Journal of public health medicine
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J Public Health Med · Sep 2002
Comparative StudyAn evaluation of diabetic retinopathy screening models.
The aim of the study was to evaluate three models of diabetic retinopathy screening in a North London Health Authority so as to advise on setting up a comprehensive screening programme. The study evaluated the models against their own objectives and standards published by the British Diabetic Association (BDA) and the Royal Colleges for diabetic retinopathy screening, and assessed service user and provider satisfaction. ⋯ The evaluation confirmed that all three methods of screening provided an effective service. The implementation of a district-wide diabetic retinopathy screening programme requires the establishment of a systematic call and recall system to achieve attendance for screening. A formal follow-up of people referred for specialist assessment and treatment should be part of the service.
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J Public Health Med · Sep 2002
Comparative StudyTrends in violence in England and Wales 1995-2000: an accident and emergency perspective.
Prevention of violence-related injury has become an important public health issue but national, regional and local data are lacking. The aims of this study were to determine trends, seasonality and rates of violence-related injury according to Accident and Emergency (A&E) recorded data in England and Wales over a 5 year period, 1995-2000. ⋯ This national study from the perspective of health services suggests that violence did not increase over the period 1995-2000. Slowing of age-, gender- and health-region-specific increases in violence-related injury suggests that violence is coming under control. The reasons for significant trends in individual urban centres deserve further study, and could provide important new directions for violence prevention.
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J Public Health Med · Mar 2002
NICE and LICE: lessons from a health district. National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Local institutes of clinical excellence.
This paper describes experiences of implementing guidance from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the East Riding and Hull Health Authority area. Attempts have been made to integrate NICE guidance with the decision-making, service planning and monitoring processes but overall progress has been limited. Contributory reasons are explored, along with suggestions on how to ensure that NICE can help ensure effective and equitable services.
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J Public Health Med · Dec 2001
Comparative StudyRetirement intentions of doctors who qualified in the United Kingdom in 1974: postal questionnaire survey.
Medical workforce planning needs to be informed by knowledge about doctors' retirement intentions. Systematic information about retirement intentions, and factors that influence them, is sparse. ⋯ The impact of early retirement on medical workforce supply may be considerable. Approaches to retirement policy need to shift away from the extremes of either full-time employment or total retirement.
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J Public Health Med · Dec 2001
A birth cohort analysis of smoking by adults in Great Britain 1974-1998.
The aim of the study was to determine for Great Britain the percentage of current smokers and ever smokers by age in successive birth cohorts and the percentage of ever smokers who continue, by analysis of data from serial cross-sectional surveys of smoking status (General Household Survey). ⋯ In all birth cohorts, male and female, after age 25 years the percentage of current smokers falls with age. In the earliest birth cohort for males (1897-1901) about 85 per cent were ever smokers (i.e. had smoked at some time). After the 1922-1926 cohort this started to fall, to reach the level of about 50 per cent in the 1962-1966 cohort. In females only 25 per cent of the earliest cohort ever smoked but this rose, reaching about 65 per cent in the 1922-1926 cohort before falling back to about 50 per cent in the 1962-1966 cohort. The age at which smokers quit appears to be falling in successive cohorts. Once they have started quitting the rate at which smokers do so is very similar in all cohorts, with about 1 per cent of ever smokers quitting each year. If these trends are continued the UK smoking prevalence targets will not be met.