Hacia el buen gobierno por la salud: incorporación de la diversidad de percepciones en salud urbana

ObjectiveTo analyse the similarities and differences in the discourse surrounding the conceptualisation of health and the perceived health assets and needs in the neighborhoods and city of Bilbao in a participatory process.MethodParticipatory workshops were held with professionals, neighbors and associated citizens. The differences in perceptions of the three content blocks were analysed on the basis of the health model referred, as well as the typologies —of a more individual or structural nature— of identified health needs and assets.ResultsThe conceptualisation of health from a biopsychosocial perspective was clearer among professionals, although both profiles pointed to the importance of its social determinants. The formulation of needs and assets in health by the neighbors was made from the impact on their daily life and from a position of users with respect to a service provider administration. Among the associated citizens and professionals, intermediate and structural determinants were more frequently mentioned, as well as issues related to the administration's scope of action.ConclusionsThe inclusion of the multiplicity and diversity of perceptions in planning is key to good local government for health. To address their contradictions, a commitment by governments to effectively incorporate citizen participation is needed.     

Percepciones estudiantiles sobre las propiedades del examen clínico objetivo estructurado en Uruguay. Disponiendo un cuestionario válido para analizar la factibilidad del nuevo formato durante la transición curricular

Introduction

Although an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) format has been applied in Uruguay since 2004, and providing reliable performance measures, perceptions of it properties and level of student satisfaction have not been determined.

Health workers' perceptions of access to care for children and pregnant women with precarious immigration status: Health as a right or a privilege?

The Canadian government's recent cuts to healthcare coverage for refugee claimants has rekindled the debate in Canada about what medical services should be provided to individuals with precarious immigration status, and who should pay for these services. This article further explores this debate, focussing on the perceptions of healthcare workers in Montreal, a large multiethnic Canadian city. In April–June 2010, an online survey was conducted to assess how clinicians, administrators, and support staff in Montreal contend with the ethical and professional dilemmas raised by the issue of access to healthcare services for pregnant women and children who are partially or completely uninsured. Drawing on qualitative analysis of answers (n = 237) to three open-ended survey questions, we identify the discursive frameworks that our respondents mobilized when arguing for, or against, universal access to healthcare for uninsured patients. In doing so, we highlight how their positions relate to their self-evaluations of Canada's socioeconomic situation, as well as their ideological representations of, and sense of social connection to, precarious status immigrants. Interestingly, while abstract values lead some healthcare workers to perceive uninsured immigrants as “deserving” of universal access to healthcare, negative perceptions of these migrants, coupled with pragmatic considerations, pushed most workers to view the uninsured as “underserving” of free care. For a majority of our respondents, the right to healthcare of precarious status immigrants has become a “privilege”, that as taxpayers, they are increasingly less willing to contribute to. We conclude by arguing for a reconsideration of access to healthcare as a right, and offer recommendations to move in this direction.     

Midwives and supervisors of midwives' perceptions of the statutory supervision of midwifery within the United Kingdom: A systematic review

Within the United Kingdom, the statutory supervision of midwives has a central role in both the provision of safe, high-quality maternity services and in the regulation of midwifery practice. Despite its long history, little is currently known about how midwives and their supervisors perceive and experience the statutory supervisory process.     

Alcohol in a social context: findings from event-contingent recording studies of everyday social interactions

Background:  Data concerning the effects of alcohol on social interaction in everyday life are limited.
Methods:  Healthy volunteers in 4 studies of social behaviors and mood were instructed to complete record forms immediately after a social interaction had occurred, a method known as event-contingent recording. Record forms asked questions about quarrelsome, agreeable, dominant, and submissive behaviors; about aspects of mood; and, in 3 studies, about perceptions of others. Each form also contained a question about alcohol consumption prior to a social interaction. For the present report, only social interactions taking place in the evening and outside the work setting were included. Only individuals who consumed alcohol at least once in these circumstances were included ( n  = 171).
Results:  Social interactions involving alcohol were primarily characterized by higher levels of agreeable behaviors, by perceptions of greater agreeableness in others, and by more positive mood. Alcohol consumption was not associated with higher levels of quarrelsomeness.
Conclusions:  Alcohol consumption in a social context may have predominantly positive effects, an observation which is at odds with most alcohol-induced aggression experiments performed in laboratory settings. Drinking in everyday life may be less likely to result in aggression because, unlike in most laboratory experiments, individuals can choose among a variety of behaviors in response to social cues and the alcohol dose consumed is usually lower. Event-contingent recording provides a new approach for the study of alcohol's effects in everyday life and the conditions in which alcohol might result in interpersonal aggression.     

