Local health services: some lessons from their evolution in Bolivia

Summary For a decade, numerous projects in Bolivia have tried to put in practice the concept of local health systems. But, so far, no significant changes have been made and local health services still are the 'poor relation' of the system. The main components of the project—expansion of health facilities, training of health personnel and institutional decentralization—were not designed to respond to the complexity of the problems encountered. Decentralization was implemented at the level of health districts but not accompanied by redefinition of functions at the central level, and challenged by civil servants' attempts to save their jobs. While training activities did introduce new methods and subjects, they were too often reduced to short workshops or seminars. Health facilities were built without regard for their significance beyond health care. A strategic approach is needed to adapt the planning process to the degree of liberty allowed by society.     

适应社会主义市场经济 发展妇幼保健机构

本文在分析黑龙江省妇幼保健机构设置现状的基础上,论述了在社会主义市场经济新形势下,妇幼保健机构发展的指导思想、模式与对策。     

浅谈电子文档的原始性和真实性及法律证据作用

该文针对电子文件或档案的原始性真实性与电子档案的法律证据作用,参考了最新的研究结果,并提出了自己的思考,逐步探讨了它们的涵义及关系.     

中西医结合要为妇女生殖健康创新页

45年来,复旦大学妇产科医院在中西医结合临床及科研方面取得了可喜的成就.针刺促排卵的研究,通过观察血雌激素和中枢β-内啡肽(β-EP)的关系,提出了针刺通过耗竭中枢β-EP而促排卵的新认识,认为针刺促排卵的主要适应症是青春期月经失调,并将针刺成功地应用于治疗神经性厌食;补肾化痰的俞氏温补方治疗多囊卵巢综合征(polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS)被证实是通过提高血促卵泡激素(follicle stimulating hormone, FSH)并诱发排卵而起作用;益肾化瘀的天癸方是通过降低患者及动物模型的雄激素和胰岛素,引起以中枢阿片促黑激素皮质素原、神经肽Y和瘦素受体为主的神经-内分泌-代谢网络调节而发挥促排卵和减肥作用,对高胰岛素型PCOS有良效,并在研究中提出了对PCOS分类的新设想;益肾清火的更年春通过提高中枢与周围组织的雌激素受体及其mRNA表达来调节围绝经期妇女的神经-内分泌-免疫-代谢网络而获优越疗效.这些研究表明,疾病是外环境影响下患者生命网络的某些主脉失调所致,而且亚健康状态的妇女具有初步网络失控的现象,中西医结合将为女性生殖医学研究找到捷径,调控生命网络是防病治病的主要思路.     

Survey of the oral health needs of institutionalised elderly patients in Western Australia

An epidemiological survey of the oral health needs of 1144 elderly patients was conducted in hospitals and nursing homes in Western Australia. Patients were categorised as being either totally dependent (requiring intensive nursing care) or partially dependent (requiring nursing supervision). Of all patients the mean age was 80.2 yr, 70% were women, 74% were edentulous, and 70% needed some form of prosthetic care. Of all dentate patients 56% needed dental scaling (and 17% needed complex periodontal treatment), 47% needed some restorative treatment (with a mean need per patient of 1.1 coronal restorations and 0.4 radicular restoration), and 29% needed one or more dental extractions (with a mean need of 1.4 extractions per patient). Partially dependent patients had statistically significant higher needs for prosthetic work than did totally dependent patients, while the converse applied to extraction needs, but in all other aspects the needs of the two categories of patient did not differ significantly.     

The effect of immigrant generation and duration on self-rated health among US adults 2003–2007

Global self-rated health (SRH) is increasingly a key indicator in the assessment of immigrant health. However, evidence of the impact on SRH of generational status, duration of residence in the US, and socioeconomic status (SES) among immigrants and their offspring is limited and inconsistent. We overcome limitations in existing research on this topic by using a uniquely large and diverse data source, the March Annual Social and Economic Supplement of the Current Population Survey (CPS; 2003–2007) (n = 637,209). As a result, we are able to disaggregate results by race/ethnicity, account for country of origin, and consider the role of multiple dimensions of SES. We find that overall first-generation immigrants in the US have lower odds of poor/fair SRH compared to the third-generation. This association is particularly strong for blacks and Hispanics but not significant for Asians. Among first-generation Asians and Hispanics, longer duration of residence is positively associated with poor/fair SRH. Finally, socioeconomic gradients in SRH tend to be less pronounced among the first-generation (versus the third) and, within the first-generation, among recent arrivals (versus those with longer durations). Our results highlight the importance of explicitly accounting for multiple immigration-related variables and their interactions with race/ethnicity and SES. Otherwise, studies may misestimate SRH differences by race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The continued growth of the US immigrant population and the second-generation underscore the need to examine patterns in immigrant health systematically.     

Performance measures for evaluating services for people with a first episode of psychosis

Aim: The purpose of this project was to operationalize and apply a previously identified set of performance measures designed to evaluate services for those experiencing a first episode of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Methods: Operational definitions were developed for previously identified measures through an iterative process of discussions between clinical experts and health‐care evaluators. Data were collected from existing sources including corporate databases, clinical databases and chart review. Results: Definitions were developed for 44 measures covering seven of eight domains recommended for service level evaluation by the Canadian Institute for Health Information domains. Forty measures could be calculated. Conclusions: The measures represent a comprehensive set of performance measures suitable for the evaluation of services for people with a first‐episode psychosis. The measures could be used by other services in order to establish standards and norms for routine clinical practice.