knowing, commodification, and nursing published from 1978 to 2017. Globalization, commodification, and austerity measures seem to have negative effects on nursing. Work conditions are worsening, deteriorating nurse–patient relationships, and limiting reflection on practice. Nurses must develop knowledge to challenge and participate in institutional organization and public health policies. Development of nursing knowledge may be difficult to achieve in commodified environments. Consequently, therapeutic care relationships, healthcare services, and nurses' own health are compromised. However, by obtaining organizational, sociopolitical, and emancipatory knowledge, nurses can use strategies to adapt to or resist commodified contexts while constructing basic knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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8. NABH white paper calls attention to residential treatment.
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Canady, Valerie A.
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ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. ,MENTAL health ,HEALTH education ,EVALUATION of medical care ,HEALTH policy ,HEALTH services accessibility ,PATIENT advocacy ,HOME care services ,EXECUTIVES ,PEDIATRICS ,CONTINUUM of care ,DECISION making ,MANAGEMENT ,POLICY sciences ,POLITICAL participation ,PSYCHIATRIC treatment ,COVID-19 pandemic ,MENTAL health services - Abstract
Intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization or day treatment programs can provide more intensive levels of care with multiple types of therapy, more frequent sessions with mental health professionals, and clinically informed care coordination and case management. This observation on residential treatment is included in a new white paper released this month by the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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9. NASMHPD, SAMHSA papers tout 988 opportunities for field.
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Canady, Valerie A.
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SUICIDE prevention ,ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. ,HEALTH policy ,OCCUPATIONAL roles ,SERIAL publications ,MENTAL health ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,INFORMATION resources ,POLICY sciences ,MENTAL health services ,CRISIS intervention (Mental health services) - Abstract
Observing that the transition to the 988 National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline offers an opportunity to grow crisis response services along a continuum, the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) last month released a series of 10 technical assistance collaborative papers providing important resources for stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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10. American College of Clinical Pharmacy Global Health Practice and Research Network's opinion paper: Pillars for global health engagement and key engagement strategies for pharmacists.
- Author
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Crowe, Susie J., Karwa, Rakhi, Schellhase, Ellen M., Miller, Monica L., Abrons, Jeanine P., Alsharif, Naser Z., Andrade, Christina, Cope, Rebecca J., Dornblaser, Emily K., Hachey, David, Holm, Michelle R., Jonkman, Lauren, Lukas, Stephanie, Malhotra, Jodie V., Njuguna, Benson, Pekny, Chelsea R., Prescott, Gina M., Ryan, Melody, Steeb, David R., and Tran, Dan N.
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PHARMACY education ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,HEALTH policy - Abstract
The scope of pharmacy practice in global health has expanded over the past decade creating additional education and training opportunities for students, residents and pharmacists. There has also been a shift from short‐term educational and clinical experiences to more sustainable bidirectional partnerships between high‐income countries (HICs) and low‐ to middle‐income countries (LMICs). As more institutional and individual partnerships between HICs and LMICs begin to form, it is clear that there is a lack of guidance for pharmacists on how to build meaningful, sustainable, and mutually beneficial programs. The aim of this paper is to provide guidance for pharmacists in HICs to make informed decisions on global health partnerships and identify opportunities for engagement in LMICs that yield mutually beneficial collaborations. This paper uses the foundations of global health principles to identify five pillars of global health engagement when developing partnerships: (a) sustainability, (b) shared leadership, (c) mutually beneficial partnerships, (d) local needs‐based care and (e) host‐driven experiential and didactic education. Finally, this paper highlights ways pharmacists can use the pillars as a framework to engage and support health care systems, collaborate with academic institutions, conduct research, and interface with governments to improve health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
11. The experiences of people with disability and their families/carers navigating the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia: Scoping review.
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Veli‐Gold, Sarah, Gilroy, John, Wright, Wayne, Bulkeley, Kim, Jensen, Heather, Dew, Angela, and Lincoln, Michelle
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CAREGIVER attitudes ,HEALTH policy ,CINAHL database ,PATIENT aftercare ,RURAL conditions ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,DISABILITY insurance ,PATIENTS' attitudes ,HUMAN services programs ,PSYCHOLOGY of caregivers ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding ,PEOPLE with disabilities ,METROPOLITAN areas ,LITERATURE reviews ,THEMATIC analysis ,MEDLINE ,WORLD Wide Web - Abstract
Background: Australia's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) was launched in 2013 to provide financial support packages for people with disability to purchase supports and services to enhance independence. People with disability are required to develop a plan with the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), the government department responsible for managing the NDIS. This scoping review aims to ascertain the level of research into people's experience of the NDIS planning process in these geographic areas. Methodology: Research publication databases were searched using a specific search string to identify research about people with disability and their families/carer's experiences of the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was adopted to appraise the quality of the research publications. Research publications focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were additionally appraised using the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Quality Appraisal Tool developed by the Centre for Excellence in Aboriginal Chronic Disease Knowledge Translation and Exchange. A thematic synthesis of the publications' contents was undertaken to ascertain people with disabilities and carers experience of the NDIS planning process. Results: Ten (N = 10) research papers were found that met the inclusion criteria. Two papers were policy reviews and reported on the improvements of the NDIS planning process since its conception. The analysis found the research archive focused on five themes: (1) healthcare workforce and NDIA staff; (2) NDIS package holders and carers lack of awareness of the NDIS; (3) cultural/socio‐economic barriers; (4) travel funding; and (5) emotional burden of the NDIS planning process. Conclusion: There are limited papers available that explore people's experiences of the NDIS planning process in regional, rural and remote regions of Australia. This systematic review illuminates the difficulties, barriers and concerns of people with disability and their carers about the planning process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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12. White Paper on CTSA Consortium Role in Facilitating Comparative Effectiveness Research.
- Author
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Selker, Harry P., Strom, Brian L., Ford, Daniel E., Meltzer, David O., Pauker, Stephen G., Pincus, Harold A., Rich, Eugene C., Tompkins, Chris, and Whitlock, Evelyn P.
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MEDICAL research , *PUBLIC health , *GOVERNMENT policy - Abstract
In 2006, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) initiated the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) as part of the NIH Roadmap Initiative, in order to improve the conduct and impact of NIH's clinical and translational research portfolio. The CTSA program is intended not only to transform the training programs and research infrastructure at individual academic institutions, but also to create a nation-wide collaborative consortium to transform the biomedical research enterprise. In January 2009, the NIH CTSA National Consortium adopted Strategic Goals to maximize the CTSAs' impact on the Nation's healthcare and health. Of these, the CTSA Strategic Goal 4 is to promote the translation of the results of clinical and translational research into practice and public policy. To advance this goal, a committee was constituted to focus on the organization and development of the CTSA Consortium's comparative effectiveness research (CER) capacity, an increasingly important component of research translation into practice and policy. This Committee's Workgroups took on a number of deliverables in service of this objective, including producing this White Paper on how the CTSA Consortium might best facilitate CER, for NIH's Institutes and Centers (ICs), other Federal agencies, outside stakeholders, and the healthcare system overall. This White Paper offers some specific suggestions for how the CTSA Consortium might support this emerging and crucial national effort to generate, synthesize, and disseminate CER in order to improve healthcare decision-making and health outcomes. Important points of reference for this White Paper are two Congressionally mandated reports on CER released at the end of June 2009, one by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and another by the Federal Coordinating Council for CER (FCC-CER). The definitions of CER by each report, and their recommendations for the CER enterprise, are highly germane to the purpose of this CTSA Consortium White Paper. The CER definition used in the IOM Report was, "The generation and synthesis of evidence that compares the benefits and harms of alternative methods to prevent, diagnose, treat, and monitor a clinical condition or to improve the delivery of care. The purpose of CER is to assist patients, clinicians, purchasers, policy makers, and the public to make informed decisions that will improve health care at both the individual and population levels."… [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
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13. White paper addresses VBP opportunities, challenges for BH providers.
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Canady, Valerie A.
