[The influence of the institutions on local health councils]. / La influencia de las instituciones en los consejos locales de salud.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the influences of the institutions in the operation of the Local Health councils. DESIGN: qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study. STUDY SETTING: 02 Primary Health Care services of a municipality in the inland of the state of São Paulo, Brazil. PARTICIPANTS: twenty-four members of the Local Health Councils and 4 key informants. METHODS: Supported by the theoretical methodological framework of Institutional Analysis. Data were produced through 28 semi-structured interviews, observation and participation in the activities of the councils and recording in the research diary. Data were organized and analyzed by the process of transcription, transposition and reconstitution. RESULTS: The institutions act in the territories represented by social actors who occupy positions and functions within the Primary Health Care services, evidencing the perpetuation of hierarchization with valorization of the speeches of professionals and managers to the detriment of patients and predominance of bureaucratized meetings. The social actors reproduce the ideals of the collective to which they belong in these spaces. CONCLUSIONS: The health management teams do not recognize the different forces that act in the health territory, however, these forces interfere in the activities performed and in health care. The groups act both in formal spaces through official representatives who meet and discuss issues in collegiate meetings and in informal spaces, and constitute forces in dispute in the health territory.

Associations between Food Policy Councils and Policies That Support Healthy Food Access: A National Survey of Community Policy Supports.

Food policy councils (FPCs) are one form of community coalition that aims to address challenges to local food systems and enhance availability, accessibility, and affordability of healthy foods for local residents. We used data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living, a nationally representative survey of US municipalities (n = 2029), to examine the prevalence of FPCs and cross-sectional associations between FPCs and four types of supports for healthy food access (approaches to help food stores, practices to support farmers markets, transportation-related supports, and community planning documents). Overall, 7.7% of municipalities reported having a local or regional FPC. FPCs were more commonly reported among larger municipalities with ≥50,000 people (29.2%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 21.6, 36.8) and western region municipalities (13.2%, 95% CI: 9.6, 16.8). After multivariable adjustment, municipalities with FPCs had significantly higher odds of having all four types of supports, compared to those without FPCs (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) range: 2.4-3.4). Among municipalities with FPCs (n = 156), 41% reported having a local government employee or elected official as a member, and 46% had a designated health or public health representative. Although FPCs were uncommon, municipalities that reported having a local or regional FPC were more likely to report having supports for healthy food access for their residents.

Health councils and dissemination of SUS management instruments: an analysis of portals in Brazilian capitals. / Os conselhos de saúde e a publicização dos instrumentos de gestão do SUS: uma análise dos portais das capitais brasileiras.

Coparticipants in the performance, planning, and control of public policies' implementation, Health Councils are public spaces aiming at the participation and social control of health actions concerning the community. Access to information is a crucial condition so that not only advisers but also civil society can propose, monitor, and evaluate the actions taken in health. Based on this understanding and the guidance provided by Law N° 141/2012 on the visibility of SUS management instruments, this study aimed to verify how the municipal portals of Brazilian capitals have disseminated their Health Councils and the necessary instruments for analyzing, monitoring, and following-up on the health policy. While recommended by law, the research showed that dissemination occurs differently between capitals. Only 14% of the investigated portals make SUS management instruments available on the council pages, and 33% do not disclose information about the council or management instruments. The lack of such content can weaken the council's institutionality and, ultimately, participatory democracy itself.

Coparticipantes na atuação, planejamento e controle da execução de políticas públicas, os conselhos de saúde constituem espaços públicos que objetivam a participação e o controle social das ações em saúde que dizem respeito à coletividade. O acesso à informação é uma condição imprescindível para que não só conselheiros, mas a sociedade civil como um todo, possa propor, monitorar e avaliar as ações empreendidas na área da saúde. A partir desse entendimento e da orientação advinda da Lei 141/2012 sobre dar visibilidade aos instrumentos de gestão do SUS, o presente estudo buscou verificar como os portais das prefeituras das capitais brasileiras têm divulgado seus conselhos de saúde e os instrumentos necessários para a análise, o monitoramento e o acompanhamento da política de saúde. Apesar de recomendada por lei, a pesquisa mostrou que a publicidade é dada de distintas maneiras pelas capitais. Apenas 14% dos portais investigados disponibilizam nas páginas dos conselhos os instrumentos de gestão do SUS e 33% deles não divulgam nem informações sobre o conselho nem sobre os instrumentos de gestão. A ausência de tais conteúdos pode levar ao enfraquecimento da institucionalidade do conselho e, com isso, da própria democracia participativa.

