Income-related health inequality in Belgium: a longitudinal perspective

This paper provides new evidence on the degree of income-related inequality in self-assessed health in Belgium. First of all, we combine the time dimension, which has been shown to be very important in the analysis of inequality, and the use of the recently developed interval regression approach to transform a categorical health variable in a continuous one. Second, we measure how the long-run inequality differs from the short-run inequality. Finally, we decompose this health-related income mobility index as well as the long-run concentration index (CI) itself into its contributors. Using data from the panel survey of Belgian households (1994–2002), we find that health is pro-rich distributed and that its inequality is underestimated by 9.45% when neglecting the dynamics of individuals over time. Income, education, job status and age are the most important contributors in the CI and the difference between the short-run and long-run inequality.      

测胎儿器官重量探讨其生长发育规律

根据1022例新鲜胎尸的不同受精龄与体重，十项重要器官（心、肝、脾、左右肺、左右肾、左右肾上腺、胸腺等）的重量进行测量，将所测得的原始数据输入到IBM-PC/XT微型计算机内进行数据处理。探讨胎儿生长发育的基本规律。结果：（1）建立了胎儿体重与胎龄之间的推算式；（2）建立了胎儿各重要器官重量与胎龄之间的推算式；（3）建立了胎儿体重每月平均增长量与胎龄之间的推算式；（4）按胎儿体重每月平均增长量，用有序聚类分析方法，将胎儿生长发育过程划分为三个阶段。     

青岛市居民就诊单位选择影响因素的多项式Logistic回归分析

①目的研究影响青岛市城乡居民选择就诊单位的因素。②方法采用多项式Logistic回归分析法，分析影响青岛市城乡居民选择就诊单位的主要因素。③结果影响市区病人选择就诊单位的主要因素是医疗保健制度和居民健康状况．农村病人的主要影响因素是家庭收入、健康状况和受教育程度。④结论居民就诊单位选择受多种因素的影响，建议加快医疗保健制度的改革．完善医疗保健制度。     

Telemetry of Programmed and Measured Data in Pacing System Evaluation and Follow-up

Telemetry of programmed and measured data is an important feature of many pacemakers currently used in clinical practice. The ability to receive non-invasive data from the implanted device constitutes a major advantage for the long-term follow-up of the patients and of device performance. There are numerous types of data retrievable via telemetry: parameters of device characteristics (output, battery longevity, impedance, etc), event recorders or counters, event markers, and endocardial electrograms. Ideally, this information should be beneficial in the longitudinal surveilance of modern pacemakers.     

医学生营养知识与膳食状况调查

①目的了解医学生营养知识的掌握情况及对教育传播方式的需求意见，以加强营养知识教育，改善大学生的健康素质。②方法对762名在校大学生进行问卷调查。③结果医学院在校生对营养知识及常识掌握深度和广度都不够，但渴求得到营养知识的欲望比较高，对营养知识的重要性认识正确。有73．6％的学生认为营养知识对生活很重要。87．2％的学生愿意接受营养知识的教育，对营养知识教育的传播方式也表现出特有的需求意向。大学生的膳食结构不够合理，奶类、薯类、鱼虾禽类、豆制品摄入不足。④结论应加强医学生营养知识教育，使医学生做到科学合理的安排膳食，改善饮食行为，促进身体健康。     

Recall of medication during pregnancy: Validity and accuracy of an adjusted questionnaire

Objective — To study the validity and accuracy of an adjusted questionnaire on medical drug use during pregnancy eight years after the pregnancy. Methods — The ability of a questionnaire on medication during pregnancy to detect actual use (= sensitivity) was tested against information collected 8 years previously (in 1983–1984) from 473 women with high-risk pregnancies who delivered at the University Hospital Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Results — For separate drug groups, the sensitivity varied between 5% and 91%. The timing of use was recalled moderately well. Although specific questions on drug groups did improve the sensitivity as compared to an earlier questionnaire, the improvement was not enough to make the questionnaire valid. High maternal education, low birth weight, low gestational age and a low 5-min Apgar score were related to better recall. The sensitivity of the questionnaire depended on the behavioural score of the child, implying recall bias. Conclusion — Questionnaire data on drug use during pregnancy obtained eight years after delivery are not a valid source of information.     

The Dodo Bird: Less a Verdict Than an Opportunity

I contend that although the Luborsky et al. findings on the Dodo bird verdict are noteworthy, the methodology on which they are based is significantly delimited. Amplifying Luborsky et al.'s moderate recognition of that delimitation, I propose a qualitative complement to the extant research. I call this complement "amalgamated" qualitative research and propose that it will deepen, clarify, and contextualize Luborsky et al.'s enigmatic findings. Until this amalgam is implemented, therapy research will be relegated to impressions rather than fine-grained illuminations.     

Haemophilia in the developing world: successes,frustrations and opportunities

Summary. There is a need to bridge key gaps between high‐ and low‐income countries and individuals; between health policy and clinical practice; and between producers and users of healthcare technology and scientific evidence. The objective of this report was to perform a diagnosis of the situation in the developing world through a survey. This survey was conducted to gather specific information on various aspects related to haemophilia. Countries were chosen by their comparability in infant and adult mortality rates according to the regionalization proposed by the World Health Organization. These indicators are very sensitive to socioeconomic conditions, and have been widely used to study health inequalities. All regions, except Africa and the East Mediterranean, were represented. Africa was excluded because its indicators were not comparable. The East Mediterranean was not represented because of difficulties in contacting investigators. Twenty‐one country representatives were contacted, and 11 answered the questionnaire. Successes obtained by developing countries are based more on the skills and creativity of the local professionals than on the availability of state‐of‐the‐art technology. Frustrations were related to disease underregistration and the limited availability of treatment products. Haemophilia care in the developing world is not as fair as we would like it to be. Governments do not always cover treatment costs, and a very small percentage of the national health budgets is alotted to haemophilia care. The role of the World Federation of Hemophilia was considered crucial by all the investigators surveyed. Training programmes and supply of factor concentrates were the main contributions identified by the respondents.     

What methods do stakeholders prefer for feeding back performance data: a qualitative study in palliative care.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the opinions of stakeholders (service commissioners and providers) on how performance data should be presented, in order to develop effective feedback methods to facilitate the use of these data in decision making. DESIGN: A qualitative analysis of semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews. League tables and fictional box plots were presented as an illustrative guide. The themes covered in the interviews were the effectiveness of these two feedback formats, their positive and negative characteristics, and ideas for new and improved feedback mechanisms. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six stakeholders representing a range of clinical and non-clinical roles within palliative care and the wider health care system across a variety of statutory and non-statutory organizations from London and the West Midlands. RESULTS: Box plots were received more positively than league tables, and qualitative information was considered more appropriate than pictorial feedback. Conventional methods such as league tables and box plots were judged to lack essential information on which important decisions could be based, such as additional contextual information and the methodological assumptions of the instrument. Both feedback methods were considered useful as an impetus to further discussion. There was a consensus that feedback should be constructive and able to be adapted to the organizational realities in which UK health services function. CONCLUSION: Qualitative research was viewed as the right evidence for gaining an understanding of the quality of end of life care. Stakeholders highlighted the importance of the lay perspective, which requires approaches that illuminate the subjective meanings of patient experience.