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VALUE-based healthcare ,ASSOCIATIONS, institutions, etc. ,COST control ,HEALTH services accessibility ,MEDICAID ,MEDICAL care ,HEALTH policy ,MENTAL health ,POLICY sciences ,QUALITY assurance ,PATIENT Protection & Affordable Care Act ,ELECTRONIC health records ,MEDICAL laws - Abstract
Health care payments continue to evolve and shift away from fee‐for‐service payment systems that typically reward volume and move to value‐based payment (VBP) models that incentivize high‐quality, cost‐effective care. While this is happening more for physical health services, there's more uncertainty about the role of behavioral health. A new white paper aims to tackle that question with information about existing models that have been implemented along with recommendations for federal and state policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2019
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14. Part 1 – unravelling primary health care conceptual predicaments through the lenses of complexity and political economy: a position paper for progressive transformation.
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Félix‐Bortolotti, Margot
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PRIMARY health care , *PRIMARY care , *MEDICAL care , *PUBLIC health , *HEALTH policy - Abstract
Objective To disentangle the concepts of primary health care and primary care as well as their conceptual and empirical ramifications for progressive transformation. Methods over 400 international and interdisciplinary abstracts and papers with 96 annotated bibliography abstracts of literature across multiple dimensions relating to the knowledge base around mechanisms in PHC development were reviewed. The text is confronted with the reality, as it exists in the field and makes the case for complexity perspectives to assess this phenomenon in its context. Conclusion PHC complexity is an important analytical tool to interrogate the ways in which this phenomenon is socially constructed as well as in the matrices in which it is embedded. It is also a potent analytical tool to assist in the deconstruction of prevalent linear thinking built around PHC as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2009
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15. Evolution of the mental health care system in Poland[This paper].
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Puzynski, S. and Moskalewicz, J.
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HEALTH services accessibility , *CITIZEN participation in community health services , *HEALTH insurance , *HEALTH policy - Abstract
Objective: The aim of this paper is to trace evolution of mental health system in Poland. Method: Available Polish literature and fundamental policy documents including mental health legislation are reviewed and major milestones in this evolution identified and then discussed against the background of political and social developments. Results: The mental health system evolved since the beginning of the 1970s from large hospitals towards community-based care. It was found that the changes were rather slow due to financial shortages and lack of clear demand from users. Recent transitions offer opportunities to increase impact of users and their families. On the other hand, however, introduction of health insurance system reduces prospects for well co-ordinated mental health policy and may lead to inequalities in access to services. Conclusion: It can be concluded that evolution of mental health services has been influenced by prevailing ideologies as much as by technical and professional considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2001
- Full Text
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16. The past, present, and future of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder work in Newfoundland and Labrador: A landscape paper for change.
- Author
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Dunbar Winsor, Katharine and Morton Ninomiya, Melody E.
- Abstract
Objectives: In this paper, we provide an overview of best practices in FASD prevention, diagnostic, and interventions and supports. In Canada, people diagnosed with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) represent a fraction people living with FASD. While social stigma may deter people from seeking an FASD diagnosis, other deterrents include the lack of screening and diagnostic referrals, cost of travelling to a clinic, and lack of clarity of how a diagnosis may improve supports and services. Preventing FASD and improving lifelong outcomes for people living with FASD requires a coordinated approach between prevention, diagnostic, intervention, and support efforts. Methods: Using the example of Newfoundland and Labrador, a province where 60% of the population lives in rural communities and benefits from being involved in national initiatives and partnerships, we discuss efforts underway in other Canadian provinces to address FASD. Results: We make three recommendations that begin to address FASD‐specific needs in both rural and urban regions: a) a provincial FASD consultant position, b) an explicit partnership between provincial government and fasdNL, and c) increased access to FASD diagnostic teams. Conclusion: While the recommendations are both modest and essential first steps, we also suggest that collaborations and resource‐sharing in FASD prevention and supports are more about doing things differently, rather than doing more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
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17. INVITED PAPER Health Policy African countries propose a regional oral health strategy: The Dakar Report from 1998.
- Author
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Myburgh, NG, Hobdell, MH, and Lalloo, R
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HIV infections , *PERIODONTAL disease , *INFORMATION resources management , *ORAL hygiene , *TISSUE engineering , *EPIDEMIOLOGY - Abstract
It is clear that the African region faces a number of serious oral diseases, either because of their high prevalence or because of the severe tissue damage or death that can occur. Previous approaches to oral health in Africa have failed to recognise the epidemiological priorities of the region or to identify reliable and appropriate strategies to assess them. Efforts have consisted of an unplanned, ad hoc and spasmodic evolution of curative oral health services. This document focuses on the most severe oral problems that people have to live with like noma, oral cancer and the oral consequences of HIV/AIDS infection. It proposes a strategy for assisting member states and partners to identify priorities and interventions at various levels of the health system, particularly at the district level. The strategy aims at strengthening the capacity of countries to improve community oral health by effectively using proven interventions to address specific oral health needs. The strategy identifies five main ‘programmatic areas’, including (i) the development of national oral health strategies and implementation plans, (ii) integration of oral health in other programmes, (iii) delivery of effective and safe oral health services, (iv) regional approach to education and training for oral health, and (v) development of effective oral health management information systems. Many of the programmatic areas share similar characteristics described as a ‘strategic orientation’. These strategic orientations give effect to the concepts of advocacy, equity, quality, partnership, operational research, communication and capacity building. The WHO Regional Committee for Africa (RC) is invited to review the proposed oral health strategy for the African region for the period 1999–2008 and provide an orientation for the improvement of oral health in member states in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2004
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. The Forgotten Anniversary? An Examination of the 1944 White Paper, "A National Health Service".
- Author
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Powell, Martin
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GOVERNMENT publications ,PUBLIC welfare ,PUBLIC health ,HEALTH policy ,POLITICAL parties - Abstract
The 1944 Wartime Coalition White Paper, "A National Health Service" is unlikely to be celebrated among the spate of golden anniversaries of welfare reforms in the 1990s. However, a study of this document may be of interest for two main reasons. First, it has some parallels with the reformed National Health Service of the 1990s and, second, there have been recent calls for a local government-based health service, as was envisaged in 1944. The White Paper is examined in the context of evolving plans for the NHS, and is compared with the actual shape of the NHS as introduced by the Labour Minister of Health, Aneurin Bevan, in 1948. Four themes are drawn out. First, the White Paper should not be seen as the embodiment of a political consensus. Second, a Conservative Health Service would have differed from the NHS in fundamental aspects. Third, the conceptual advantages of a local government-based health service were outweighed by practical politics. Fourth, although the Labour Party made a difference to the shape of the NHS, that shape did not simply follow from party policy. This implies that medical pressure was successful, to some extent, in defining the limits of the new service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 1994
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19. Moving towards social inclusion: Engaging rural voices in priority setting for health.
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Tugendhaft, Aviva, Christofides, Nicola, Stacey, Nicholas, Kahn, Kathleen, Erzse, Agnes, Danis, Marion, Gold, Marthe, and Hofman, Karen
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HEALTH policy ,MEDICAL information storage & retrieval systems ,RURAL conditions ,PSYCHOLOGICAL vulnerability ,MEDICAL care ,UNIVERSAL healthcare ,MANN Whitney U Test ,DECISION making ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RURAL health ,DATA analysis software ,SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC factors ,SOCIAL integration ,HEALTH planning - Abstract
Background: Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) in the context of limited resources will require prioritising the most vulnerable and ensuring health policies and services are responsive to their needs. One way of addressing this is through the engagement of marginalised voices in the priority setting process. Public engagement approaches that enable group level deliberation as well as individual level preference capturing might be valuable in this regard, but there are limited examples of their practical application, and gaps in understanding their outcomes, especially with rural populations. Objective: To address this gap, we implemented a modified priority setting tool (Choosing All Together—CHAT) that enables individuals and groups to make trade‐offs to demonstrate the type of health services packages that may be acceptable to a rural population. The paper presents the findings from the individual choices as compared to the group choices, as well as the differences among the individual choices using this tool. Methods: Participants worked in groups and as individuals to allocate stickers representing the available budget to different health topics and interventions using the CHAT tool. The allocations were recorded at each stage of the study. We calculated the median and interquartile range across study participants for the topic totals. To examine differences in individual choices, we performed Wilcoxon rank sum tests. Results: The results show that individual interests were mostly aligned with societal ones, and there were no statistically significant differences between the individual and group choices. However, there were some statistically significant differences between individual priorities based on demographic characteristics like age. Discussion: The study demonstrates that giving individuals greater control and agency in designing health services packages can increase their participation in the priority setting process, align individual and community priorities, and potentially enhance the legitimacy and acceptability of priority setting. Methods that enable group level deliberation and individual level priority setting may be necessary to reconcile plurality. The paper also highlights the importance of capturing the details of public engagement processes and transparently reporting on these details to ensure valuable outcomes. Public Contribution: The facilitator of the CHAT groups was a member from the community and underwent training from the research team. The fieldworkers were also from the community and were trained and paid to capture the data. The participants were all members of the rural community‐ the study represents their priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. The European Commission's White Paper “Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy”: A Review.
