-
Tobacco Control Sep 2016The tobacco endgame concept reorients discussion away from the persistent control of tobacco toward plans for ending the tobacco epidemic, and envisions a tobacco-free... (Review)
Review
The tobacco endgame concept reorients discussion away from the persistent control of tobacco toward plans for ending the tobacco epidemic, and envisions a tobacco-free future. A variety of policy approaches have been proposed, with many offered prior to the introduction of the unifying term 'endgame'. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of the literature on tobacco control endgames, and drew on media accounts and discussion of analogous ideas for illustrative purposes. We identified proposals focused on the product, user, market/supply or larger institutional structures. Research on public support for these proposals was limited, but suggestive of some public appetite for endgame ideas. Advocates should be encouraged to explore new policy options and consider the goal of a tobacco-free future.
Topics: Health Policy; Humans; Smoking; Smoking Prevention; Tobacco Smoking
PubMed: 26320149
DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2015-052356 -
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs Jan 2020U.S. policymakers and public health practitioners lack composite indicators (indices) to assess and compare the restrictiveness of state-level alcohol policy...
OBJECTIVE
U.S. policymakers and public health practitioners lack composite indicators (indices) to assess and compare the restrictiveness of state-level alcohol policy environments, conceptualized as the presence of multiple policies in effect in a particular place and time. The purposes of this study were to characterize the alcohol policy environment in each U.S. state and Washington, DC, in 2018, and to examine changes during the past 20 years.
METHOD
State-specific Alcohol Policy Scale (APS) scores from 1999 to 2018 were based on 29 policies, after weighting each present policy by its efficacy and degree of implementation. Modified APS scores were also calculated on the basis of two sets of mutually exclusive policy subgroups.
RESULTS
APS scores in 2018 varied considerably between states, ranging from 25.6 to 67.9 on a theoretical scale of 0 to 100; the median score was 43.5 (based on a 0-100 range), and 43 states had scores less than 50. The median change in state APS scores from 1999 to 2018 was positive (+4.9, range: -7.4 to +10.3), indicating increases in the restrictiveness of policy environments, with decreases in only five states. The increases in APS scores were primarily attributable to the implementation of stronger impaired-driving laws, whereas policies to reduce excessive drinking were unchanged. There was no correlation between states' excessive drinking policy scores and their impaired-driving scores (r = .05, p = .74).
CONCLUSIONS
Based on this policy scale, few states have restrictive policy environments. Although states adopted policies targeting impaired driving during the study period, there was no change in policies to reduce excessive drinking.
Topics: Alcohol Drinking; Automobile Driving; District of Columbia; Humans; Public Policy; United States
PubMed: 32048602
DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2020.81.58 -
Gaceta Medica de Mexico 2022Bioethics, as a reference framework for collective decision-making in plural societies, represents a valuable tool for the development, implementation and evaluation of...
INTRODUCTION
Bioethics, as a reference framework for collective decision-making in plural societies, represents a valuable tool for the development, implementation and evaluation of public policies in order to address structural deficiencies and contexts of vulnerability that disproportionately affect certain sectors of the population.
OBJECTIVE
To provide guidelines for the strengthening of actions, programs and public policies aimed at addressing the ethical dilemmas and challenges faced by health personnel.
METHODS
A documentary research process was carried out on the moral context faced by health personnel at the federal level.
RESULTS
Health budget programs show important gaps in their design, implementation or evaluation, which give rise to various ethical and human rights problems.
CONCLUSIONS
Given the difficulty for reaching agreements or generating common understanding with regard to public health problems, bioethics contributes to a systematic approach to the challenges of the National Health System, for the safeguarding of the human rights of users, as well as of the integrity of its institutions.
Topics: Bioethics; Health Policy; Human Rights; Humans; Mexico; Public Health; Public Policy
PubMed: 35894742
DOI: 10.24875/GMM.M22000656 -
Transactions of the American Clinical... 2019Medical education is in the eye of public policy makers more than ever before. Many forces contribute to the interest of policy makers in medical education, including... (Review)
Review
Medical education is in the eye of public policy makers more than ever before. Many forces contribute to the interest of policy makers in medical education, including public awareness of how policies can affect access to and quality of clinical care. Governmental legislatures are getting more involved in medical education policy, with less acceptance of the profession's autonomy. Professional societies are not positioned to respond optimally to governmental involvement in medical education policy due to limited resources, poor coordination, and competing concerns. To urge leaders in medicine to strengthen their voice in public policy on medical education, I review educational issues that have recently received attention in the policy arena, and what professional societies have focused on. I highlight strengths and weaknesses of how professional societies have addressed public policy on medical education, and suggest opportunities for strengthening the voice of the medical community.
Topics: American Medical Association; Education, Medical; Health Services Accessibility; Humans; Public Policy; Quality of Health Care; Societies, Medical; United States
PubMed: 31516179
DOI: No ID Found -
International Journal of Environmental... Sep 2019Policy action in the coming decade will be crucial to achieving globally agreed upon goals to decarbonize the economy and build resilience to a warmer, more extreme... (Review)
Review
Policy action in the coming decade will be crucial to achieving globally agreed upon goals to decarbonize the economy and build resilience to a warmer, more extreme climate. Public health has an essential role in climate planning and action: "Co-benefits" to health help underpin greenhouse gas reduction strategies, while safeguarding health-particularly of the most vulnerable-is a frontline local adaptation goal. Using the structure of the core functions and essential services (CFES), we reviewed the literature documenting the evolution of public health's role in climate change action since the 2009 launch of the US CDC Climate and Health Program. We found that the public health response to climate change has been promising in the area of assessment (monitoring climate hazards, diagnosing health status, assessing vulnerability); mixed in the area of policy development (mobilizing partnerships, mitigation and adaptation activities); and relatively weak in assurance (communication, workforce development and evaluation). We suggest that the CFES model remains important, but is not aligned with three concepts-governance, implementation and adjustment-that have taken on increasing importance. Adding these concepts to the model can help ensure that public health fulfills its potential as a proactive partner fully integrated into climate policy planning and action in the coming decade.
