Public health
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The aim of this study was to identify key issues around public health workforce development in the North of England, considering the gap between need and current capacity and the training requirements to deliver the public health and health improvement agenda. ⋯ Across the health sector, local authorities, training organizations and voluntary sectors, similar issues and expectations were mentioned at both specialist and practitioner levels. However, it has not been possible in North East England to translate this finding into practical programmes in the absence of nationally identified resources to address the issue.
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To ascertain the views of other providers of primary and emergency healthcare services about their local walk-in centre. ⋯ It has been suggested that healthcare professionals, notably GPs, are universally opposed to the concept of walk-in centres. This survey shows that opinions were divided, but overall, more local providers were in favour of this new service than were opposed to it. There was more support for centres co-located with A and E departments than "shop-front"-type facilities, but there were concerns that the service offered was too limited. The success or otherwise of the walk-in centre initiative will depend, in part, on building good relationships between the centres and other local providers. Understanding the views of local providers is important for those developing walk-in centres, and for those engaged in planning services in the wider health economies where these services are placed.
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Health impact assessment (HIA) is a developing approach that assesses the health impacts of a proposal on a population, and produces a practical set of recommendations to inform the decision-making process of the proposal. The purpose is to influence decision makers to increase positive health impacts of a proposal and decrease negative impacts. Most work within the HIA field to date has focused on methodological development and actually carrying out HIAs. ⋯ A suggested approach to evaluating HIAs is presented, as well as its relationship with monitoring, drawing on the significant public health evaluation literature that already exists. Methodologies appropriate for use, and examples of indicators suitable for HIA evaluation, are provided. We suggest that typical HIA evaluations should focus on the process of the HIA and the impact that it has on the decision-making process, rather than attempting to evaluate long-term health outcomes or whether predicted impacts actually occurred.
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The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of inappropriate admissions and days of stay in acute beds of patients who were admitted to hospital after attending the emergency department for urgent medical attention in Italy. The medical records of all adult patients (aged 16 years and over) on one randomly preselected day during the period January-December 2001 were reviewed. The retrospective application was made using the Appropriateness Evaluation Protocol list of criteria. ⋯ The number of inappropriate hospitalisation days was significantly higher in younger patients, in those admitted inappropriately, and in patients sampled close to discharge (during the final-third of his/her stay). The number of inappropriate hospitalisation days was significantly lower in patients admitted to surgical and traumatology/orthopaedics and medical specialties wards. Our findings indicate the need for specific interventions to reduce the prevalence of inappropriate hospital use and to modify physicians' attitudes and behaviours.
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Biography Historical Article
Celebrating public health lives: John Francis Skone TD 1924-2002.