- Author
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Rogers, Michael D.
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CHEMICAL safety ,HAZARDOUS substances ,HEALTH policy ,PUBLIC health - Abstract
The European Commission has proposed a radical new policy for the regulation of chemicals in the EU in the form of a White Paper. The current system has separate regulatory provisions for “new” chemicals (introduced to the market since September 18, 1981) and “existing” chemicals (on the market before September 18, 1981). The proposed future policy will have a single unified regulatory system for all chemicals, which should result in better regulation of chemicals in the EU single market. It will be better because risk assessments will be targeted at the chemicals of greatest concern. Furthermore, the system will be streamlined, making regulatory decisions faster, and thus reducing the so-called burden of the past (the large number of chemicals that have never been assessed for their risks to human health or the environment). The new system incorporates the precautionary principle, which will be applied where there is an early indication of unacceptable risk or where there is undue delay in the regulatory process. Moreover, the new strategy is intended to promote greater transparency for all stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
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21. Symposium Introduction: Papers on 'Modeling National Health Expenditures'.
- Author
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Getzen, Thomas E. and Okunade, Albert A.
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DEVELOPING countries ,ECONOMICS ,EXPERIMENTAL design ,MEDICAL care costs ,HEALTH policy ,DEVELOPED countries ,STATISTICAL models - Abstract
Significant contributions have been made since the World Health Organization published Brian Abel-Smith's pioneering comparative study of national health expenditures more than 50 years ago. There have been major advances in theories, model specifications, methodological approaches, and data structures. This introductory essay provides a historical context for this line of work, highlights four newly published studies that move health economics research forward, and indicates several important areas of challenging but potentially fruitful research to strengthen future contributions to the literature and make empirical findings more useful for evaluating health policy decisions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2017
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. AATOD paper confronts methadone controversies.
- Author
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Knopf, Alison
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HEALTH policy ,METHADONE hydrochloride ,PUBLIC health ,SUBSTANCE abuse treatment ,TREATMENT programs - Abstract
A policy paper released this month by the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) focuses on some of the challenges facing opioid treatment programs (OTPs) today. For example, it cites an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine (July 5, 2018) by Michael Botticelli that promotes the idea of methadone being available in primary practice settings for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) (see ADAW, July 16, 2018). "AATOD recommends that this proposal should only be considered after careful, conservative, and thoughtful evaluation," according to the policy paper. "As history and our policies have shown, we do not reject the public health model for increasing access to care for OUD, nor are we ignoring what has been learned about clinical standards of care to treat this illness. It is important to understand, however, the complexity of inducting a new patient into methadone maintenance treatment when developing policies for increasing access to medication assisted treatment." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019
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23. ‘Distancers’ and ‘non-distancers’? The potential social psychological impact of moralizing COVID-19 mitigating practices on sustained behaviour change
- Author
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Madeline Judge, Annayah M.B. Prosser, Tim Kurz, Leda Blackwood, Jan Willem Bolderdijk, Environmental Psychology, and Research Programme Marketing
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Social Psychology ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Editors: Laura G. E. Smith and Stephen Gibson ,Persuasive Communication ,Physical Distancing ,Pneumonia, Viral ,050109 social psychology ,Morals ,behaviour change ,social identities ,050105 experimental psychology ,Betacoronavirus ,COVID‐19 ,Humans ,shaming ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,CORE ,Social Change ,Social identity theory ,Pandemics ,Health policy ,media_common ,Derogation ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Social distance ,Special Section Paper ,Health Policy ,05 social sciences ,Social change ,Polarization (politics) ,Special Section Papers ,Administrative Personnel ,social distancing ,COVID-19 ,Ambiguity ,NORMS ,Harm ,moralization ,Psychology ,Coronavirus Infections ,Covidiots ,Social psychology ,Risk Reduction Behavior - Abstract
COVID-19 mitigating practices such as 'hand-washing', 'social distancing', or 'social isolating' are constructed as 'moral imperatives', required to avert harm to oneself and others. Adherence to COVID-19 mitigating practices is presently high among the general public, and stringent lockdown measures supported by legal and policy intervention have facilitated this. In the coming months, however, as rules are being relaxed and individuals become less strict, and thus, the ambiguity in policy increases, the maintenance of recommended social distancing norms will rely on more informal social interactional processes. We argue that the moralization of these practices, twinned with relaxations of policy, may likely cause interactional tension between those individuals who do vs. those who do not uphold social distancing in the coming months: that is, derogation of those who adhere strictly to COVID-19 mitigating practices and group polarization between 'distancers' and 'non-distancers'. In this paper, we explore how and why these processes might come to pass, their impact on an overall societal response to COVID-19, and the need to factor such processes into decisions regarding how to lift restrictions.
- Published
- 2020
24. Enhancing the education of paediatric nurses: A positive step towards achieving sustainable development goals.
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Nkurunziza, Aimable, Katende, Godfrey, Uwimana, Philomene, Moreland, Patricia J., Rosa, William E., Umwangange, Marie Louise, Kayiranga, Dieudonne, Rugema, Joselyne, and Mukeshimana, Madeleine
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OCCUPATIONAL roles ,HEALTH policy ,NURSING practice ,PEDIATRIC nurses ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,NURSES ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,SUSTAINABLE development ,DATA analysis software ,MEDICAL needs assessment ,GOAL (Psychology) - Abstract
Aim: The aim of this discursive paper was to describe and expound on how paediatric nurses will be able to address the needs of children and adolescents through the lens of selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Rwanda. Design: A discursive analysis of SDGs relating to the roles of paediatric nurses in the context of Rwanda. Methods: A discursive method using SDGs as a guiding framework is used in this paper. We drew on our own experiences and supported them with the available literature. Results: A collection of contextually relevant examples of how paediatric nurses will be able to address the needs of children and adolescents through the lens of selected SDGs in Rwanda was discussed. The selected SDGs expounded on were: no poverty, good health and well‐being, quality of education, decent work and economic growth, reduced inequalities, and partnerships for the goals. Conclusions: There is no doubt that the paediatric nurses in Rwanda play undeniable key roles in attaining SDGs and their targets. Thus, there is a need to train more paediatric nurses with the support of the interdisciplinary partners. Collaboratively, this is possible in the bid to ensure equitable and accessible care to the current and future generations. Public contribution: This discursive paper is intended to inform the different stakeholders in nursing practice, research, education and policy to support and invest in the advanced education of paediatric nurses for attainment of the SDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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25. 'We don't have the answers': What do we know about the experiences of psychological professionals providing virtual psychological support to people with intellectual disabilities during the COVID‐19 pandemic?
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Burton, Holly and Gordon, Kim
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MEDICAL quality control ,HEALTH policy ,SOCIAL support ,VIRTUAL reality ,SYSTEMATIC reviews ,EXPERIENCE ,PEOPLE with disabilities ,PSYCHOTHERAPIST attitudes ,THEMATIC analysis ,EMOTIONS ,HEALTH equity ,MEDICAL practice ,COVID-19 pandemic ,INTELLECTUAL disabilities - Abstract
Background: Government restrictions enforced globally in response to COVID‐19 necessitated changes to the delivery of mental health services, with many psychology professionals (PPs) forced to transfer their face‐to‐face practice to virtual means (telephone/video therapy) overnight. This review explores what is known about the experiences of PPs providing psychological support to people with intellectual disabilities (PWID) during the pandemic. Method: Literature was systematically searched and 11 papers were identified, critically appraised and thematically synthesised. Results: Four themes were synthesised from findings: (1) 'Impact at Service Level', (2) 'The Emotional Impact on PPs', (3) 'The Limitations of Virtual Support', (4) 'Unexpected Gains'. Conclusions: This review highlights the challenges and positives in experiences of PPs, whilst acknowledging the inequalities experienced by PWID. It is hoped that the findings can be used to aid education and training, and inform future practice and policy. Future research is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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26. Time to solve persistent, pernicious and widespread nursing workforce shortages.
