Health Equity: 03/08/11

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

[EQ] Urban Physical Environments and Health Inequalities

Urban Physical Environments and Health Inequalities

The Canadian Population Health Initiative (CPHI), March 8, 2011

Available online PDF [85p.] at: http://bit.ly/eWXRpw

“…..This report explores two aspects of the urban physical environment known to negatively affect health: outdoor air pollution and heat extremes. This report shows that those who are already more vulnerable to poor health may be at increased risk of being exposed to the effects of air pollution and heat extremes because of the areas in which they live.

The literature review and new analyses examine hospitalization rates for respiratory and circulatory diseases in relation to residential distance from a pollution-emitting facility and use Toronto and Montréal as case studies to explore the relationship between heat extremes and hospitalizations for respiratory and circulatory diseases. ….”

Table of Contents

Project Team

Executive Summary

Introduction

How Is This Report Organized?

Who Is This Report For?

Notes on Terminology and Methodology

Outdoor Air Pollution, Socio-Economic Status and Health Inequalities

Chapter Overview .

Sources of Air Pollution in Urban Environments

Distribution of Sources of Outdoor Air Pollution in Relation to Area Socio-Economic Status .

Outdoor Air Pollution and Health Inequalities .

Chapter Summary and Key Messages

Heat Extremes, Socio-Economic Status and Health Inequalities .

Chapter Overview

Factors Contributing to Vulnerability During Heat Extremes

Heat and the Urban Physical Environment

Mitigating Strategie

Chapter Summary and Key Messages

Conclusions

Limitations and Directions for Future Research

Upcoming Work on the Urban Physical Environment and Health Inequalities

Companion Products

· Summary (PDF 148 Kb)

· Maps (ZIP 37,758 Kb)

· Literature Search Methodology Paper (PDF 414 Kb)

· Data and Analysis Methodology (PDF 1,893 Kb)

· Presentation (Power Point 7,005 Kb)

Media Advisory

· Canadians in poorest areas more likely to face effects of outdoor air pollution and extreme heat

Series Urban Physical Environments and Health Inequalities

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[EQ] Research synthesis on cost drivers in the health sectors and proposed policy options

Research synthesis on cost drivers in the health sectors and proposed policy options

Ottawa, Canada - February 2011 - CHSRF series of reports Paper 1

Alexandra Constant, Stephen PetersenCharles D. Mallory, Jennifer Major

Available online at: http://bit.ly/hRlsbC

“……. This report synthesizes the current body of knowledge on cost drivers in Canadian healthcare.
Cost drivers are factors that bring about increased spending on healthcare. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of cost drivers is essential to a productive debate on the sustainability of Canada’s publicly funded healthcare systems.

In Canada, health spending is rising faster than the economy is growing (Section 2). Over the 1999–2009 period, expenditure growth within the health sector was fastest for capital (e.g. construction of hospitals, medical equipment or software for healthcare facilities), drugs and public health (e.g. food and drug safety, health promotion, community mental health programs, and prevention of communicable diseases). While reimbursements for hospital and physician services comprise the bulk of public sector healthcare spending, growth in these areas was comparatively small….”

Key Messages

■Potential emerging cost pressures include a trend toward personalized medicine and the presence of direct-to-consumer advertising for diagnostic and genetic testing.

Policies can be implemented to manage rising healthcare expenditures and to improve value for money (efficiency) within systems.

■Instituting a wider use of health technology assessment at all levels in health systems to inform clinical decision-making, reimbursement decisions, setting priorities and negotiating prices of new technologies, and provider fees

■Shifting priorities for the allocation of funds within systems to support services, which reduce spending in higher cost areas, such as accelerating funding increases for community care

■Accelerating the implementation of coordinated health information technology systems

■Implementing measures to contain prescription drug expenditure growth

■Developing alternative provider and hospital payment arrangements. ………….”

