A Longitudinal Analysis of Wait Times for Bariatric Surgery in a Publicly Funded, Regionalized Bariatric Care System.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is proven to be the most effective strategy for management of obesity and its related comorbidities. However, in Canada, patients awaiting bariatric surgery can be subjected to prolonged wait times, thereby subjecting them to increased morbidity and mortality, as well as decreased psychosocial well-being. OBJECTIVE: To assess the factors associated with prolonged wait times for bariatric surgery within a publicly funded, provincial bariatric network. METHODS: This was a retrospective population-based study of all patients aged > 18 years who were referred for bariatric surgery from April 2009 to May 2015 using linked administrative databases to capture patient demographic data, socioeconomic variables, healthcare utilization, and institutional factors. The main outcome of interest was a wait time greater than 18 months. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 18,854 patients underwent bariatric surgery from April 2009 to December 2016, of which 2407 patients experienced wait times of > 18 months. On average, yearly wait times have increased for patients receiving surgery with wait times of 10.98 months (SD 5.48) in 2010 and 13.09 (SD 6.69) in 2016 (p < 0.001). Increasing age (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05-1.19, p = 0.0004), BMI (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.04-1.11, p < 0.001), and male gender (OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.28-1.70, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with increased bariatric surgery wait times. Additionally, smoking status (OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.09-1.97, p = 0.0118) and obesity-related comorbidities particularly diabetes (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.14-1.44, p < 0.001) and heart failure (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.43-2.07, p < 0.001) were correlated with prolonged wait times for surgery. Socioeconomic variables including disability (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.38-1.92, p < 0.001) and immigration status (OR 1.35, 95% 1.11-1.64, p = 0.003) were correlated with increased odds of longer wait times, as were regions with regionalized assessment and treatment centres (RATC) when referenced against centers of excellence (COEs) in number of days added with 20.45 (95% CI 13.20-27.70, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Wait times for bariatric surgery in a publicly funded, regionalized bariatric program are influenced by certain patient characteristics, socioeconomic variables, and institutional factors. This warrants further intervention and study to help improve these inequities when encountering potentially vulnerable populations awaiting bariatric surgery.

Lessons learned from the fight against COVID-19 in the Great Maghreb. Five lessons for a better response.

OBJECTIVE: Identify the lessons learned in the Greater Maghreb, during the first semester of the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in the field of response. METHODS: During the first week of May 2020, a consultation of experts was conducted, using the "Delphi" technique, through an email asking each of them, the drafting of a good practice recommendation for "Public health". The Group coordinator finalized the text of the lessons, later validated by the signatories of the manuscript. RESULTS: Five lessons of good «response¼ against epidemics have been deduced and approved by Maghreb experts, linked to the following aspects: 1. Total reservation of hospital beds for patients; 2. Clinical management of the response; 3. Discreet conflict of interest; 4. Community participation in the response; 5. Contextualization of the global fight strategy. CONCLUSION: Based on the finding of low relevance of the Maghreb response against COVID-19, this list of lessons would help support the performance of Maghreb health systems in the management of epidemics.

A ação coletiva e a cooperação no Sistema Único de Saúde / Collective action and cooperation in the Unified Health System

Resumo Embora o princípio de regionalização dos serviços de saúde conste em documentos oficiais e norteie a organização atual do Sistema Único de Saúde, esse processo depende em certa medida da ação coletiva e da cooperação entre os entes federados. Consideram-se a ação coletiva e a cooperação como elementos de políticas federativas e como comportamento social. Nesta perspectiva, buscou-se analisar como a ação coletiva e a cooperação são abordadas nos documentos oficiais de regulamentação e organização das políticas de saúde que tratam da regionalização. Trata-se de uma análise documental de 16 normas oficiais, publicadas entre 1988 e 2018, e discussão do tema, apoiado sobretudo nos referenciais de coletividade e institucionalidade política. Para a análise dos documentos oficiais, utilizou-se a técnica de análise do conteúdo. Os resultados apontam que a ação coletiva e a cooperação são abordadas em documentos oficiais, especialmente pelos vocábulos "solidariedade" e "cogestão", e que as políticas de regionalização possuem caráter altamente normativo. Sua implementação dependerá de mecanismos de coordenação, coerção e recompensa, além de aspectos relacionados à gestão dos serviços, como equilíbrio entre os interesses coletivos e individuais, e a construção de identidades sociais entre gestores com vistas à cogestão.