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Peters, Micah
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NURSE supply & demand ,NURSES ,OCCUPATIONAL roles ,PSYCHOLOGICAL burnout ,HOSPITAL nursing staff ,MEDICAL care ,HEALTH policy ,LABOR turnover ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,NURSING care facilities ,WORLD health ,INTENTION ,TIME ,LABOR supply ,COVID-19 pandemic ,WELL-being - Abstract
Aim: This paper discusses four main strategies for addressing nursing shortages that have been persistent, widespread and growing. Fallout from the COVID‐19 pandemic might offer valuable impetus to address this tenacious challenge. Background: Nursing shortages are common, widespread and have been persistent for most of a century. Many of the reasons behind these shortages are well known and are themselves enduring, as are the types of strategies put forward for addressing them. These strategies can generally be classified into four main categories: enhancing retention, improving recruitment, encouraging return to practice and drawing on international human resources. The COVID‐19 pandemic is the latest major threat to ensuring a sufficiently sized and skilled nursing workforce. Many nurses have succumbed to burnout as well the plethora of factors that predated the pandemic and have a negative impact on nurse wellbeing, turnover and intention to leave. Sources of evidence: This discussion paper draws on international sources of evidence. Discussion/conclusion: This paper highlights how many of the factors behind and strategies for addressing nursing shortages at the local, national and global levels are widely studied and known. A sustained combination of strategies that focus both within and beyond health and nursing, including on the broader social context, is necessary. While COVID‐19 has been extremely damaging, it might present an opportunity to make sustainable, effective reforms to address nursing shortages. Implications for policy: Knowledge users must recognise that a combination of approaches across the gamut of policies that influence nursing workforces is necessary to address nursing shortages. Attention must also focus on factors beyond nursing and healthcare if shortages are to be remedied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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27. Prominent researchers argue against more of the same in treatment funding.
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Enos, Gary
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CONFLICT (Psychology) ,HEALTH services accessibility ,MEDICAL quality control ,HEALTH policy ,NARCOTICS ,PRACTICAL politics ,SUBSTANCE abuse treatment ,GOVERNMENT aid ,HEALTH insurance reimbursement ,TREATMENT programs - Abstract
An over‐reliance on federal block grants and "one‐off" funding initiatives has left the addiction treatment system under‐resourced to respond to an addiction crisis that stands to be at least as deadly as COVID‐19 during the span of the Biden administration, a trio of prominent researchers argue in a newly released policy paper. The authors suggest that the new administration and Congress should prioritize efforts to build on what they consider the most impactful developments in improving access and quality in addiction treatment, such as Medicaid expansion and parity mandates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2021
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28. The patient representation struggle during the COVID‐19 pandemic: Missed opportunities for resilient healthcare systems.
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van de Bovenkamp, Hester, de Graaff, Bert, Kalthoff, Karin, and Bal, Roland
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HEALTH policy ,PATIENT advocacy ,PATIENT participation ,PATIENT decision making ,RESEARCH methodology ,MEDICAL care ,INTERVIEWING ,QUALITATIVE research ,COMPARATIVE studies ,PATIENTS' attitudes ,DECISION making ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,RESEARCH funding ,THEMATIC analysis ,MANAGEMENT ,COVID-19 pandemic ,PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience - Abstract
Background: The role of patient participation and representation during crises, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic, has been under‐researched. Existing studies paint a pessimistic picture of patient representation during the pandemic. However, there are indications that patient representatives have adapted to the new situation and can contribute to the resilience of healthcare systems. This paper aims to further explore the potential contribution of patient representatives for healthcare system resilience during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: The study used a qualitative approach. We conducted a thematic analysis on the following data: interviews with client council members (n = 32) and representatives from patient organizations (n = 6) and focus groups (n = 2) to investigate patient representation on both the national policy level and organizational level in the Netherlands. Results: We identified the crisis discourse, the dependent position, the diversity of patient perspectives and the layered decision‐making structure as themes that help to understand what made patient representation in pandemic times a struggle for national and local patient representatives. The analysis of the subjects these representatives put forward during decision‐making shows that their input can play an important role in broadening discussions, challenging decisions, and suggesting alternatives during a crisis. We identified several strategies (e.g., collaborating with other actors, proactively putting subjects on the policy agenda, finding new ways of contacting their 'constituency') used by the patient representatives studied to exert influence despite the difficulties encountered. Conclusions: The struggle for patient representation during pandemic decision‐making is a missed opportunity for resilient healthcare systems as these representatives can play a role in opening up discussions and putting different perspectives to the fore. Moreover, the adaptive strategies used by representatives to influence decision‐making offer lessons for future representation activities. However, adaptations to the crisis decision‐making structure are also needed to enable patient representatives to play their role. Patient Contribution: We conducted interviews with patient representatives and discussed our preliminary findings with patient representatives during the focus groups. Zorgbelang, a patient organization supporting client councils and enabling and organizing patient participation for organizations and municipalities, was partner in this research and contributed to the interview guide, conducting interviews and focus groups. Additionally, the analysis made by the first author was discussed and refined multiple times with the partners of Zorgbelang and one of them co‐authored this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2024
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29. Narratives, evidence and public policy in crisis situations.
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Bandelow, Nils C. and Hornung, Johanna
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GOVERNMENT policy ,ADVOCACY coalition framework ,NARRATIVES ,HEALTH policy - Abstract
Using content analysis of more than 100 newspaper articles for each of the cases, the paper shows that regulatory policies do not face any easier messaging options than price-based policies. The role of crises in policy processes is manifold: Among other things, they can create new problems, provide windows of opportunity to solve existing problems, and change actor constellations in existing policy subsystems. The similar framing of different policy instruments leads to challenges for future linkages between policy designs and framing strategies. Like environmental policy, health policy is increasingly seeking to incorporate scientific research into public communication. [Extracted from the article]
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- 2022
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30. Paper Abstract.
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GERIATRICS ,TERMINAL care ,HEALTH policy ,ACUTE medical care ,AGING ,MEDICAL care for older people ,MENTAL health of older people - Published
- 2017
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31. The process of developing and implementing health and nursing policy: Implications of research and opportunities to influence.
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Unsworth, John and Puthenpurakal, Alwin
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- *
HEALTH policy , *CONSCIOUSNESS raising , *NURSING interventions , *MATERNITY nursing , *RESEARCH personnel , *PUBLIC administration , *HOME schooling - Abstract
Aim Background Sources of evidence Discussion Conclusion Implications for nursing practice Implications for nursing and health policy To provide insight into the process of developing health and nursing policy and how that process can be influenced by both researchers and nursing leaders.Nurses care for people across the life course from birth to death, in our communities, hospitals, care homes and schools. They have unique insight into how people live their lives and how this affects their health. Despite being well placed to influence health policy, nurses often fail to capitalise on this. At the same time, academics often struggle to identify the policy implications of their research resulting in further missed opportunities to use policy influence.Classical policy theory, which is predominantly drawn from economics and public administration together with a range of contemporary nursing and health policy studies, is used in this paper to discuss the policy process and opportunities to influence.Researchers need to focus on realistic policy suggestions that aim to raise awareness, highlight policy problems or set the agenda. In turn, nursing leaders, from National Nursing Associations, need to harness evidence to support their efforts to influence policy. In terms of influence, a range of approaches exist, and each lends itself to different parts of the policy cycle.The role nurses can play in health policy is not well developed in many countries. Nursing researchers and leaders are well placed to influence policy but must do so in a clear and pragmatic way recognising that policymakers make decisions despite being faced with conflicting evidence, competing demands and economic imperatives.Recognising that nurses can offer much in terms of policy development, the paper argues that a pragmatic approach based on different forms of influence at different stages is likely to be most successful.The evidence reviewed in this paper suggests that nursing academics and leaders need to identify realistic policy interventions when examining their own empirical work or identifying ways to individually or collectively influence policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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32. The Global Intellectual Disability Nursing Research Collaboratory: Forming an international transformational nursing network.