Crisis Standards of Care Implementation at the State Level in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: In 2009, the Institute of Medicine published guidelines for implementation of Crisis Standards of Care (CSC) at the state level in the United States (US). Based in part on the then concern for H1N1 pandemic, there was a recognized need for additional planning at the state level to maintain health system preparedness and conventional care standards when available resources become scarce. Despite the availability of this framework, in the years since and despite repeated large-scale domestic events, implementation remains mixed. PROBLEM: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rejuvenates concern for how health systems can maintain quality care when faced with unrelenting burden. This study seeks to outline which states in the US have developed CSC and which areas of care have thus far been addressed. METHODS: An online search was conducted for all 50 states in 2015 and again in 2020. For states without CSC plans online, state officials were contacted by email and phone. Public protocols were reviewed to assess for operational implementation capabilities, specifically highlighting guidance on ventilator use, burn management, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, pediatric standards, and reliance on influenza planning. RESULTS: Thirty-six states in the US were actively developing (17) or had already developed (19) official CSC guidance. Fourteen states had no publicly acknowledged effort. Eleven of the 17 public plans had updated within five years, with a majority addressing ventilator usage (16/17), influenza planning (14/17), and pediatric care (15/17), but substantially fewer addressing care for burn patients (9/17). CONCLUSION: Many states lacked publicly available guidance on maintaining standards of care during disasters, and many states with specific care guidelines had not sufficiently addressed the full spectrum of hazard to which their health care systems remain vulnerable.

The role and functions of community health councils in New Zealand's health system: a document analysis.

BACKGROUND: Community/consumer health councils (CHCs) are a relatively new phenomenon in New Zealand. CHCs are usually established within district health boards (DHBs) to help address gaps in community engagement in the health sector. Little is known about the establishment, structure, roles and functioning of these councils. AIM: To undertake a literature review, including grey literature, related to the structure, roles and functioning of CHCs in New Zealand. METHOD: A document analysis of the New Zealand-focused website materials and newspaper articles related to CHCs was conducted. Data were analysed thematically using a qualitative content analysis approach. RESULTS: The search identified 251 relevant web sources and 118 newspaper articles. The main role of the CHCs appeared to be to advise and make recommendations to their respective DHBs (and DHB governance and management structures) about health service planning, delivery and policy. All CHCs discussed in the identified sources comprised different demographic backgrounds and expertise. Although the CHCs were mainly engaged in information sharing and consultation, their influence on DHB decision-making could not be determined from the sources. CONCLUSION: This is the first study of CHCs throughout New Zealand investigating their roles, structure and type of engagement. As the concept is evolving and more CHCs are being established, this information may be useful for future CHCs. With increasing longevity of CHCs in New Zealand, future studies could usefully investigate CHCs' potential to represent the health interests of their local communities, and their influence on DHB decision-making.

Permanent education as an inalienable responsibility of health councils: the current scenario in the Unified Health System.

OBJECTIVE: To verify whether health councils in Brazil carry out permanent education activities for municipal, state and federal district councilors. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional study with secondary data collection in the Health Council Monitoring System (Sistema de Acompanhamento dos Conselhos de Saúde - Siacs) from May to August 2017. The Siacs is publicly accessible and available on the internet. It provides data from thousands of health councils throughout Brazil. Analysis and interpretation of the data were based on the literature and the enacted legislation, particularly Resolution 453/2012 and the National Policy of Permanent Education for Social Control in the Unified Health System (Política Nacional de Educação Permanente para o Controle Social no Sistema Único de Saúde). RESULTS: Despite the fact that Resolution 453/2012 establishes the deliberation, elaboration, support and promotion of permanent education for social control as functions of the councils (in accordance with the guidelines of the National Policy of Permanent Education), approximately 40% of councils do not carry out permanent education. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to strengthen the role of health councils in the elaboration of educational initiatives across the national territory. This includes the allocation of financial resources to increase access to and participation in these initiatives, which would strengthen social control in the Unified Health System. This study emphasizes that the discussion of permanent education is not given sufficient attention in the agendas and routines of health councils. This compromises the effectiveness of councils' monitoring and deliberation of public health policy.

Promoting patient utilization of outpatient cardiac rehabilitation: A joint International Council and Canadian Association of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation position statement.