杭州市城区不同特征人群对体力活动相关建成环境的主观感知评价

目的 了解杭州市城区不同特征人群的体力活动相关建成环境主观感知情况。方法 采用多阶段分层随机抽样方法在杭州市城区抽取25~59岁常住居民开展面对面问卷调查。社区步行环境量表简版(NEWS-A)用于评价居民对社区内住宅密度、场所设施多样性、公共服务可及性、街道连通性、步行道和自行车道适宜性、美观舒适度、交通安全、治安8个建成环境维度的主观感知。采用两水平logistic回归模型分析社会人口学特征和BMI等个体因素对居民建成环境主观感知的影响。结果 共纳入1 362例常住居民,性别、婚姻状况、是否有工作与建成环境主观感知各维度得分关联均无统计学意义。调整其他因素影响后,年龄45~59岁与街道连通性感知得分呈正相关(OR=2.02,95%CI:1.30~3.15)。大专及以上文化程度与人口密度感知得分存在正相关(OR=1.97,95%CI:1.29~3.00),与场所设施多样性感知得分呈负相关(OR=0.65,95%CI:0.43~0.97)。超重肥胖与步行道/自行车道(OR=0.67,95%CI:0.48~0.95)和社区治安得分(OR=0.75,95%CI:0.57~0.99)均呈负相关。相对于Ⅰ类区域,Ⅲ类区域居民对场所设施多样性(OR=0.11,95%CI:0.04~0.30)、公共服务可及性(OR=0.33,95%CI:0.11~0.95)、街道连通性(OR=0.30,95%CI:0.11~0.86)、交通安全(OR=0.39,95%CI:0.17~0.91)的主观感知得分更低。结论 杭州市城区居民对体力活动相关的建成环境主观感知与年龄、文化程度、BMI和居住区域存在相关性,开展人群体力活动的环境干预时需要考虑个体特征。     

Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Organ Donation Among People Seeking Healthcare in Tertiary Care Centers of Coastal South India

Background:

Organ transplantation is the most preferred treatment modality for end-stage organ diseases. The need for the transplants is higher than the availability. Prerequisites for the success of transplantation program include awareness and positive attitudes.

Aim:

To assess the perceptions and attitudes of the people seeking health care in tertiary care centers towards organ donation in Mangalore, India.

Settings and Design:

This cross-sectional study included 863 people seeking general healthcare as outpatients.

Materials and Methods:

Face to face interviews were carried out using pretested tools which included the socio demographic data. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 11.5.

Results:

Overall, 59.6% participants showed the willingness to donate organs. Females (64.1%) and participants from upper socio economic status (62.7%) had higher willingness rates for organ donations. Hindus (63.6%) and Christians (63.3%) had higher willingness rates for organ donations than Muslims (38.2%). Also, 23.7% participants showed willingness to donate eyes and 33.6% wished to donate any organ after death. Most of the participants (67%) were aware that money should not be accepted for donating organs, and 58.1% were aware that it is an offence to accept any benefit for organ donations. Forty percent participants had perceived risks associated with organ donation. Regarding donor cards, 42.3% of the participants knew about it and 3.7% already possessed it.

Conclusion:

It is apparent from the study that though there was high level of awareness about organ donation, a high proportion of the participants did not have positive attitudes towards organ donation.     

Perceptions of Radiation Therapists about Providing Psychosocial and Supportive Care to Patients at Peel Regional Cancer Center

BackgroundMany patients with cancer undergoing radiation treatment have unmet psychosocial and supportive care (PSOSC) needs. Radiation therapists (RTs) have a unique opportunity to provide PSOSC, but the published literature is limited regarding their perceptions and beliefs about delivering such care. A survey was designed to evaluate these aspects.MethodsA one-time, cross-sectional survey was distributed to 52 RTs at the Peel Regional Cancer Centre, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. This survey contained six baseline questions and 34 item statements. The 34 statements spanned three themes: (1) convictions and motivations, (2) preparedness and execution, and (3) resources and facilitators. Participants were asked to rank statements on an eight-point scale, from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree.”ResultsEighty-three percent of the RTs responded. Respondents reported they were engaged for 6.2 hours per week in supporting patients with PSOSC. This was despite a technical focus of organizing and delivering a course of radiotherapy for each patient, a relatively fixed schedule, and short-duration time slots booked per patient. Overall, respondents reported a moderately strong level of convictions and motivations for including PSOSC in practice. They perceived that they were not using all of their existing PSOSC skills and knowledge on the job and that supporting professional (eg, training and scheduling) and environmental (eg, screening tools, physical environment, and policies) infrastructures for PSOSC were not optimized.ConclusionsA majority of the respondents believed PSOSC to be an integral part of providing quality care to radiation oncology patients. Findings showed that staff members were highly motivated to provide this care and perceived that, with additional support, their capacity to provide such care in a way that is meaningful to patients would increase.