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Fisher, Kathleen M., Desroches, Melissa L., Northway, Ruth, Marsden, Daniel, Horan, Paul, and Rees, Stacey
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- *
INTELLECTUAL disabilities , *NURSING research , *CARE of people with disabilities , *PEOPLE with intellectual disabilities , *WORLD Wide Web , *HEALTH policy , *DISABILITY retirement - Abstract
Aim Background Sources of evidence Discussion Conclusion Implications for nursing practice Implications for nursing policy This paper explains how we created the Global Intellectual Disability Nurse Research Collaboratory (GIDNRC), a transformative network. The GIDNRC aims to make improvements in the understanding, research, policy, clinical care, and support provided to people with an intellectual disability.In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) called upon healthcare leaders internationally to take actions to promote more equal healthcare for disabled persons. This paper promotes the GIDNRC as a way for professionals to work together to make more equal healthcare throughout the world for people with intellectual disabilities.We created this paper by reviewing peer‐reviewed literature and research, international policies, and nursing networking initiatives.This paper explores current policy, research, and practice issues that formed the basis of beginning the GIDNRC, including how the COVID‐19 pandemic changed care.Nurses are over 50% of the world's health workforce. Therefore, they have the potential to make a large impact in making care for people with intellectual disability much more equal than currently exists throughout the world. However, barriers exist. Forming the GIDNRC, as well as using the World Wide Web, offers an opportunity to address barriers to this goal.Nurses can address the needs of people with intellectual disability in their daily nursing practice. The GIDNRC aims to strengthen these clinical skills, understand how care may vary throughout the world, and share knowledge, good practices, and new ways to approach care for people with an intellectual disability worldwide.International nursing policy should actively focus on the needs of people with intellectual disabilities and the role nurses play in addressing these health needs. The GIDNRC may provide an important way to achieve developments in this policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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33. Understanding differential reductions in undernutrition among districts in Rwanda through the perspectives of mid‐level and community actors on policy commitment and policy coherence.
- Author
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Iruhiriye, Elyse, Frongillo, Edward A., Olney, Deanna K., Niyongira, Emmanuel, Nanama, Simeon, Blake, Christine E., Rwibasira, Eugene, and Mbonyi, Paul
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COMMUNITY health services ,POLICY sciences ,RISK assessment ,MALNUTRITION ,QUALITATIVE research ,RESEARCH funding ,HEALTH policy ,INTERVIEWING ,JUDGMENT sampling ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,THEMATIC analysis ,RESEARCH methodology ,GROWTH disorders ,PRACTICAL politics ,COMPARATIVE studies ,DISEASE risk factors ,DISEASE complications - Abstract
Understanding the drivers of improvements in child undernutrition at only the national level can mask subnational differences. This paper aimed to understand the contributions of factors in the enabling environment to observed differences in stunting reduction between districts in Rwanda. In 2017, we conducted 58 semi‐structured interviews with mid‐level actors (n = 38) and frontline workers (n = 20) implementing Rwanda's multi‐sectoral nutrition policy in five districts in which stunting decreased (reduced districts) and five where it increased or stagnated (non‐reduced districts) based on Rwanda's 2010 and 2014/15 Demographic and Health Surveys. Mid‐level actors are government officials and service providers at the subnational level who represent the frontline of government policy. Interviews focused on political commitment to and policy coherence in nutrition, and contributors to nutrition changes. Responses were coded to capture themes on the changes and challenges of these topics and compared between reduced and non‐reduced districts. Descriptive statistics described district characteristics. Political commitment to nutrition was high in both reduced and non‐reduced districts. Respondents from reduced districts were more likely to define commitment to nutrition as an optimal implementation of policy, whereas those from non‐reduced districts focused more on financial commitment. Regarding coherence, respondents from reduced compared to non‐reduced districts were more likely to report the optimal implementation of multi‐sectoral nutrition planning meetings, using data to assess plans and progress in nutrition outcomes and integration of nutrition into the agriculture sector. In contrast, respondents from non‐reduced districts more often reported challenges in their relationships with national‐level stakeholders and nutrition and/or monitoring and evaluation capacities. Enhancing the integration of nutrition in different sectors and improving mid‐level actors' capacity to plan and advocate for nutrition programming may contribute to reductions in stunting. Key messages: Understanding the lens through which policy implementers at subnational levels view multi‐sectoral nutrition strategies and their role in these strategies provides useful information on the facilitators and constraints of implementation for nutrition actions.Differences in leadership and responsiveness to prioritise nutrition at the subnational levels are important in decentralised governance systems where responsibilities in nutrition planning, coordination and implementation shift to mid‐level actors.Mainstreaming nutrition responsibilities across sectors and administrative levels requires investments in capacities to plan, monitor and advocate for multi‐sectoral nutrition programming, including for mid‐level actors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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34. The global status of human milk banking.
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Israel‐Ballard, Kiersten, LaRose, Emily, and Mansen, Kimberly
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BREAST milk collection & preservation ,HEALTH literacy ,BREAST milk banks ,HEALTH policy ,BREAST milk ,CHILDREN'S accident prevention ,WORLD health ,INFANT care ,BREASTFEEDING promotion ,CONCEPTUAL structures ,FOOD storage ,HEALTH care teams ,COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
Human milk provides essential nutrition for infants and holds many health benefits for infants and mothers. When a mother's own milk is not available for her infant, the World Health Organization recommends feeding donor human milk (DHM) from a human milk banking facility. DHM is human milk produced, collected then donated to a human milk bank (HMB). HMBs serve many vital functions, including screening donor mothers, then collecting, processing, storing, and allocating DHM to recipients. The first HMB opened in 1909, and today there are more than 700 HMBs globally. Unfortunately, HMB facilities are not present in all locales, with notable gaps in South Asia and Africa. Additionally, there are no global standards to guide HMB operational procedures. Even though most HMBs attempt to employ quality control systems to provide safe DHM, differences in community needs, resource availability, and a range of methods and policies to execute processes result in significant variations in DHM quality and HMB operations. Robust and collaborative systems that ensure safe and equitable access to DHM are needed. In this paper, we present a global snapshot of current human milk banking practices; review an interdisciplinary framework to guide and support HMB activities as an integrated part of health and newborn care systems; discuss factors that contribute to HMB sustainability; outline barriers to scaling HMBs worldwide; and highlight knowledge, policy, and research gaps. Developing global HMB guidance and rigorous, adaptable standards would strengthen efforts to improve newborn health. Key messages: Safe donor human milk (DHM) from a human milk bank (HMB) is a WHO recommendation when the mother's own milk is not available.Over 700 HMBs exist globally, with varying operational models and a wide range of practices due to lack of global guidelines and the current practice of adaptation to local needs and health systems.Scaling up of HMBs to meet the global demand for DHM would be facilitated by the development of global standards to guide integration with breastfeeding promotion and quality controlled processing to ensure provision of safe DHM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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35. A comparative review of human milk banking and national tissue banking programs.
- Author
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Herson, Marisa and Weaver, Gillian
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TISSUE banks -- Law & legislation ,BREAST milk collection & preservation ,BLOOD banks ,HEALTH literacy ,MEDICAL protocols ,PATIENT safety ,ENDOWMENTS ,SPERM banks ,BREAST milk banks ,HEALTH policy ,BLOOD collection ,ORGAN donation ,TISSUE banks ,LACTATION ,LOW birth weight ,INFANT nutrition ,OVUM donation ,BREASTFEEDING promotion ,SPERM donation ,HEMATOPOIETIC stem cells ,HEALTH education ,QUALITY assurance ,NEEDS assessment - Abstract
This paper explores the legislative and operational commonalities and differences in Medical Products of Human Origin (MPHO) programs, including blood, hematopoietic cells, tissues and reproductive cells and human milk banking. The analysis includes ethical principles in donation and utilization, policies and legislation, public awareness and education, registries, guidelines in donor selection, safety and quality assurance, operational models and funding, infrastructure and human resources and biovigilance and evaluation of outcomes. Unlike other MPHO, the need for donor human milk (DHM) may be greatly reduced, that is, by ensuring optimal support for maternal lactation and breastfeeding. This should not be lost in the drive for wider and improved service provision. Nevertheless, increased overall demand for DHM is expected as a result of forthcoming international recommendations and also its increased use as the first‐choice supplement to a mother's own milk both within and beyond preterm, low‐birthweight and sick infant populations. Insight into current human milk banking highlights differences and gaps in practices that can benefit from further exploration and harmonization. Strong similarities with the ethical and operational principles underpinning donation and processing of the diverse MPHO suggest that legislating human milk banks within similar MPHO frameworks may bring additional safety and facilitate improved product quality. Moreover, that MPHO‐inspired models operating within attainable regulatory requirements may contribute to sustainable human milk banking activity and growth. Key messages: The strong similarities with the ethical, quality and safety expectations underpinning the donation and processing of the diverse Medical Products of Human Origin (MPHO) can be harnessed to provide additional safety levels and improved donor human milk (DHM) quality.MPHO‐inspired models operating within attainable regulatory requirements may contribute to sustainable human milk banking activity and growth.The need for DHM may be greatly reduced through optimal support for maternal lactation and breastfeedingCurrent global milk banking practices can benefit from expanded and harmonized, international guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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36. Advanced practice nursing initiatives in Africa, moving towards the nurse practitioner role: Experiences from the field.