Abstract Although the principle of regionalization of health services is contained in official documents and guides the current organization of the Unified Health System, this process depends to a certain extent on collective action and cooperation between federated entities. Collective action and cooperation are considered elements of federal policies and social behavior. In this perspective, we sought to analyze how collective action and cooperation are addressed in the official documents of regulation and organization of health policies that deal with regionalization. It is a documentary analysis of 16 official norms, published between 1988 and 2018, and discussion of the theme, supported mainly by the collective and political institutional frameworks. For the analysis of official documents, the technique of content analysis was used. The results show that collective action and cooperation are addressed in official documents, especially by the words "solidarity" and "co-management", and that regionalization policies have a highly normative character. Its implementation will depend on coordination, coercion, and reward mechanisms, as well as aspects related to the management of services, such as balance between collective and individual interests, and the construction of social identities between managers with a view to co-management.

Tunisian documentation of «Public Health¼ in post revolution, with a taste of freedom. For a fair, participatory and efficient National Health System.

CONTEXT: Following the Tunisian revolution of 2010/2011, a new Public Health literature emerged, by the ministerial departments as well as the civil society, which was marked by the transparency and the comprehensiveness of the approach. OBJECTIVE: To identify the key ideas of the new Tunisian Public Health discourse, reconciling the principles of a globalizing paradigm with the health problems of a country in transition. METHODS: During this qualitative research, a selected series of three Tunisian reports of Public Health, published in the first quinquennium of the revolution, was read by an independent team of experts in Public Health, not having contributed to their elaboration, to identify the consensual foundations of the new Public Health discourse. These documents were: the "2011 Health Map" of the Department of Studies and Planning of the Ministry of Health, the "Societal Dialogue Report on Health Policies, Strategies and Plans" (2014), and the "Report on the right to health in Tunisia" (2016). RESULTS: The reading of this sample of the Tunisian Public Health literature of the post-revolution brought out three consensual ideas: 1. The constitutional principle of the "right to health" (article 38 of the constitution) with its corollary the State's obligation to ensure access to comprehensive, quality and secure care; 2. The challenge of social "inequalities" of access to care, reinforced by a regional disparity in the distribution of resources, particularly high-tech (specialist doctors, university structures); 3. Advocacy for a National Health System, based on a universal health coverage for its funding and citizen participation in its governance. CONCLUSION: The new Tunisian Public Health literature, in post-revolution, calls on all stakeholders in Preventive and Community Medicine to replace their segmental, technical and hospital practices with a new approach, centered on the implementation of a National Health System that is based on a socialized financing of care and citizen participation in its management.

Value of a national administrative database to guide public decisions: From the système national d'information interrégimes de l'Assurance Maladie (SNIIRAM) to the système national des données de santé (SNDS) in France.

In 1999, French legislators asked health insurance funds to develop a système national d'information interrégimes de l'Assurance Maladie (SNIIRAM) [national health insurance information system] in order to more precisely determine and evaluate health care utilization and health care expenditure of beneficiaries. These data, based on almost 66 million inhabitants in 2015, have already been the subject of numerous international publications on various topics: prevalence and incidence of diseases, patient care pathways, health status and health care utilization of specific populations, real-life use of drugs, assessment of adverse effects of drugs or other health care procedures, monitoring of national health insurance expenditure, etc. SNIIRAM comprises individual information on the sociodemographic and medical characteristics of beneficiaries and all hospital care and office medicine reimbursements, coded according to various systems. Access to data is controlled by permissions dependent on the type of data requested or used, their temporality and the researcher's status. In general, data can be analyzed by accredited agencies over a period covering the last three years plus the current year, and specific requests can be submitted to extract data over longer periods. A 1/97th random sample of SNIIRAM, the échantillon généraliste des bénéficiaires (EGB), representative of the national population of health insurance beneficiaries, was composed in 2005 to allow 20-year follow-up with facilitated access for medical research. The EGB is an open cohort, which includes new beneficiaries and newborn infants. SNIIRAM has continued to grow and extend to become, in 2016, the cornerstone of the future système national des données de santé (SNDS) [national health data system], which will gradually integrate new information (causes of death, social and medical data and complementary health insurance). In parallel, the modalities of data access and protection systems have also evolved. This article describes the SNIIRAM data warehouse and its transformation into SNDS, the data collected, the tools developed in order to facilitate data analysis, the limitations encountered, and changing access permissions.