Table of contents

1. Introduction

2. Where IS the Money Going?

2.1 Current healthcare expenditure trends and health status

2.2 International healthcare expenditure comparisons

3. What underlies rising healthcare expenditures? Key Cost drivers in Canada

3.1 Changing demographics and the impact on healthcare spending

3.2 Does what we earn affect the way we spend on healthcare? The effect of income growth

3.3 Paying more or getting more for what we are paying? Inflation in the health sector

3.4 Unmeasured growth: The enrichment factor

3.5 The effect of key cost drivers by spending category

4. What are Potential or Emerging Presures on Healthcare Expenditures?

4.1 Personalized medicine and direct-to-consumer advertising of diagnostic or genetic tests

5. Policy options for cost containment and/or improved Value for money

5.1 Value for money by increasing the use of health technology assessment

5.2 Shifting priorities in funding allocation to reduce spending in higher cost areas

5.3 Value for money from coordinated health information technology

5.4 Restraining prescription drug expenditure growth in Canada

5.5 Alternative provider payment and hospital arrangements

6. Conclusion

7. References

Appendices

Appendix A: Public Sector Health Expenditure Growth by Use of Funds and GDP, Provinces.

[EQ] Improving Primary Health Care for All Australians

Improving Primary Health Care for All Australians

Commonwealth of Australia 2011

Available online PDF [16p.] at: http://bit.ly/eomeAZ

“….Under National Health Reform, the Commonwealth Government is aiming to shift the centre of gravity of the health system from hospitals to primary health care. This booklet explains why primary health care is important; why it needs to be improved and what the changes will mean. It also provides further details on Medicare Locals, and their central role in improving the primary health care system….”

Table of contents

§ Introduction

§ Why we need to improve primary health care

§ How we are improving primary health care

§ The right workforce to provide the care patients need

§ The right infrastructure to support the best care

§ Identifying and addressing gaps in local services

§ Making the system work for patients and providers

[EQ] Towards Evidence-Driven Policy Design: Complex Adaptive Systems and Computational Modeling

Towards Evidence-Driven Policy Design: Complex Adaptive Systems and Computational Modeling

Kevin C. Desouza, Associate Professor The Information School Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, Electrical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Washington
Yuan Lin, The Information School University of Washington

The Innovation Journal: The Public Sector Innovation Journal, Volume 16(1), 2011, Article 7

Available online PDF [19p] at: http://bit.ly/dHjSp0

“…….Efforts to design public policies for social systems tend to confront highly complex conditions which have a large number of potentially relevant factors to be considered and rapidly changing conditions where continuous adaptation delays or obscures the effect of policies.

Given unresolvable uncertainty in policy outcomes, the optimal solution is difficult, if ever possible, to nail down. It is more reasonable to choose a solution that is robust to as many future scenarios that might ensue from the decision.

Arriving at such a solution requires policy makers to actively explore and exploit rich information to support their decision making in a cost-efficient, yet rigorous manner. We name this new working style as evidence-driven policy design and outline the characteristics of favorable evidence. We then argue that computational modeling is a potential tool for implementing evidence-driven policy design. It helps the study and design of solutions by simulating various environments, interventions, and the processes in which certain outcomes emerge from the decisions of policy makers. It allows policy makers to observe both the intended and, equally important, unintended consequences of policy alternatives. It also facilitates communication and consensus-building among policy makers and diverse stakeholders….”

[EQ] Call for Papers - Assets for Health and Wellbeing across the life course

Call for Papers
Assets for Health and Wellbeing across the life course

International Conference 2011 - 26^th and 27^th September

British Library Conference Centre, London

Second International Symposium on: Health Assets in a Global Context: Theory Methods Actions

A series of events to translate the asset model into policy, research and practice.

Website: http://bit.ly/dMKoF8

“……Asset based approaches are concerned with identifying the protective factors that create health and well-being. They offer the potential to enhance both the quality and longevity of life through focusing on the resources that promote the self-esteem and coping abilities of individuals and communities.

Drawing on concepts that include salutogensis, resilience and social capital, asset approaches create the potential for unlocking some of the existing barriers to effective action on health inequities, so far characterised by more risk-based or deficit approaches.

Following the successful first symposium, held in Seville 2010, which focused on young people and youth health, the aim of this conference is to increase the dialogue between public health, health policy, health practitioners, commissioners, social care, the voluntary sector and the research community on key issues relating to health assets across the life course.

Contributions are particularly welcomed that address the following themes:

Theory - Research - Measurement and evaluation - Mapping of assets - Policy and action

Potential contributors should submit an abstract of maximum 250 words for either a parallel paper session, poster or workshop by
Friday 8^th April 2011.