Social science & medicine
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Social science & medicine · Jan 1985
Difficulties involved in taking health services to the people: the example of a public health care center in a Caracas barrio.
This paper discusses the difficulties faced by a typical Ministry of Health and Social Welfare maternal and infant health care services center. These service modules are usually located in the lower income barrios of Venezuela's urban centers. Recent experiences as seen by supervisors of the regional and district offices of the Ministry and the center's staff were evaluated following in-depth interviews, direct observation and scanning of clinical records over a three month period. The study concludes that the major problem areas influence the Ministry's primary goal of extending coverage to a greater proportion of the needy population and maintain the quality of the services: inadequate administrative structure leading to logistics difficulties; and the clinic location and the characteristics of the barrio itself and of the client population.
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Social science & medicine · Jan 1985
Comparative Study Clinical TrialInformed consent in psychiatric research: preliminary findings from an ongoing investigation.
Preliminary findings from an investigation of informed consent processes in four psychiatric research projects (two being carried out at a university medical center and two at a public psychiatric hospital) are reported. Study methods include the systematic observation of investigator/subject information disclosure sessions using audio and videotape, as well as the use of standardized interaction rating forms and subject understanding interviews. In an attempt to determine if subjects' understanding of research can be improved through increased subject education, several modes of information disclosure are compared. ⋯ Subjects' problematic understanding of research purposes and methodology was compounded by investigator disclosures which often emphasized the therapeutic, personalistic and nonresearch-oriented aspects of the project. Nevertheless, even when information disclosures were significantly improved, subject understanding in many cases continued to be low--suggesting that additional factors aside from the quality of investigator disclosure are involved in psychiatric subjects' comprehension and understanding of research. The implication of these findings for informed consent, regulation of biomedical research and the protection of human subjects are discussed.
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Social science & medicine · Jan 1985
Hospital care utilization in a 17,000 population sample: 5-year follow-up.
The growing utilization of hospital care, especially of the services of Emergency Departments (ED), has been of great concern for many Western countries. The purpose of this study was to relate the amount of hospital care utilization to the frequency of ED visits. The study, based on a computerized medical information system, was carried out at Huddinge hospital which serves a suburban area of Stockholm, Sweden. ⋯ The difference increased gradually with increasing number of ED visits and was also evident in each age group. The mortality was also significantly increased for those with several ED visits. Higher migration in the latter group may besides indicate social instability.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Social science & medicine · Jan 1985
Mobilizing indigenous resource for primary health care in Nigeria: a note on the place of traditional medicine.
Noting the challenges posed by the goal of health For All by the Year 2000, this paper re-echoes the need to mobilize traditional medicine for Primary Health Care in Nigeria. The paper points to the inadequacy of modern health facilities and the obstacles that stand in the way of providing enough modern health facilities to meet the demand of Nigeria's population by the year 2000. It is observed that traditional medicine offers an alternative model not only because it is relatively inexpensive both to the practitioners and patients who often settle their bills in kind or cash but also because of its acceptability among Nigerians. Finally, it is suggested that government and traditional medical practitioners should cooperate for it is in this way that the practice of traditional medicine can be improved and the practitioners encouraged to add Primary Health Care activities to the repertoire.
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Social science & medicine · Jan 1985
Managerial procedures and hospital practices: a case study of the development of a new medical discipline.
In anesthésie-réanimation, a discipline that brings together anaesthesiology and emergency as well as intensive care, the managerial methods of evaluation and control of needs in personnel, were not adequate for describing medical practices. Around four managerial standards that were used by the Paris public hospital administration, new situations have crystalized. The historical analysis of how these standards have been put into use, used and put in question throws light upon the way organizations function. The present day situation in this speciality seems to be mainly determined by the strategies of specialists for obtaining professional recognition of their discipline and for advancing their careers.