La administración en salud, componente de desarrollo de la salud pública / Health management as a component of the development of the public health care

La salud pública como esfuerzo organizado de la sociedad y el estado por la salud, bienestar y la calidad de vida trasciende a los servicios de salud, razón por lo cual se hacen más complejos los procesos de conducción. Por lo tanto, se requiere dirigir con fundamentos científicos, con claridad de que la gerencia en salud o administración en salud es ciencia, además de técnica y arte y sumado al nivel de integración externa del sector de la salud con otros sectores es necesario considerar a la Intersectorialidad, componente político y tecnológico de la gerencia imprescindible para dar respuesta de solución a la determinación social de la salud. El interpretar la importancia de la conducción de los sistemas de salud no ha sido fácil en el transitar de la historia, incluso se ha considerado a veces que la insostenibilidad de buenos sistemas de salud, o la imposibilidad de otros para alcanzar resultados de excelencia ha sido solo por carecer del dinero suficiente. La pregunta básica debiera estar orientada a explicarnos, qué estamos haciendo con el que tenemos pues no se trata de producir salud al precio que sea; lo que se requiere es hacer la mayor y mejor salud posible con los recursos que están a nuestra disposición. Esa correspondencia del saber hacer con los recursos disponibles requiere del dominio de la administración en salud. Para que los sistemas de salud sean en realidad una inversión y no un gasto, es necesario resolver numerosos problemas de estrategias, organización, procesos, competencias profesionales, toma de decisiones, descentralización, capacidad de cambio y liderazgo, sin los cuales seguiremos apareciendo como los grandes gastadores y esa no es la idea. La razón de ser de la gerencia en salud es lograr crecer en calidad y oportunidad de hacer más y mejor salud empleando la menor cantidad de recursos posibles, para lo cual se dispone de los instrumentos y las tecnologías de cómo hacerlo. A los que trabajamos el campo de la administración de la salud, nos corresponde lograr que esto se entienda y se haga. La Administración o Gerencia de la Salud Pública, requiere de un sostenido fortalecimiento y la necesidad de fomentar la conciencia de su importancia. Esto constituye, en estos tiempos, una prioridad no solo en la formación y preparación de los directivos sino sobre todo en la generalización de una cultura gerencial que influya en la concepción y operación de las estrategias, de las estructuras, de los modelos y del modo cómo el servicio es organizado, prestado y asegurado, siempre pensando en la mejor salud con el uso más racional de los recursos. Si no se parte de esta concepción, cualquier sistema por muy bueno que sea, corre el riesgo de perder sostenibilidad(AU)

Prevention of Non-communicable Diseases by Balanced Nutrition: Population- specific Effective Public Health Approaches in Developing Countries.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, the developing countries are afflicted with the dual burden of disease - non-communicable diseases (NCDs) becoming a major public health challenge. It is projected that in near future, NCDs will account for nearly 70% of the mortality in developing world. Caused due to lifestyle related factors, there is an upsurge in the incidence of overweight/obesity, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancers, respiratory diseases and mental illnesses. Appropriate dietary practices, increased physical activity, weight management, abstinence from tobacco/substance use and alcohol abuse play an important role in their prevention and management. This narrative review highlights the role of various dietary components - both nutrient and non-nutrient, in the prevention and risk reduction of NCDs. METHOD: It is a comprehensive overview of various experimental researches, observational studies, clinical trials, epidemiological studies, pooled/meta-analyses and reviews carried out globally, particularly the developing nations. Studies were retrieved by an extensive search of the online PubMed/Medline, SciVerse Scopus databases using individual/combination of several keywords like non-communicable diseases, energy, various nutrients, sugar sweetened beverages, functional foods, tea, coffee, spices/condiments/herbs, animal foods, nuts and oil seeds, physical activity, dietary practices, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, T2DM, respiratory diseases, lifestyle modifications, tobacco, smoking, alcohol and public health approaches. The review also highlights several preventive approaches for curbing NCDs in the developing world with special emphasis on dietary factors. CONCLUSION: Since the occurrence of NCDs is marked by a cumulative effect of various risk factors, urgent collective actions are needed to avert/prevent the same effectively.