BACKGROUND: Cardiac Rehabilitation (CR) is a recommendation in international clinical practice guidelines given its' benefits, however use is suboptimal. The purpose of this position statement was to translate evidence on interventions that increase CR enrolment and adherence into implementable recommendations. METHODS: The writing panel was constituted by representatives of societies internationally concerned with preventive cardiology, and included disciplines that would be implementing the recommendations. Patient partners served, as well as policy-makers. The statement was developed in accordance with AGREE II, among other guideline checklists. Recommendations were based on our update of the Cochrane review on interventions to promote patient utilization of CR. These were circulated to panel members, who were asked to rate each on a 7-point Likert scale in terms of scientific acceptability, actionability, and feasibility of assessment. A web call was convened to achieve consensus and confirm strength of the recommendations (based on GRADE). The draft underwent external review and public comment. RESULTS: The 3 drafted recommendations were that to increase enrolment, healthcare providers, particularly nurses (strong), should promote CR to patients face-to-face (strong), and that to increase adherence part of CR could be delivered remotely (weak). Ratings for the 3 recommendations were 5.95 ±â€¯0.69 (mean ±â€¯standard deviation), 5.33 ±â€¯1.12 and 5.64 ±â€¯1.08, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions can significantly increase utilization of CR, and hence should be widely applied. We call upon cardiac care institutions to implement these strategies to augment CR utilization, and to ensure CR programs are adequately resourced to serve enrolling patients and support them to complete programs.

Deliberative effectiveness in municipal sanitation and health councils: a study in Belo Horizonte-MG and in Belém-PA. / Efetividade deliberativa em conselhos municipais de saneamento e de saúde: um estudo em Belo Horizonte-MG e em Belém-PA.

Deliberation in municipal councils of sanitation and health is the object of this study. Deliberation is understood as decision making and argumentative process, from the formulations of Rousseau, Habermas and Cohen. The proposed objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of the deliberative action of the councils of Belo Horizonte (MG) and Belém (PA). The evaluation included the study of variables defining the degree of institutionalization of the councils and revealing the dynamics of the deliberative process developed in them. The internal regulations of each council and the minutes and resolutions produced by them during the 2012-2014 triennium were consulted. The results showed that the four councils, in the period and according to the defined criteria of analysis, are far from the degree of deliberative effectiveness desired, considering the purposes of the social control in sanitation and in health, arranged by the specific legislation of each area. Even with broader experience, considering their years of participatory pedagogical exercise, health councils were no more effective than neophyte sanitation councils.

A deliberação em conselhos municipais de saneamento e de saúde é objeto deste estudo, entendida como processo decisionístico e argumentativo, a partir das formulações de Rousseau, Habermas e Cohen. O objetivo proposto foi avaliar a efetividade da atuação deliberativa dos conselhos de Belo Horizonte (MG) e de Belém (PA). A avaliação abrangeu o estudo de variáveis definidoras do grau de institucionalização dos conselhos e reveladoras da dinâmica do processo deliberativo neles desenvolvido. Foram consultados o Regimento Interno de cada conselho e as atas e resoluções produzidas por eles no triênio 2012-2014. Os resultados revelaram que os quatro conselhos, no período e segundo os critérios de análise definidos, estão distantes do grau de efetividade deliberativa desejado, tendo em vista os propósitos do controle social em saneamento e em saúde, dispostos pela legislação específica de cada área. Mesmo com experiência mais larga, considerando seus anos de exercício pedagógico e democrático de participação, os conselhos de saúde não se mostraram mais efetivos que os neófitos conselhos de saneamento.

Cost-effectiveness analysis on elderly pneumococcal vaccination in the Netherlands: Challenging the Dutch Health Council's advice.

Recently, the Dutch Health Council advised on elderly pneumococcal vaccination favouring the conventional polysaccharide vaccine over the novel conjugated vaccine. This advice was strongly inspired by a cost-effectiveness analysis considered to show favourable outcomes for the polysaccharide but not for the conjugated vaccine. We argue that using the same data and methods as presented by the Health Council, a different perspective on the results leads to a conclusion that not only the polysaccharide but also the conjugated pneumococcal vaccine is cost-effective. Our alternative perspective concerns the use of realistic vaccine prices, and applying an adequate time horizon for cost-effectiveness modelling. Notably, for one-off vaccination of 65-years old elderly, in all investigated analyses, also the conjugated vaccine seems cost-effective; i.e. well below the threshold of €20,000 per quality-adjusted life year, reflecting the most stringent threshold used for vaccines in the Netherlands.

The growing role of seniors councils in health policy-making for older people in Poland.