- Author
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Gray, Deborah C., Rogers, Melanie, and Miller, Minna K.
- Subjects
- *
HISTORY of nursing , *NURSES , *OCCUPATIONAL roles , *HEALTH policy , *LEADERSHIP , *ADVANCED practice registered nurses , *NURSING practice , *GOVERNMENT regulation - Abstract
Aim: This paper discusses the development and progression of the advanced practice nurse practitioner role in Africa. Background: Providing adequate primary health care is problematic in Africa. The World Health Organization and International Council of Nurses proposed that nurses, specifically advanced practice nurse practitioners with the requisite skills in disease prevention, diagnosis and management, can be key to solving the primary care issue. Sources of evidence: This paper utilized publications from PUBMED, CINAHL, policy papers, websites, workgroups, conferences, and the experiences and knowledge of authors involved in leading and moving forward key events and projects. Discussion: Four African countries have formally adopted the advanced practice nurse practitioner role, with significant interest from countries throughout Africa, and ever‐increasing requests for assistance regarding initiation, development and integration of advanced practice roles. Initiatives to advance the roles have been supported by the International Council of Nurses Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse Network and Global Academy of Research and Enterprise. Next steps and projects for future role development are discussed. Conclusions: There is a progression towards the adoption of the advanced practice nurse practitioner role in Africa, and further mechanisms are suggested to allow full uptake and utilization. Implications for nursing practice: Prioritization and investment in initiatives implementing nurse practitioner/advanced practice nurse roles in Africa allows nurses to pursue further education, advanced role and leadership opportunities consistent with Nursing Now goals. Implications for health policy: Implementation of nurse practitioner/advanced practice nurse roles increases the primary care workforce, consistent with recommendations and priorities in the World Health Organization Global Strategic Directions for Nursing and Midwifery 2021–2025 helping countries ensure that nurses optimally contribute to achieving universal health coverage and other population health goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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37. Expertise under uncertainty: Comparing policy expert platforms at the global climate–health nexus.
- Author
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Straßheim, Holger
- Abstract
This paper centres on expert platforms at the nexus between global climate policies and public health. Policy nexus problems have been associated with fragmentation and unclear authority. At the core, however, seem to be uncertainties about the nature of these problems and even about the nature of the nexus itself. The paper focuses on an especially rich ecosystem of policy expert platforms that have emerged at the climate–health nexus over the past decade. It outlines a typology and presents a comparison of selected policy expert platforms in terms of how they deal with these nexus uncertainties. It is argued that these platforms have developed various ways of interlinking science and policy. Insights on contradictions and controversies resulting from these 'politico‐epistemic logics' are discussed. Mapping the nexus may inspire current research on political and epistemic uncertainty. It may also be a source of practical inspiration for developing forms of expertise beyond the standards of evidence‐based policy. Points for practitioners: The landscape of advisory arrangements at the nexus may be a source of practical inspiration for developing forms of expertise beyond the standards of evidence‐based policy.A commonality across various platforms is the acceptance of uncertainty as a resource that can be used to make knowledge more robust and to keep open multiple pathways.Types of policy expert platforms are associated with specific conflicts and tensions. Being aware of them might be helpful to deal with contradictory expectations and to avoid disappointment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
38. Adult children and older people's demand for community care services in urban China.
- Author
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Zhou, Junshan and Walker, Alan
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COMMUNITY health services ,INDEPENDENT living ,RESEARCH funding ,HEALTH policy ,SEX distribution ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,AGE distribution ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,LONGITUDINAL method ,MEDICAL needs assessment ,MEDICAL care for older people ,SOCIAL support ,COMPARATIVE studies ,URBAN health ,PSYCHOLOGY of adult children ,ACTIVE aging ,INTERGENERATIONAL relations ,MEDICAL care costs - Abstract
Objectives: This paper has two objectives. First, it assesses whether the existing informal care provided by adult children has an impact on older people's propensity to demand community care services. Second, it compares the different statuses of sons and daughters in the formal/informal support trade‐off. Methods: The paper is based on an analysis of data from the 2018 wave of the China Longitudinal Ageing Social Survey, within the framework of a revised version of Andersen's model, and applies multilevel models to analyse the effects of adult children's gender, numbers and the quality of their support, on older people's willingness to purchase community care services. Results: Older people who had sons as well as daughters demanded fewer services, while the number of sons increased service demand. Regarding sons, community care services compensated for economic support, daily life care and spiritual consolation, but did so only in respect of daily life care from daughters. Conclusions: Many families have only one son or one daughter as a result of the one‐child policy and therefore often require support from formal care services. Moreover, there is a distinct gender division and an influential filial culture governing the impact of services on the support provided by adult children. Because ageing in place depends on both informal family support and formal services, this key policy goal is at risk if the latter provides insufficient support to the former. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
39. Aligning global health policy and research with sustainable development: A strategic market approach.
- Author
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Haenssgen, Marco J.
- Subjects
HEALTH policy ,WORLD health ,MARKETING ,HEALTH planning ,SUSTAINABLE development ,RESEARCH & development - Abstract
Attaining Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3: Health and Well‐Being) faces a dual challenge of diminishing returns of established intervention designs, and a threat to future gains from complex inter‐connected global health challenges like antimicrobial resistance and global biodiversity loss. The growing movement of context‐sensitive approaches could help realise yet untapped potential for intervention designs, but contemporary global health policy and research still remain dominated by a model of individual market style choices. This paper therefore aims to support the development of global health planning processes that are more grounded and integrative across the SDGs. Reiterating calls for disruptive policy change is unlikely to impact the modus operandi of global health policy and research. This paper therefore builds on a logic that already finds widespread and intuitive application in their underlying planning processes: 'the market'. However, it challenges the dominant supply‐and‐demand approach to healthcare markets and redefines them from a strategic marketing perspective. Translated to the interface of populations and health systems, the strategic market is a site for solving problems that are defined by people with multidimensional health needs. This framework offers four guiding questions to define the strategic market and six premises as a simple intellectual starting point and checklist for more grounded and inter‐sectorial action across the SDGs. The analysis of data from one of the largest behavioural survey data sets, covering 6683 villagers across China, India, Lao PDR and Thailand, demonstrates the relevance of the premises empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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40. Conceptualising community engagement as an infinite game implemented through finite games of 'research', 'community organising' and 'knowledge mobilisation'.
