Journal of public health management and practice : JPHMP
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Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are the best available synthesis of research in providing clinical care, yet the degree of adoption remains less than optimal. One reason may be that the routes of dissemination and the mode of construction do not match the needs of the typical healthcare practice. This study uses a systems approach in understanding the interplay between routes of CPG dissemination, the construction of CPGs, and the likelihood that healthcare organizations will adopt these guidelines.
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J Public Health Manag Pract · May 2007
A "Community Manifesto" for gay and bisexual men: an appeal to control HIV/STDs.
In response to increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Seattle & King County, a task force including community members, HIV/AIDS professionals, and health department staff authored "A Community Manifesto: A New Response to HIV and STDs." The manifesto emphasized both personal and collective responsibility for gay and bisexual men to stop the spread of STDs. ⋯ Publicly declaring values associated with sexual behavior and attempting to establish and reinforce sexual norms within MSM communities can cause controversy; however, such efforts may increase awareness, dialogue, and behavior change at a community level and be important for increasing awareness and behaviors that demonstrate collective care and responsibility among MSM.
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J Public Health Manag Pract · May 2007
The 2005 British Columbia Smoking Cessation Mass Media Campaign and short-term changes in smoking.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the 2005 British Columbia Ministry of Health Smoking Cessation Mass Media Campaign on short-term smoking behavior. ⋯ The overall poorer performance of high-risk groups is attributed to high exposure to cigarette smoking, which reduces a smoker's chances of successful cessation. In particular, high-risk groups are by definition more likely to be exposed to smoking by peers, but are also less likely to work in workplaces with smoking bans, which are shown to have a substantial impact on prevalence. Results suggest that for mass media campaigns to be more effective with high-risk groups, they need to be combined with other incentives, and that more prolonged interventions should be considered.
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J Public Health Manag Pract · Mar 2007
Refining estimates of public health spending as measured in national health expenditures accounts: the United States experience.
Providing for the delivery of public health services and understanding the funding mechanisms for these services are topics of great currency in the United States. In 2002, the Department of Homeland Security was created and the responsibility for providing public health services was realigned among federal agencies. State and local public health agencies are under increased financial pressures even as they shoulder more responsibilities as the vital first link in the provision of public health services. ⋯ Among these challenges is the difficult task of defining what types of government activity constitute public health services. There is no clear-cut, universally accepted definition of government public health care services, and the definitions in the proposed International Classification for Health Accounts are difficult to apply to an individual country's unique delivery systems. Other challenges include the definitional issues associated with the boundaries of healthcare as well as the requirement that census and survey data collected from government(s) be compliant with the Classification of Functions of Government (COFOG), an internationally recognized classification system developed by the United Nations.