Transforming cold chain performance and management in lower-income countries

In many countries, one of the common factors limiting full and equitable access to effective immunization is the existence of gaps in cold chain and logistics (CCL) systems. This article focuses on the critical contribution that better management of CCL performance can make in addressing these barriers, as well as some essential practices needed to achieve and sustain these gains. These include (i) an emphasis on continuous improvement in CCL performance indicators, (ii) strong coordination and accountability across multiple stakeholders, and (iii) making the most of limited financial resources.This article is informed by the Clinton Health Access Initiative’s (CHAI’s) experience working with National Immunization Programs (NIPs) and immunization partners to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of CCL systems (including CCE deployment and maintenance, temperature monitoring and control, stock management and distribution) across ten Gavi-supported “focus” countries.     

国内外心脏疾病医疗服务质量评估现状

心血管疾病作为全球主要死亡和致残原因,给医疗卫生系统带来了巨大负担.世界各国专家已对该类疾病开展了大量的研究,其中极为重要的一项是通过评价心血管病的医疗服务质量,帮助医院发现问题以及找到提高医疗服务水平的突破口.总结并讨论了国内外心脏病医疗服务质量评价的方法、目的、内容以及数据来源,为建立和完善中国的心血管疾病医疗服务质量评估体系提供借鉴.     

Do neighborhoods matter differently for movers and non-movers? Analysis of weight gain in the longitudinal dallas heart study

The few available population-based longitudinal studies examining the link between change in neighborhood condition and weight change to date have only examined neighborhood changes generated by residential mobility. Applying a difference-in-difference analytic framework to data from the Dallas Heart Study (DHS), a multi-ethnic, population-based cohort in Dallas County, TX, we evaluated the relationship between changes in neighborhood condition and weight change for both movers and non-movers over an approximate seven-year follow-up period. We employed a novel measure of neighborhood condition based on property appraisal data to capture temporally consistent measures of change in neighborhood condition regardless of residential mobility. We observed an inverse relationship between weight change and change in neighborhood condition which was more pronounced for non-movers (1.9 fewer kilograms gained per 1-standard deviation improvement in neighborhood condition) than for movers (1.5 fewer kilograms gained per 1-standard deviation improvement in neighborhood condition).     

European countries in the race to attract successful biopharma investment: Winners and laggers

The post-coronavirus era will open myriad opportunities for the biopharma industry. However, the extent to which each country will take advantage of this promising new scenario will largely depend on its position in a few key areas. Here, we offer an overview of the European countries that are winning and those that are lagging behind in the race to attract the greatest investment in this industry and to attain the highest rate of successful new ventures. Our results highlight the vital importance of a sound, active funding base, especially in terms of venture capital. Our findings also suggests that general scientific foundations are not enough to secure an advantage in new venture formation.     

Relationship of health locus of control with specific health behaviours and global health appraisal: a meta-analysis and effects of moderators

Health locus of control (HLOC) refers to beliefs regarding how one’s health is influenced by oneself, others, or fate. This meta-analysis investigated whether three HLOC dimensions (internality/I-HLOC, powerful others/P-HLOC, chance/C-HLOC) were related to both specific health behaviours and global health appraisal, and whether these relationships were moderated by gender and age compositions, individualism, and power distance. Three-level mixed-effects meta-analysis was performed on studies examining the associations of HLOC with specific health behaviour (k?=?76, N?=?76,580, 57% women, M_age?=?43.75) and global health appraisal (k?=?95, N?=?12,068, 57% women, M_age?=?45.44), respectively. For specific health behaviour, the averaged correlations with the HLOC dimensions were generally weak (r’s?=??.07 to .10). However, the links between P-HLOC and exercise were moderated by all four demographic moderators, and gender composition and individualism moderated the association between the HLOC dimensions and diet. For global health appraisal, all of the averaged correlations were statistically significant (r’s?=??.16 to .21), except that between P-HLOC and mental quality of life. The results further showed individualism and power distance to moderate the links between the HLOC dimensions and both mental and physical quality of life, and gender composition to moderate those between these dimensions and two indicators of emotional problems (depression and anxiety).     

混合方法研究评价工具的介绍——MMAT

混合方法研究（MMR）作为第三种研究范式，是指将定量和定性研究混合或结合到一个单一的研究中。近年来，MMR在医疗领域的应用已成为一种趋势。与单独使用定性或定量研究相比，MMR可以用来说明某一特定现象的不同方面或从不同的角度阐明问题，获得各种不同类型的信息。而MMR系统综述（MMSR）也被研究者青睐，因为通过MMSR可以综合与特定主题相关的大量信息，并产生指导决策的证据。严格评价工具使MMSR研究人员能够评估所纳入原始研究的可信度和相关性。混合方法评价工具（MMAT）为MMSR严格评价阶段的一种工具，可以对定性研究、随机对照试验、非随机研究、定量描述研究和MMR 5类研究的方法学质量进行评价。针对每个纳入的研究，在回答两个筛选问题后，选择适当的研究类别进行评估，然后依照所选类别的标准进行评分。本文全面介绍新版MMAT，以进一步规范和完善MMR和MMSR在我国的应用。