Das Gesundheitswesen
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Jan 2010
[Prevention of overweight and obesity--the role of government, the food industry and the individual].
Obesity is a growing health problem in Germany and other industrial nations. There is an urgent need for action in order to stop this development. Government and food industry, as well as individuals, have to act. ⋯ Each individual holds a personal responsibility for his or her health, but there are limits to it, like social, financial, biological, and other environmental factors. Especially social factors ought to be considered more seriously. Hence, personal responsibility should only be demanded in an adequate environment.
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Dec 2009
Review Meta Analysis[Unspecific back pain - basic principles and possibilities for intervention from a psychological point of view].
Back pain is one of the most common and expensive health problems in Germany. Apart from somatic parameters, psychological factors are thought to influence the aetiology and, especially, the chronification of back pain. A literature search has been performed to establish which psychological procedures are used in the diagnosis, prevention and therapy for back pain, and how effective they are. ⋯ In the high risk group of patients already suffering from back pain, relapses and chronification can best be prevented by multimodal programmes. A decisive condition for the success of these physiotherapeutic, ergotherapeutic, sports therapeutic and psychotherapeutic interventions is apparently that there should be a standardised procedure in accordance with the theoretical principles of behavioural therapy, complied with by all those involved in the process. However, the principle objective of all measures should be the avoidance of the transition from acute to chronic back pain and the protracted and expensive clinical course this can lead to. Psychological intervention appears to work here as well. Further studies are needed to clarify whether the psychological program components are effective in isolation or whether they must be embedded in a multimodal (preventive) concept. It must also be investigated which target groups benefit most from which type of preventive (psychological) intervention. Provision of specific information is an alternative preventive approach. This health psychological or educative procedure corresponds to demedicalisation of this condition. Although media campaigns have been successfully performed in Australia, it is as yet unclear whether these can be transferred to Germany and which structural changes these would require in our health care system.
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Nov 2009
[Acceptance and understandability of various methods of health valuations for the chronically ill: willingness to pay, visual analogue scale and rating scale].
Health valuations are one way of measuring patient preferences with respect to the results of their treatment. The study examines three different methods of health valuations--willingness to pay (WTP), visual analogue scale (VAS), and a rating question for evaluating the subjective significance. The goal is to test the understandability and acceptance of these methods for implementation in questionnaires. ⋯ With respect to understandability and acceptance, VAS questions appear to be better suited for reflecting patient preferences than WTP questions. The rating scale for assessing the personally estimated importance was understandable, but had poor distribution properties and was considered by patients to be superfluous.
-
Das Gesundheitswesen · Nov 2009
[Acceptance and understandability of various methods of health valuations for the chronically ill: willingness to pay, visual analogue scale and rating scale].
Health valuations are one way of measuring patient preferences with respect to the results of their treatment. The study examines three different methods of health valuations - willingness to pay (WTP), visual analogue scale (VAS), and a rating question for evaluating the subjective significance. The goal is to test the understandability and acceptance of these methods for implementation in questionnaires. ⋯ With respect to understandability and acceptance, VAS questions appear to be better suited for reflecting patient preferences than WTP questions. The rating scale for assessing the personally estimated importance was understandable, but had poor distribution properties and was considered by patients to be superfluous.