Topics: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; Climate Change; Environmental Policy; Health Planning; Health Policy; Public Health; United States
PubMed: 31487789
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16183232 -
Journal of Medical Ethics Jul 2019In the January edition of the , Fujita and Tabuchi (hereafter, Authors) responded that we misunderstood the 'facts' in our previous article. Our article's method was...
In the January edition of the , Fujita and Tabuchi (hereafter, Authors) responded that we misunderstood the 'facts' in our previous article. Our article's method was twofold. First, it appealed to normative analysis and publicly accessible materials, and second, it targeted a policy-making approach to public funding. We specifically did not focus on the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application or induced pluripotent stem stock projects. The Authors raised five criticisms, including transparency of our interpretation of public funding policy. We reply to these criticisms by clarifying facts, and demonstrating new data (facts), and asking the Authors what qualifies as a 'good fact' in medical ethics. We note that in some cases, it might be possible to examine to what extent facts are 'true', while in other cases, 'facts' are laden with 'values', which cannot be confirmed or falsified with observation alone. The level of 'good' implicit in a fact is a challenging issue that goes well beyond science and makes metaethical assumptions about the relationships between facts and values more broadly.
Topics: Ethics, Medical; Humans; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells; Japan; Public Policy
PubMed: 30777869
DOI: 10.1136/medethics-2018-105333 -
American Journal of Public Health Oct 2021
Topics: Humans; Public Policy; Workplace
PubMed: 34529450
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2021.306368 -
Health Research Policy and Systems Nov 2023Place-based approaches are increasingly applied to address the determinants of health, many of which are complex problems, to ultimately improve population health...
BACKGROUND
Place-based approaches are increasingly applied to address the determinants of health, many of which are complex problems, to ultimately improve population health outcomes. Through public policy, government actions can affect the effectiveness of place-based approaches by influencing the conceptualisation, development, implementation, governance, and/or evaluation of place-based approaches. Despite the important role of public policy, there has been limited examination of public policy related to place-based approaches. We add to the limited knowledge base by analysing Australian national public policy, to explore: (1) the definitions, conceptualisations, and characteristics of place-based approaches in public policy; (2) the government's perception and communication of its role in place-based approaches; and (3) the extent to which government policy reflects the necessary conditions for successful place-based governance developed by Marsh and colleagues, namely localised context, embedded learning, and reciprocal accountability.
METHODS
This research was underpinned by the Theory of Systems Change and methodologically informed by the READ approach to document analysis. Ritchie and Spencer's framework method was utilised to analyse the data.
RESULTS
We identified and reviewed 67 policy documents. In terms of conceptualisation, common characteristics of place-based approaches related to collaboration, including community in decision-making, responsiveness to community needs, and suitability of place-based approaches to address complex problems and socio-economic determinants of health. Three roles of government were identified: funder, partner, and creator of a supportive policy environment. From the three criteria for successful place-based governance, localised context was the most dominant across the documents and reciprocal accountability the least.
CONCLUSIONS
Based on our findings, we drew key implications for public policy and research. There was a disproportionate emphasis on the bottom-up approach across the documents, which presents the risk of diminishing government interest in place-based approaches, potentially burdening communities experiencing disadvantage beyond their capacities. Governments engaged in place-based approaches should work towards a more balanced hybrid approach to place-based approaches that maintain the central functions of government while allowing for successful place-based governance. This could be achieved by promoting consistency in conceptualisations of 'place-based', employing an active role in trust building, advancing the creation of a supportive policy environment, and embedding 'learning' across place-based approaches.
Topics: Humans; Australia; Government; Public Policy; Health Policy
PubMed: 38031069
DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-01074-7 -
Journal of Primary Care & Community... 2023This action research aimed to study the processes of public health policy toward salt reduction in food consumption. The processes were divided into 3 cycles as follows:...
This action research aimed to study the processes of public health policy toward salt reduction in food consumption. The processes were divided into 3 cycles as follows: 1) Public health policy formation; 2) Development of the policy to reduce dietary salt; and 3) Evaluation of the efficiency of the policy. Participants from the first group involved in policy formation; and a total number of 320 participants were recruited in the study with the criteria of a) age 18 years and above, b) having hypertension or at risk of having high blood pressure; c) overweight; and d) having underlying diseases such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia. The second group was government officials involved in policy development to reduce salt consumption, including the head of the village, assistants of the village head, community leaders, public health personnel, village health volunteers, and a group of housewives. In total, 50 participants were recruited to the study. The results showed that people with hypertension could better control blood pressure which increased from 36.02, 25.6, and 39.06% (in 2018-2020) to 47.32%; and community people could manage their health prevention and control toward non-communicable diseases. Analyzing a return on investment (ROI) found that the ROI was 49.7%; and a social return on investment (SROI) was found that every $1 invested could generate a return of $3.45.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Sodium Chloride, Dietary; Public Policy; Health Services Research; Hypertension; Health Policy
PubMed: 37306335
DOI: 10.1177/21501319231180164 -
American Journal of Public Health Dec 2017
Topics: Democracy; Health Care Reform; Health Policy; Humans; Politics; Public Health; Public Policy; United States
PubMed: 29116849
DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2017.304017