¿Es suficiente el recurso humano nutricionista en el sistema hospitalario público en Chile?: Una deuda pendiente / Adequacy of nutritionist (dietician) resources in Chilean public hospitals

Background: Human resource deficit is an important management problem in Chilean public hospitals. Aim: To analyze the adequacy of Nutritionist (Dietician) resources in public hospitals. Material and Methods: A questionnaire about Nutritionist resources was sent to head Nutritionists of all public Chilean hospitals, asking about the number of Nutritionists per service, number of hospital beds and number of daily rations served. Results were analyzed based on the Technical Guideline about Nutritional and Feeding Services of public hospitals issued by the Chilean Ministry of Health in 2005. Results: According to the guideline, there should be 1,396 nutritionists working in public hospitals and the results of the survey showed that there were only 603 professionals with a 57% deficit. Conclusions: There is a huge gap between the amount of Nutritionists (Dieticians) required and those effectively working in public hospitals.

Global health diplomacy, national integration, and regional development through the monitoring and evaluation of HIV/AIDS programs in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, and Samoa.

The South Pacific countries of Vanuatu, Samoa, and Papua New Guinea have ascended rapidly up the development spectrum in recent years, refining an independent and post-colonial economic and political identity that enhances their recognition on the world stage. All three countries have overcome economic, political and public health challenges in order to stake their claim to sovereignty. In this regard, the contributions of national and international programs for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, with specific reference to their monitoring and evaluation (M&E) aspects, have contributed not just to public health, but also to broader political and diplomatic goals such as 'nation-building'. This perspective describes the specific contributions of global health programs to the pursuit of national integration, development, and regional international relations, in Vanuatu, Samoa and Papua New Guinea, respectively, based on in-country M&E activities on behalf of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) during 2014 and 2015. Key findings include: (1) that global health programs contribute to non-health goals; (2) that HIV/AIDS programs promote international relations, decentralized development, and internal unity; (3) that arguments in favour of the maintenance and augmentation of global health funding may be enhanced on this basis; and (4) that "smart" global health approaches have been successful in South Pacific countries.

Building the evidence for decision-making: the relationship between local public health capacity and community mortality.

OBJECTIVES: We examined associations between local health department (LHD) spending, staffing, and services and community health outcomes in North Carolina. METHODS: We analyzed LHD investments and community mortality in North Carolina from 2005 through 2010. We obtained LHD spending, staffing, and services data from the National Association of City and County Health Officials 2005 and 2008 profile surveys. Five mortality rates were constructed using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mortality files, North Carolina vital statistics data, and census data for LHD service jurisdictions: heart disease, cancer, diabetes, pneumonia and influenza, and infant mortality. RESULTS: Spending, staffing, and services varied widely by location and over time in the 85 North Carolina LHDs. A 1% increase in full-time-equivalent staffing (per 1000 population) was associated with decrease of 0.01 infant deaths per 1000 live births (P < .05). Provision of women and children's services was associated with a reduction of 1 to 2 infant deaths per 1000 live births (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings, in the context of other studies, provide support for investment in local public health services to improve community health.

Alternativas de gerência de unidades públicas de saúde / Alternatives of management of public health units

Alternativas de Gerência de Unidades Públicas de Saúde apresenta os modelos de gerência da Administração Pública Brasileira, a Lei n. 13.019/2014 e um levantamento feito nos estados sobre os modelos de gerência de unidades públicas de saúde.

A public health framework for developing local preventive services guidelines.

In this article, we describe the San Francisco Department of Public Health's (SFDPH's) framework for developing evidence-based screening and vaccination recommendations. We first reviewed our local data using surveillance and syndemic data. We then compiled and compared existing federal, state, and local recommendations. Then we identified differences as compared with our local evidence; where more evidence was required to make a recommendation, we culled from additional data sources and conducted additional analyses. Lastly, we developed our guidelines by confirming existing recommendations or making new recommendations based on this process. In the end, we successfully developed evidence-based clinical screening and prevention guidelines that have been adopted by the SFDPH Health Commission. We encourage the use of this framework in other public health settings at the local level.

The antibiotic resistance and prescribing in European Children project: a neonatal and pediatric antimicrobial web-based point prevalence survey in 73 hospitals worldwide.