- Author
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Turin, Tanvir C., Kazi, Mashrur, Rumana, Nahid, Lasker, Mohammad A. A., and Chowdhury, Nashit
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HEALTH policy ,PUBLISHING ,STRATEGIC planning ,PATIENT advocacy ,TEACHING methods ,HEALTH services accessibility ,DIGITAL divide ,COMMUNITY support ,COMMUNITY health services ,HUMAN services programs ,HEALTH literacy ,SELF-efficacy ,COURAGE ,LEARNING strategies ,PRIMARY health care ,INTERPROFESSIONAL relations ,PHILOSOPHY of medicine ,HEALTH ,NEEDS assessment ,MEDICAL research ,TRUST ,AUTHORSHIP ,ADULT education workshops - Abstract
Meaningful community engagement process involves focusing on the community needs, building community capacity and employing culturally tailored and community‐specific strategies. In the current practices of community‐engaged health and wellness research, generally, community engagement activities commence with the beginning of a particular research project on a specific topic and end with the completion of the project. The outcomes of the community engagement, including the trust, partnership and contribution of the community to research, thus remain limited to that specific project and are not generally transferred and fostered further to the following project on a different topic. In this viewpoint article, we discussed a philosophical approach to community engagement that proposes to juxtapose community engagement for the specific short‐term research project and the overarching long‐term programme of research with the finite game and infinite game concepts, respectively. A finite game is a concept of a game where the players are known, rules are fixed and when the agreed‐upon goal is achieved, the game ends. On the other hand, in infinite games, the players may be both known and unknown, have no externally fixed rules and have the objective of continuing the game beyond a particular research project. We believe community engagement needs to be conducted as an infinite game that is, at the programme of research level, where the goal of the respective activities is not to complete a research project but to successfully engage the community itself is the goal. While conducting various research projects, that is, finite games, the researchers need to keep an infinite game mindset throughout, which includes working with the community for a just cause, building trust and community capacity to maximise their contribution to research, prioritising community needs and having the courage to lead the community if need be. Patient or Public Contribution: While preparing this manuscript, we have partnered actively with community champions, activists, community scholars and citizen researchers at the community level from the very beginning. We had regular interactions with them to get their valuable and insightful inputs in shaping our reflections. Their involvement as coauthors in this paper also provided a learning opportunity for them and facilitated them to gain insight on knowledge engagement. All authors support greater community/citizen/public involvement in research in an equitable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2023
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41. ‘Radical blueprint for social change’? Media representations of New Labour's policies on public health.
- Author
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Davidson, Rosemary, Hunt, Kate, and Kitzinger, Jenny
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LABOR ,PUBLIC health ,SOCIAL change ,HEALTH policy ,PUBLIC relations ,BUSINESS records - Abstract
Abstract For almost two decades prior to the election of the New Labour government in 1997, inequalities in health were largely absent from the political debate in Britain. New Labour sought to bring inequalities, and the role of poverty as a ‘root cause’ of ill-health, back on to the public agenda. This paper analyses four key documents (Green and White Papers) laying out their proposals for public health. We explore the shifting emphasis on health inequalities between the four official documents, and between the documents and their associated press release. The paper also analyses how this translated into media coverage. It identifies common themes across the press coverage – such as criticisms about lack of targets – but also shows how coverage varied (e.g. between UK ‘national’ and ‘Scottish’ press). Finally, the study highlights the crucial issue of political context and news timing, illustrating how the English White Paper was overshadowed by other health stories which formed the basis for attacks on the Labour government in general and the Health Minister in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2003
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42. A coordinated health policy in response to COVID‐19: A case of Botswana.
- Author
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Seloilwe, Esther S., Kealeboga, Kebope M., and Khutjwe, Joyce V.
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HEALTH policy ,PATIENT advocacy ,HEALTH care reform ,COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
Introduction: This paper documents policy decisions and transformations in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic in Botswana and utilizes the multi‐sectoral approach (MSA) in providing this analysis. Method: A desk review of the different government gazette documents was conducted to trace health policy evolutionary developments and their impact on the general lives of the people of Botswana. Findings: Revealed the actors, roles in this policy transformation and the conditions that enhanced the smooth implementation of the policies are discussed. Conclusion: The paper concludes by making some recommendations for the country's preparedness and anticipatory guidance for any other pandemic or disaster that may arise. Clinical Relevance: This paper highlights the importance of the multisectoral approach in addressing crises such as pandemics. It also demonstrates the need for countries to have well‐defined guidelines to allow decision making in the delivery of efficient health services to the general population during pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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43. Starting with us: Imagining relational, co‐designed policy approaches to improve healthcare access for rural people with disability.
- Author
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Quilliam, Claire, O'Shea, Amie, Holgate, Nadine, and Alston, Laura
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HEALTH policy ,INDIGENOUS Australians ,HEALTH services accessibility ,RURAL conditions ,LABOR supply ,PEOPLE with disabilities ,POLICY sciences ,PEOPLE with intellectual disabilities ,COVID-19 pandemic ,REFLECTION (Philosophy) - Abstract
Context: Access to healthcare for rural Australians is a wicked problem, particularly for rural people with disability. Contemporary healthcare access frameworks in Australia tend to overlook geography, use a 'one‐size‐fits‐all approach', and disregard the valuable relationships between key rural healthcare stakeholders, including rural people with disability, rural health services and health professionals. The United Nation's Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities requires the Australian Government to engage people with disability in the design of policies that will shape their day‐to‐day lives, including their access to healthcare. However, the nature and extent to which rural people with disability, rural health professionals and other key rural stakeholders are involved in the design of Australian policies impacting the health of rural people with disability are unknown. Aim: This paper examines approaches taken to engage rural people with disability and health professionals in the design of Australian disability policy impacting healthcare access, and reimagines future processes which can improve healthcare access for rural people with disability. Approach: Co‐design and ethics of care lenses are applied to policy design approaches in this paper. We approach this work as rural disability and health academics, rural health professionals, and as rural people with disability, neurodivergence and family members of people with disability. Conclusion: We argue future co‐designed policy approaches could focus on driving change towards equity in healthcare access for rural people with disability by harnessing the relational nature of rural healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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44. "Everyone has a story to tell": A review of life stories in learning disability research and practice.
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Ledger, Sue, McCormack, Noelle, Walmsley, Jan, Tilley, Elizabeth, and Davies, Ian
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PSYCHIATRY ,PROFESSIONAL practice ,HEALTH policy ,SOCIAL support ,EVIDENCE-based medicine ,EXPERIENCE ,PEOPLE with intellectual disabilities ,SOCIAL services ,MEDICAL needs assessment - Abstract
Accessible summary: This paper considers what we know about the life stories of people with learning disabilities.It was inspired by one of the authors sharing his own life story.It explores what a life story is.It discusses how life stories help us to understand more about people's lives and historyIt reviews what we know about how people with learning disabilities can record their stories, including people with high support needsWe know life stories can help people to get good support and person‐centred careBut we found that people's stories are often lost when there are big changes in their livesWe found that staff may not have the skills or confidence to support people to tell and record their storiesWe think it is important to find out how life stories can be used to support better care for more people. In this paper, the authors review life stories in learning disability research and practice since the 1960s. Although there is consistent evidence of their value in giving people a voice and an identity beyond the service label, they are not widely used in the provision of health and social care. This is despite long‐standing policy commitments to person‐centred practice. The paper explores possible barriers to the use of life story work and what further research is needed if they are to be more widely and effectively used in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2022
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45. Conscientious objection and refusal to provide reproductive healthcare: A White Paper examining prevalence, health consequences, and policy responses.
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Chavkin, Wendy, Leitman, Liddy, and Polin, Kate
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- *
CONSCIENTIOUS objection , *REPRODUCTIVE health , *MEDICAL care , *HEALTH impact assessment , *HEALTH policy , *MEDICAL decision making - Abstract
Background Global Doctors for Choice—a transnational network of physician advocates for reproductive health and rights—began exploring the phenomenon of conscience-based refusal of reproductive healthcare as a result of increasing reports of harms worldwide. The present White Paper examines the prevalence and impact of such refusal and reviews policy efforts to balance individual conscience, autonomy in reproductive decision making, safeguards for health, and professional medical integrity. Objectives and search strategy The White Paper draws on medical, public health, legal, ethical, and social science literature published between 1998 and 2013 in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Estimates of prevalence are difficult to obtain, as there is no consensus about criteria for refuser status and no standardized definition of the practice, and the studies have sampling and other methodologic limitations. The White Paper reviews these data and offers logical frameworks to represent the possible health and health system consequences of conscience-based refusal to provide abortion; assisted reproductive technologies; contraception; treatment in cases of maternal health risk and inevitable pregnancy loss; and prenatal diagnosis. It concludes by categorizing legal, regulatory, and other policy responses to the practice. Conclusions Empirical evidence is essential for varied political actors as they respond with policies or regulations to the competing concerns at stake. Further research and training in diverse geopolitical settings are required. With dual commitments toward their own conscience and their obligations to patients’ health and rights, providers and professional medical/public health societies must lead attempts to respond to conscience-based refusal and to safeguard reproductive health, medical integrity, and women's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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- 2013
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46. Reducing uncertainty in evidence-based health policy by integrating empirical and theoretical evidence: An EbM+theory approach.
