Toward healthy longevity. Lessons in food and nutrition policy development from Finland and Norway.

For a variety of health, economic and social reasons, many countries are increasingly concerned about diet-related health problems impairing the quality and length of life. This article presents an analysis of the implementation of food and nutrition policies in Finland and Norway which are intended to address both the supply and demand aspects of food and dietary issues. The purpose was to identify policy problems and illustrate ways they have been addressed in order to be useful to other countries involved in developing such policies. The paper is based on on-site studies conducted in 1990, 1987, and 1980. Major findings indicate mixed progress due in part to problems in implementation. These include: development of an effective strategic capacity for planning, advocacy, coordination, and evaluation; integration into the health services system and other policy sectors; development of decentralized infrastructure for deploying policy; accuracy in public information on food and nutrition; the use of government market power, and social equity in the distribution of policy benefits and costs.     

The role of the ambulatory care center in angiology services

Within the organization of national health care based on the DRG/ROD system, angiology services provided in "day hospital" play not only a large social role in the life of the community and the patient but also an economic one in hospital administration as there facilities allow continuation of inpatient care. Many diseases can be managed in an outpatient setting, both in diagnosis and treatment, particularly arterial hypertension, chronic obliterating arteriopathies of the lower extremities, microcirculatory and collagen disorders, VTE, and leg ulcers. A review of case records from the recent past confirms the importance of the role of the Angiology Outpatient Services plays within the Polyclinic of the University of Palermo. The exponential growth in the services provided by our facility has led to a twofold increase in the number of outpatient admissions over the past two years. This growth has produced a wider impact on the service area and allowed the introduction of angiology services that are economically profitable, while avoiding unprofitable services, through effective service management recognization. Our study results show that, where possible, outpatient care should be increasingly used. We believe that an optimal model for angiology services permits the integration of the two types of hospital care, with short stays on an inpatient basis, especially for the treatment of more severe or acute disease, and greater outpatient service utilization in ambulatory care.