BACKGROUND: The neonatal and pediatric antimicrobial point prevalence survey (PPS) of the Antibiotic Resistance and Prescribing in European Children project (http://www.arpecproject.eu/) aims to standardize a method for surveillance of antimicrobial use in children and neonates admitted to the hospital within Europe. This article describes the audit criteria used and reports overall country-specific proportions of antimicrobial use. An analytical review presents methodologies on antimicrobial use. METHODS: A 1-day PPS on antimicrobial use in hospitalized children was organized in September 2011, using a previously validated and standardized method. The survey included all inpatient pediatric and neonatal beds and identified all children receiving an antimicrobial treatment on the day of survey. Mandatory data were age, gender, (birth) weight, underlying diagnosis, antimicrobial agent, dose and indication for treatment. Data were entered through a web-based system for data-entry and reporting, based on the WebPPS program developed for the European Surveillance of Antimicrobial Consumption project. RESULTS: There were 2760 and 1565 pediatric versus 1154 and 589 neonatal inpatients reported among 50 European (n = 14 countries) and 23 non-European hospitals (n = 9 countries), respectively. Overall, antibiotic pediatric and neonatal use was significantly higher in non-European (43.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 41.3-46.3% and 39.4%; 95% CI: 35.5-43.4%) compared with that in European hospitals (35.4; 95% CI: 33.6-37.2% and 21.8%; 95% CI: 19.4-24.2%). Proportions of antibiotic use were highest in hematology/oncology wards (61.3%; 95% CI: 56.2-66.4%) and pediatric intensive care units (55.8%; 95% CI: 50.3-61.3%). CONCLUSIONS: An Antibiotic Resistance and Prescribing in European Children standardized web-based method for a 1-day PPS was successfully developed and conducted in 73 hospitals worldwide. It offers a simple, feasible and sustainable way of data collection that can be used globally.

Competencias esenciales en salud pública: un marco regional para las Américas / Core competencies in public health: a regional framework for the Americas

Se describe la respuesta a un llamado de la Organización Panamericana de la Salud, realizado en 2010, para conformar el Marco Regional de Competencias Esenciales en Salud Pública, con el propósito de apoyar a los Estados de las Américas en sus esfuerzos por fortalecer las capacidades de sus sistemas de salud pública, en tanto estrategia para el desempeño óptimo de las Funciones Esenciales de Salud Pública. El proceso metodológico de dicha respuesta se dividió en cuatro fases. En la primera se convocó a un equipo de expertos que definieron la metodología a seguir durante un taller en el Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública de México en 2010. La segunda fase fue la constitución de grupos de trabajo, utilizando dos criterios: experiencia y composición multidisciplinaria, lo cual derivó en un equipo regional con 225 integrantes de 12 países. Estos equipos elaboraron una propuesta inicial de 88 competencias. En la tercera fase se realizó una validación cruzada de las competencias, cuyo número se redujo a 64. Durante la cuarta fase, que incluyó dos talleres en marzo (Medellín, Colombia) y junio (Lima, Perú) de 2011, las discusiones se centraron en analizar la correspondencia de los resultados con la metodología.

The response is described to the 2010 call from the Pan American Health Organization to develop a Regional Framework on Core Competencies in Public Health, with a view to supporting the efforts of the countries in the Americas to build public health systems capacity as a strategy for optimal performance of the Essential Public Health Functions. The methodological process for the response was divided into four phases. In the first, a team of experts was convened who defined the methodology to be used during a workshop at the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico in 2010. The second phase involved formation of the working groups, using two criteria: experience and multidisciplinary membership, which resulted in a regional team with 225 members from 12 countries. This team prepared an initial proposal with 88 competencies. In the third phase, the competencies were cross-validated and their number reduced to 64. During the fourth phase, which included two workshops, in March 2011 (Medellín, Colombia) and June 2011 (Lima, Peru), discussions centered on analyzing the association between the results and the methodology.

Diagnóstico de la capacidad para el ejercicio de las funciones esenciales de salud pública en países de Mesoamérica, los estados mexicanos de Chiapas y Quintana Roo y la República Dominicana / Diagnosis of capacity to perform essential public health functions in the Central American countries, the Dominican Republic, and the Mexican states of Chiapas and Quintana Roo