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Pfaff H and Schmitt J
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- Humans, Uncertainty, Knowledge, Evidence-Based Medicine, Health Policy
- Abstract
Background: To reduce their decisional uncertainty, health policy decision-makers rely more often on experts or their intuition than on evidence-based knowledge, especially in times of urgency. However, this practice is unacceptable from an evidence-based medicine (EbM) perspective. Therefore, in fast-changing and complex situations, we need an approach that delivers recommendations that serve decision-makers' needs for urgent, sound and uncertainty-reducing decisions based on the principles of EbM., Aims: The aim of this paper is to propose an approach that serves this need by enriching EbM with theory., Materials and Methods: We call this the EbM+theory approach, which integrates empirical and theoretical evidence in a context-sensitive way to reduce intervention and implementation uncertainty., Results: Within this framework, we propose two distinct roadmaps to decrease intervention and implementation uncertainty: one for simple and the other for complex interventions. As part of the roadmap, we present a three-step approach: applying theory (step 1), conducting mechanistic studies (EbM+; step 2) and conducting experiments (EbM; step 3)., Discussion: This paper is a plea for integrating empirical and theoretical knowledge by combining EbM, EbM+ and theoretical knowledge in a common procedural framework that allows flexibility even in dynamic times. A further aim is to stimulate a discussion on using theories in health sciences, health policy, and implementation., Conclusion: The main implications are that scientists and health politicians - the two main target groups of this paper-should receive more training in theoretical thinking; moreover, regulatory agencies like NICE may think about the usefulness of integrating elements of the EbM+theory approach into their considerations., (© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
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- 2023
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47. What COVID‐19 has taught us about social inequities and the urgent need for systemic change.
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Wright, Toni, Sah, Rajeeb Kumar, Keys, Clare, Nanayakkara, Gowri, and Onyejekwe, Chisa
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HEALTH policy ,COLLEGE students ,COVID-19 ,HEALTH services accessibility ,SOCIAL determinants of health ,PRACTICAL politics ,HEALTH status indicators ,POPULATION geography ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors ,RISK assessment ,RESPONSIBILITY ,AT-risk people ,NEEDS assessment ,COVID-19 testing ,CONTACT tracing ,ISOLATION (Hospital care) ,POVERTY ,COVID-19 pandemic - Abstract
This paper critically comments on the state of affairs in the UK relating to the pandemic and explores how a focus on inequities experienced by marginalized and vulnerable groups is necessary for exposing the material realties of everyday life, but also how such a focus has been hijacked by center right politics to distract us from collective responsibilities and building alliances for systemic change. The paper critically reviews the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the most marginalized and vulnerable in UK society and highlights the interconnected risk factors of COVID‐19 and its secondary impacts to demonstrate how these are linked to political ideology, policy, and practice. We conclude with recommendations informed through a looking back at the key tenants and purposes of universal healthcare to apprise what is needed in this moment of crisis and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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48. How to deal with uncertainty in prenatal genomics: A systematic review of guidelines and policies.
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Klapwijk, Jasmijn E., Srebniak, Malgorzata I., Go, Attie T. J. I., Govaerts, Lutgarde C. P., Lewis, Celine, Hammond, Jennifer, Hill, Melissa, Lou, Stina, Vogel, Ida, Ormond, Kelly E., Diderich, Karin E. M., Brüggenwirth, Hennie T., and Riedijk, Sam R.
- Subjects
INFORMATION sharing ,PSYCHOLOGISTS ,FETAL abnormalities ,GENOMICS ,GENETIC counseling ,EXOMES - Abstract
Exome sequencing (ES) enhanced the diagnostic yield of genetic testing, but has also increased the possibility of uncertain findings. Prenatal ES is increasingly being offered after a fetal abnormality is detected through ultrasound. It is important to know how to handle uncertainty in this particularly stressful period. This systematic review aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of guidelines available for addressing uncertainty related to prenatal chromosomal microarray (CMA) and ES. Ten uncertainty types associated with prenatal ES and CMA were identified and defined by an international multidisciplinary team. Medline (all) and Embase were systematically searched. Laboratory scientists, clinical geneticists, psychologists, and a fetal medicine specialist screened the papers and performed the data extraction. Nineteen papers were included. Recommendations generally emphasized the importance of trio analysis, clinical information, data sharing, validation and re‐analysis, protocols, multidisciplinary teams, genetic counselling, whether to limit the possible scope of results, and when to report particular findings. This systematic review helps provide a vocabulary for uncertainties, and a compass to navigate uncertainties. Prenatal CMA and ES guidelines provide a strong starting point for determining how to handle uncertainty. Gaps in guidelines and recommendations were identified and discussed to provide direction for future research and policy making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
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49. A scoping study on the social determinants of health and sugar consumption in the context of policy approaches for improving population health.
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Zenz, Bettina, Jackson, Peter, Naidu, Rahul, and Gibson, Barry
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- *
RISK assessment , *SOCIAL determinants of health , *DIETARY sucrose , *RESEARCH funding , *HEALTH policy , *SOCIOECONOMIC factors , *POPULATION health , *EVALUATION of medical care , *SYSTEMATIC reviews , *MEDLINE , *NON-communicable diseases , *LITERATURE reviews , *PUBLIC health , *HEALTH equity , *DISEASE risk factors - Abstract
Objectives: To conduct a scoping review of existing research on the social determinants of health, sugar consumption and public health policy responses to address or improve health outcomes. Methods: A total of 13 categories were developed to reflect the authors' interest in the overall focus on the social determinants of health, sugar as an independent risk factor, upstream policy action ('whole populations'), downstream policy action ('targeted') and two contemporary policy strategies (namely 'Vulnerable populations' and 'Proportionate Universalism'). The search strategy was then performed on MEDLINE (via Ovid) and Web of Science, and was limited to the English language. No time limits prior to when the database search was conducted in 2022 were set to explore the full extent of the literature in this field. Results: Five hundred and sixty articles were retrieved, of which 181 met the criteria for review. When all categories were applied, the findings showed that 76% of papers focusing on sugar consumption as a risk factor for non‐communicable diseases (NCDs) mentioned the social determinants of health. The majority of studies (60%) recommended downstream interventions, with 40% recommending 'upstream' interventions. A limited proportion (12%) of research work was published in dental journals. Research had been done using predominantly quantitative methods (66% of articles), with 24% of studies adopting a mixed methods approach, and 8% being exclusively qualitative. Research on contemporary strategies for sugar reduction were focused on the 'Global North' and 98% of papers used individual level data focused on targeted approaches, highlighting that there is little direct evidence for contemporary strategies aimed at reducing sugar consumption. Conclusions: Whilst the majority of public and dental health research argues that there is a need to address the social determinants of health, the findings from this study highlight that very few empirical studies have been designed to directly inform contemporary strategies for sugar reduction. More research is therefore needed that can directly assess the evidence for contemporary strategies in public health policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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50. Challenges posed by hijacked journals in Scopus.
- Author
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Abalkina, Anna
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- *
SERIAL publications , *DOCUMENTATION , *SOCIAL sciences , *BIBLIOGRAPHIC databases , *HEALTH , *HEALTH policy , *PROFESSIONAL peer review , *LIFE sciences , *CITATION analysis , *PUBLISHING , *DECEPTION , *FRAUD , *QUALITY assurance , *MEDICINE , *ABSTRACTING & indexing services , *PHYSICAL sciences - Abstract
This study presents and explains the phenomenon of indexjacking, which involves the systematic infiltration of hijacked journals into international indexing databases, with Scopus being one of the most infiltrated among these databases. Through an analysis of known lists of hijacked journals, the study identified at least 67 hijacked journals that have penetrated Scopus since 2013. Of these, 33 journals indexed unauthorized content in Scopus and 23 compromised the homepage link in the journal's profile, while 11 did both. As of September 2023, 41 hijacked journals are still compromising the data of legitimate journals in Scopus. The presence of hijacked journals in Scopus is a challenge for scientific integrity due to the legitimization of unreliable papers that have not undergone peer review and compromises the quality of the Scopus database. The presence of hijacked journals in Scopus has far‐reaching effects. Papers published in these journals may be cited, and unauthorized content from these journals in Scopus is thus imported into other databases, including ORCID and the WHO COVID‐19 Research Database. This poses a particular challenge for research evaluation in those countries, where cloned versions of approved journals may be used to acquire publications and verifying their authenticity can be difficult. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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