Seniors Councils are advisory and consultative bodies that support local political decision-making to assure that the views of older people are taken into account in the decision-making process. Senior Councils are particularly relevant with regard to social policies and health policies. Seniors councils have appeared since the 1970s in Europe and since the early 2000s in Poland. The number of Seniors Councils in Poland has grown in recent years thanks to favorable legislative changes in 2013 and 2015. Since 2015, the local executive administration is obliged to establish a Seniors Council if there is local demand for such a council. The influence of senior councils is likely to grow over the coming years, given the ageing of the population and the related increasing importance of older citizens in the electorate, especially for local political leaders. Seniors Councils can support better informed local decision-making by helping to identify local needs and contributing to a better allocation of scarce resources. They may also help to draw more resources to health promotion and primary prevention for older people in an environment of financial constraints and a health care system that traditionally prioritizes curative care.

Putting Adolescents and Young Adults in a Room Together: Launching an Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Council.

Purpose: This article describes the formation and first meeting of a community adolescent and young adult oncology council (AYAOC), which was created to promote patient and stakeholder involvement in research and programmatic initiatives within community-based cancer centers. Methods: The AYAOC (comprising patients/survivors, family members, researchers and clinicians) convened at a one-day workshop moderated by an Australian not-for-profit AYA cancer organization. The council shared and compared health care experiences and then identified and prioritized unmet health care needs. Workshop notes were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Results: AYAOC members identified similarities in their experiences of cancer care and priorities for improvement of the health care system. Peer connection and the creation of adolescent and young adult (AYA)-specific care facilities were identified as the most pressing needs for AYAs with cancer, closely followed by integration of complementary medicine into medical practice and government advocacy to improve the quality and consistency of AYA cancer care delivery. Themes identified from AYAOC discussion included emotional isolation, naivety with and sometimes distrust of the medical system, the lasting impact of cancer on identity, the need for emotionally safe interactions with both individual clinicians and groups of peers, and the desire to take personal action to improve care for future patients. Conclusion: AYAOC members expressed a drive to share their experiences, advocate for others, and improve health care services for the "next generation" of AYAs diagnosed with cancer. Sharing stories and connecting with peers may have personal value for individuals. Channeling the altruistic energy of AYAs and stakeholders into group advisory and advocacy efforts also has value for health care systems, allowing stakeholder insights to inform clinical service delivery and research priorities.

NCRP Report no.180-management of exposure to ionizing radiation: NCRP radiation protection guidance for the United States.

NCRP Report No. 180, 'Management of Exposure to Ionizing Radiation: Radiation Protection Guidance for the United States (2018)' was developed by Council Committee 1. The report builds and expands upon previous recommendations of NCRP and ICRP, covering exposure to radiation and radioactive materials for five exposure categories: occupational, public, medical, emergency workers, and nonhuman biota. Actions to add, increase, reduce or remove a source of exposure to humans require justification. Optimisation of protection universally applies, taking into account societal, economic, and environmental factors; addressing all hazards, and striving for continuous improvement when it is reasonable to do so. Numeric protection criteria for management of dose to an individual for a given exposure situation are provided, and differ in some respects from ICRP. A specific numeric criterion is suitable to be designated as a regulatory dose limit only when the source of exposure is stable, characterised, and the responsible organisation has established an appropriate radiation control program in advance of source introduction. Medical exposure includes patients, comforters and caregivers of a patient, and voluntary participants in biomedical research. Emergency workers are a new exposure category; their exposure is treated separately from occupational, public or medical exposure, and numeric criteria are provided for deterministic and stochastic effects. For nonhuman biota, the focus is on population maintenance of the affected species, and a guideline is provided for when additional assessment may be necessary. In addition, the recommendations emphasise that: ethical principles support decision-making; stakeholder engagement is necessary in deciding suitable management of their radiation exposure; and a strong safety culture is intrinsic to effective radiation protection programs.

[Health councils and participatory effectiveness: a performance assessment study]. / Conselho de saúde e efetividade participativa: estudo sobre avaliação de desempenho.