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar la capacidad para el desempeño de las funciones esenciales de la salud pública (FESP) de las instituciones públicas y privadas en países de Mesoamérica, los estados mexicanos de Chiapas y Quintana Roo y la República Dominicana. MÉTODOS: Se aplicó una encuesta en línea a 83 organizaciones de Belice, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panamá, la República Dominicana y los estados mexicanos de Chiapas y Quintana Roo sobre la capacidad de cumplir cada una de las 11 FESP. Los resultados se validaron en un taller con representantes de los ministerios de salud de los siete países y los dos estados mexicanos participantes. RESULTADOS: La mayor capacidad para el desempeño se identificó en la FESP 1 (monitoreo, evaluación y análisis del estado de salud de la población), la FESP 2.1.1 (vigilancia, investigación y control de riesgos y amenazas a la salud pública para enfermedades infecciosas) y la FESP 5 (desarrollo de políticas y planificación en salud). La mayor debilidad se encontró en la FESP 2.1.2 (vigilancia, investigación y monitoreo de las enfermedades no infecciosas). Las asimetrías en el desempeño de las FESP al interior de cada país indican debilidades en las funciones de los laboratorios y de la investigación en salud pública. CONCLUSIONES: Se requiere mejorar el desempeño estratégico en la mayor parte de las FESP en los países y territorios analizados y reforzar la infraestructura, el equipamiento y los recursos humanos, tanto a nivel estratégico como táctico. Se debe aplicar un enfoque regional para aprovechar la capacidad diferencial con vistas al fortalecimiento y el apoyo técnico cooperativo.

OBJECTIVE: Characterize the capacity of public and private institutions in the Central American countries, the Dominican Republic, and the Mexican states of Chiapas and Quintana Roo to perform essential public health functions (EPHFs). METHODS: An online survey of 83 organizations in Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Mexican states of Chiapas and Quintana Roo was conducted to learn about their capacity to perform each of the 11 EPHFs. The results were validated in a workshop with representatives of the ministries of health from the seven countries and the two participating Mexican states. RESULTS: High levels of performance capacity were found most often for EPHF 1 (monitoring, evaluation, and analysis of health status of the population), EPHF 2.1.1 (surveillance, research, and control of risks and threats to public health from infectious diseases), and EPHF 5 (policy development and health planning). The greatest weakness was found in EPHF 2.1.2 (surveillance, research, and monitoring of noninfectious diseases). Asymmetries in EPHF performance within each country mainly revealed weaknesses in the laboratory and public health research functions. CONCLUSIONS: In the countries and territories analyzed, there is a need to improve strategic performance in most of the EPHFs, as well as to strengthen infrastructure, upgrade equipment, and further develop human resources at both the strategic and the tactical levels. A regional approach should be used to take advantage of the different levels of capacity, with a view to greater strengthening and enhanced technical support and cooperation.

Outcome evaluation of a state comprehensive cancer control plan: laying the foundation.

CONTEXT: Rigorous outcome evaluation is essential to monitor progress toward achieving goals and objectives in comprehensive cancer control plans (CCCPs). OBJECTIVE: This report describes a systematic approach for an initial outcome evaluation of a CCCP. DESIGN: Using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention evaluation framework, the evaluation focused on (1) organizing cancer plan objectives by anatomic site and risk factors, (2) rating each according to clarity and data availability, (3) the subsequent evaluation of clearly stated objectives with available outcome data, and (4) mapping allocation of implementation grants for local cancer control back to the CCCP objectives. SETTING: South Carolina. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Evaluation outcomes included (1) a detailed account of CCCP objectives by topic area, (2) a systematic rating of level of clarity and availability of data to measure CCCP objectives, (3) a systematic assessment of attainment of measurable objectives, and (4) a summary of how cancer control grant funds were allocated and mapped to CCCP objectives. RESULTS: A system was developed to evaluate the extent to which cancer plan objectives were measurable as written with data available for monitoring. Twenty-one of 64 objectives (33%) in the South Carolina's CCCP were measurable as written with data available. Of the 21 clear and measurable objectives, 38% were not met, 38% were partially met, and 24% were met. Grant allocations were summarized across CCCP chapters, revealing that prevention and early detection were the most heavily funded CCCP areas. CONCLUSIONS: This evaluation highlights a practical, rigorous approach for generating evidence required to monitor progress, enhance planning efforts, and recommend improvements to a CCCP.

[The use of management contracts and professional incentives in the public health sector]. / O uso de contratos de gestão e incentivos profissionais no setor público de saúde.

Results-based management is a cornerstone of reform in public administration, including the health field, and has become the basis for other innovations such as the institutionalization of management contracts and the use of professional incentives. This review article aims to introduce and discuss the use of such management contracts in the public health sector. Management by results has developed means and tools that highlight the importance of shared responsibility and mutual commitment between workers and management-level directors. Thus, preset goals are negotiated among all the stakeholders and are evaluated periodically in order to grant professional incentives. It is necessary to improve the mechanisms for control and observation, to more precisely determine the healthcare and management indicators and their patterns, to train stakeholders in designing the plan, and to improve the use of professional incentives in order to effectively increase accountability vis-à-vis the desired results.