Association between junk food consumption and fast-food outlet access near school among Quebec secondary-school children: findings from the Quebec Health Survey of High School Students (QHSHSS) 2010-11.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the association between junk food consumption at lunchtime (JCL) and fast-food outlet access near school among secondary-school children in Quebec. DESIGN: A geographic information system database was used to characterize the food environment around a sub-sample of 374 public schools in which 26 655 students were enrolled. The outcome variable was JCL during the previous week, dichotomized into low JCL (none or once) v. high JCL (twice or more). Access to fast-food outlets near school was assessed using an existing database of fast-food outlets in Quebec. Covariates included student (age, sex and self-rated perceived health), family (familial status and parental education) and school (urban/rural status and deprivation) variables. Hierarchical logistic regression models were employed for analyses using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS version 9.3. SETTING: Province of Quebec, Canada. SUBJECTS: We used data from the Quebec Health Survey of High School Students (QHSHSS) 2010-11, a survey of secondary-school Quebec students. RESULTS: Exposure to two or more fast-food outlets within a radius of 750 m around schools was associated with a higher likelihood of excess JCL (OR=1·50; 95 % CI 1·28, 1·75), controlling for the characteristics of the students, their families and their schools. CONCLUSIONS: The food environment surrounding schools can constitute a target for interventions to improve food choices among secondary-school children living in the province of Quebec. Transforming environments around schools to promote healthy eating includes modifying zoning regulations that restrict access to fast-food outlets around schools.

Evaluation of the impact of interdisciplinarity in cancer care.

BACKGROUND: Teamwork is a key component of the health care renewal strategy emphasized in Quebec, elsewhere in Canada and in other countries to enhance the quality of oncology services. While this innovation would appear beneficial in theory, empirical evidences of its impact are limited. Current efforts in Quebec to encourage the development of local interdisciplinary teams in all hospitals offer a unique opportunity to assess the anticipated benefits. These teams working in hospital outpatient clinics are responsible for treatment, follow-up and patient support. The study objective is to assess the impact of interdisciplinarity on cancer patients and health professionals. METHODS/DESIGN: This is a quasi-experimental study with three comparison groups distinguished by intensity of interdisciplinarity: strong, moderate and weak. The study will use a random sample of 12 local teams in Quebec, stratified by intensity of interdisciplinarity. The instrument to measure the intensity of the interdisciplinarity, developed in collaboration with experts, encompasses five dimensions referring to aspects of team structure and process. Self-administered questionnaires will be used to measure the impact of interdisciplinarity on patients (health care utilization, continuity of care and cancer services responsiveness) and on professionals (professional well-being, assessment of teamwork and perception of teamwork climate). Approximately 100 health professionals working on the selected teams and 2000 patients will be recruited. Statistical analyses will include descriptive statistics and comparative analysis of the impact observed according to the strata of interdisciplinarity. Fixed and random multivariate statistical models (multilevel analyses) will also be used. DISCUSSION: This study will pinpoint to what extent interdisciplinarity is linked to quality of care and meets the complex and varied needs of cancer patients. It will ascertain to what extent interdisciplinary teamwork facilitated the work of professionals. Such findings are important given the growing prevalence of cancer and the importance of attracting and retaining health professionals to work with cancer patients.

Governance, health policy implementation and the added value of regionalization.

OBJECTIVES: In this paper we focus on governance and the added value of regionalization in the context of health policy implementation. What are regional boards' patterns of action in the governance process?How do these patterns favour policy implementation? ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK: To enhance our understanding of the role of regional boards in governance processes, we relied on four conceptual constructs that corresponded to models of collective action: political, technocratic, democratic and cognitive. Alongside the four models, we analyzed the impact of governance on health policy implementation using Mazmanian and Sabatier's general analytical framework, which identifies three types of variables that affect public policy implementation: (1) variables related to the complexity of the problem, (2) statutory variables that structure the implementation of the policy and (3) non-statutory variables related to the context. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative, longitudinal case study of the regional implemention of the Program to Combat Cancer in Quebec. FINDINGS: This research stresses the added value of a clinico-administrative governance of change, whereby regional boards, in synergy with clinical leaders, participate in the orientation of collective action. Analysis of the regional board's patterns of action reveals the utility of combined technocratic, democratic, political and cognitive actions.

Clinical leaders at the forefront of change in health-care systems: advantages and issues. Lessons learned from the evaluation of the implementation of an integrated oncological services network.

Based on lessons learned from the evaluation of the implementation of an integrated oncological services network in Québec, this paper discusses the following question: to what extent is strong clinical leadership a propitious means of transforming health-care systems, especially when the change leads to significant evolution in inter-professional and inter-organizational relations? Through a qualitative case study, we analysed the exercising of leadership by studying over time the clinical leaders' initiatives while trying to understand the sources of influence, the nature of the tactics adopted and their consequences for the degree of integration of health services. This study seems to show that clinical leadership is effective but limited. We conclude that a constellation of clinical, administrative and political leaders found at different levels of the health-care system offers more promise of positive change for the health-care system.

[Service integration on a local basis : advantages and limits.]. / L'intégration des services sur une base locale : acquis et limites.

This article describes an experience of integration of services to people with mental health disorders on a local basis. The experience took place in a rural region between 1998 and 2001 and was funded by the Fonds pour l'adaptation des services de santé (FASS). The authors describe th specific context of the experience, the intervention model which includes integration of health services on a population level as well as specific interventions for mental health patients. The authors then evaluate the experience and more particularly, its implementation on the basis of the concept of partnership. Dyadic relationships between institutional, non institutional protagonists and consumers are examined. After emphasizing the advantages of such an experience, the authors discuss the limits and particular stakes of such a project in the context of mental health.