The article aims to analyze the results of a performance assessment model for health councils. The theoretical and methodological frame of reference was the spider graph method, adapted to the reality of health councils. The assessment matrix considered five dimensions with the greatest influence on participation: autonomy, organization, representativeness, community involvement, and political influence. Based on assessment of the indicators, we estimated the performance value for each dimension and located it on the five-axis graph. The matrix was applied to the Health Council in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia State, Brazil. We used document analysis, observation of meetings, and interviews with 18 council members as the data collection techniques. The results show an advanced level of the council's autonomy with adequate structural conditions, but with limitations in financial independence. The organizational dimension reached the maximum level of performance, with regular meetings, availability of information for council members, and functioning of thematic commissions. Representativeness was the dimension with the worst performance, displayed by the weak relationship between the representatives and the organizations. The community involvement dimension displayed an advanced level with high participation by council and non-council members in the meetings and action with numerous proposals. The political influence dimension showed intermediate performance. We observed greater influence by the social representatives on the decision-making process and low capacity for follow-up on policies. The matrix proved adequate and feasible for performance assessment of health councils.

O artigo tem por objetivo apresentar e analisar os resultados de um modelo de avaliação de desempenho de conselhos de saúde. O referencial teórico metodológico está fundamentado no método spidergram, adaptado à realidade dos conselhos de saúde. A matriz avaliativa considerou cinco dimensões de maior influência sobre a participação: autonomia, organização, representatividade, envolvimento comunitário e influência política. Com base na avaliação dos indicadores, foi estimado o valor de desempenho de cada dimensão e localizado no gráfico de cinco eixos. A aplicação da matriz foi realizada no Conselho de Saúde de Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brasil. Utilizou-se análise de documentos, observação das reuniões e entrevistas com 18 conselheiros como técnicas de coleta de dados. Os resultados demonstram nível avançado de autonomia do conselho com condições estruturais adequadas, porém, com limitações na independência financeira. A dimensão organização atingiu nível máximo de desempenho com a realização regular de reuniões, disponibilidade de informações para os conselheiros e funcionamento das comissões temáticas. A representatividade foi a dimensão de pior desempenho, demostrado pela frágil relação dos representantes com as entidades. A dimensão envolvimento comunitário apresentou nível avançado, com elevada participação de conselheiros e não conselheiros às reuniões e perfil de atuação propositivo. A dimensão influência política obteve nível intermediário. Constatou-se elevada influência dos representantes sociais no processo deliberativo e diminuta capacidade de acompanhamento das políticas. A matriz utilizada mostrou-se adequada e viável para a avaliação de desempenho dos conselhos de saúde.

El objetivo de este artículo es presentar y analizar los resultados de un modelo de evaluación de desempeño en consejos de salud. El marco referencial teórico metodológico se fundamentó en el método spidergram, adaptado a la realidad de los consejos de salud. La matriz evaluativa consideró las cinco dimensiones de mayor influencia sobre la participación: autonomía, organización, representatividad, implicación comunitaria e influencia política. A partir de la evaluación de los indicadores, se estimó el valor del desempeño de cada dimensión y se localizó en el gráfico con cinco ejes. La aplicación de la matriz se realizó en el Consejo de Salud de Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brasil. Se realizó un análisis de documentación, observación de reuniones y entrevistas con 18 consejeros, así como técnicas de recogida de datos. Los resultados demuestran un nivel avanzado de autonomía del consejo con condiciones estructurales adecuadas, aunque con limitaciones en la independencia financiera. La dimensión organización alcanzó el nivel máximo de desempeño con la realización regular de reuniones, disponibilidad de información para los consejeros y funcionamiento de las comisiones temáticas. La representatividad fue la dimensión de peor desempeño, demostrada por la frágil relación de los representantes con las entidades. La dimensión implicación comunitaria presentó un nivel avanzado con una elevada participación de consejeros y no consejeros en las reuniones y perfil de actuación propositivo. La dimensión influencia política obtuvo un nivel intermedio. Se constató una elevada influencia de los representantes sociales en el proceso deliberativo y una diminuta capacidad de seguimiento de las políticas. La matriz utilizada se mostró adecuada y útil para la evaluación de desempeño en los consejos de salud.

Current Activities of the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups.

The Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups is an organization representing the interests of patients and researchers who conduct research through the National Cancer Institute-supported National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN). The NCTN provides a crucial mechanism for executing practice-changing cancer clinical research to achieve both cancer control and development of new therapeutic agents or modality approaches. Public funding, largely through the National Cancer Institute, ensures that the work of the NCTN achieves important research that would not otherwise be accomplished in the private sector. In fall 2017, the Coalition of Cancer Cooperative Groups convened a Scientific Leadership Council to review the current state of the network with regard to research capabilities and to develop a list of research questions to be prioritized by the network. This report presents the results of this meeting, detailing a roadmap for future work by the NCTN.