Search

Framing has previously been studied in the field of pandemic preparedness and global health governance and influenza pandemics have usually been framed in terms of security and evidence-based medicine on a global scale. This paper is based on the pandemic preparedness plans, published after 2009, from eight European countries. We study how pandemic preparedness is framed and how pandemic influenza in general is narrated in the plans. All plans contain references to ‘uncertainty’, ‘pandemic phases’, ‘risk management’, ‘vulnerability’ and ‘surveillance’. These themes were all framed differently in the studied plans. The preparedness plans in the member states diverge in ways that will challenge the ambition of the European Union to make the pandemic preparedness plans interoperable and to co-ordinate the member states during future pandemics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective. European countries practice a wide range of car driving license renewal procedures. These range from issuing lifelong licenses without subsequent medical checks, to issuing a license to age 70 and for 3- or 5-year periods thereafter based on self-declarations of medical fitness, to requiring medical examinations for renewal, to renewal every 5 years from the age of 45. This paper presents a case study of the different older driver licensing procedures in seven European countries and addresses the association between these procedures and older driver safety. Method. The seven countries studied consist of France, The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. The first-mentioned three countries have the most relaxed license renewal procedures and least demanding medical examination requirements. Results. There is no evidence that any license renewal procedure or requirement for a medical examination has an effect on the overall road safety of drivers aged 65+, though undoubtedly there are individual drivers who should no longer be driving who might be detected by stringent renewal procedures. Considering the three countries with the most relaxed licensing procedures, The Netherlands and United Kingdom have the lowest fatality rate for car drivers aged 65+, and the rate for France is falling rapidly. Conclusions. There is also evidence that stringent renewal procedures and demanding medical examinations at renewal reduce the level of car driving licenses among older people. France, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have the highest level of driving license holding by people aged 65+, which has direct implications for the independent mobility of older people. Reduced mobility also has safety implications: in about half the European countries for which road accident fatality data have been analyzed, people aged 65+ are at greater risk of death as a pedestrian than as a car driver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine whether the mix of community and institutional long-term care (ILTC) for people with dementia (PwD) in Europe could be improved; assess the economic consequences of providing alternative services for particular groups of ILTC entrants and explore the transnational application of the ‘Balance of Care’ (BoC) approach. Method:A BoC study was undertaken in Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the UK as part of theRightTimePlaceCareproject. Drawing on information about 2014 PwD on the margins of ILTC admission, this strategic planning framework identified people whose needs could be met in more than one setting, and compared the relative costs of the possible alternatives. Results:The findings suggest a noteworthy minority of ILTC entrants could be more appropriately supported in the community if enhanced services were available. This would not necessarily require innovative services, but more standard care (including personal and day care), assuming quality was ensured. Potential cost savings were identified in all countries, but community care was not always cheaper than ILTC and the ability to release resources varied between nations. Conclusions: This is believed to be the first transnational application of the BoC approach, and demonstrates its potential to provide a consistent approach to planning across different health and social care systems. Better comparative information is needed on the number of ILTC entrants with dementia, unit costs and outcomes. Nevertheless, the findings offer important evidence on the appropriateness of current provision, and the opportunity to learn from different countries' experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify factors which predict service use over time in patients with co-morbid mental health and substance use disorders (dual diagnosis). Three hundred and fifty-two patients with dual diagnosis were recruited from acute psychiatric inpatient units at seven European sites. At baseline and 9 months follow-up, socio-demographic and clinical information, as well as information concerning the use of treatment services was collected. Predictors for use of psychiatric and substance misuse services at follow-up were studied using multinomial logistic regression models. At follow-up, patients with dual diagnosis used psychiatric services significantly more than substance use services. The main predictor of service use at follow-up is influenced by the study site and not by psychopathology. More networking and signposting are needed especially for substance misuse services. Service provision and planning can improve access of vulnerable populations even when psychopathology improves. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The landscapes of libraries’ print collection have changed significantly over the past decades. On an institutional level, libraries need to evaluate available resources, local researchers’ needs, and find the right balance between print and electronic material in order to support parent institutions’ development and growth. On a national level, we have seen different schemes being developed in several countries to support libraries’ activities in a time of change. When more and more libraries are adopting electronic-only policies, what impact does losing print have? This article aims to share United Kingdom (UK) Research Reserve’s experience so far and how the UK Higher Education (HE) sector dealt with challenges and uncertainties through collaboration and partnership. It also explores further opportunities within and beyond the UK borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The British, Finnish and French governments are currently attempting to increase the share of electricity produced by nuclear power. We examine the diverse metagovernance responses in the three countries as their governments seek to manage complex networks to realize their policy goals. An expanded role for nuclear power in electricity generation cannot be called in existence by government fiat and challenges stem from the nature of nuclear technology itself, the institutional and physical configurations of the energy industries within each country and the political systems within which each government is embedded. It is shown that the ability of the British, Finnish and French governments to respond to a serious policy challenge in energy provision is limited by these factors and is complicated further by the 2011 nuclear accident in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To report the clinical use of the QOLIBRI, a disease-specific measure of health-related quality-of-life (HRQoL) after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: The QOLIBRI, with 37 items in six scales (cognition, self, daily life and autonomy, social relationships, emotions and physical problems) was completed by 795 patients in six languages (Finnish, German, Italian, French, English and Dutch). QOLIBRI scores were examined by variables likely to be influenced by rehabilitation interventions and included socio-demographic, functional outcome, health status and mental health variables. Results: The QOLIBRI was self-completed by 73% of participants and 27% completed it in interview. It was sensitive to areas of life amenable to intervention, such as accommodation, work participation, health status (including mental health) and functional outcome. Conclusion: The QOLIBRI provides information about patient's subjective perception of his/her HRQoL which supplements clinical measures and measures of functional outcome. It can be applied across different populations and cultures. It allows the identification of personal needs, the prioritization of therapeutic goals and the evaluation of individual progress. It may also be useful in clinical trials and in longitudinal studies of TBI recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the nature and role of recently established deliberative and participatory mechanisms of planning and decision-making on radioactive waste management in three countries that have recently committed to extending their nuclear capacity - Finland, France and the UK. The article introduces the micro and macro theories of deliberative democracy, and - by relying on the distinction between the normative, substantive and instrumental functions of participation - examines the degrees to which the different deliberative mechanisms succeeded in bridging the boundary between the micro and macro deliberation. The empirical analysis illustrates how the functions and the influence of these mechanisms have been conditioned by the broader macro discursive sphere, within which the mixed forms of deliberation take place. Elements of all three functions of participation could be identified to varying degrees in all cases, yet the direct impact of deliberation on policy outcomes was often modest and uncertain. In contrast, the analysis highlights, on the one hand, the indirect impacts of deliberation - notably through the creation of norms of deliberative democracy - and on the other hand, the need to consider the broader macro discursive sphere when designing processes and institutions of deliberation. The case studies suggest that the control over knowledge production as well as the trust in government institutions were pivotal in explaining the influence of deliberation in the three countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, SMEs have become increasingly active in international markets. SMEs do not necessarily follow a pattern of incremental internationalisation as they have a wide range of options and many are opportunistic. A large postal survey was conducted in five countries - the UK, France, Finland, Australia and Mexico. Many similarities in internationalisation strategy were found among these companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]