scholarly journals Ethics, health policy-making and the economic crisis: a qualitative interview study with European policy-makers

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Brall ◽  
Peter Schröder-Bäck ◽  
Rouven Porz ◽  
Farhang Tahzib ◽  
Helmut Brand
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Moral Concern ◽  
European Policy ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Decision Taking

Abstract Background The economic crisis posed various challenges to policy-makers who had to decide on which health policy measures to focus on and on which to refrain from. The aim of this research was to assess the relevance of ethics and to highlight ethical dimensions in decision-taking by policy-makers with regard to policy and priority-setting in health systems posed by the economic crisis. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with eight European policy-makers from six countries. Results All interviewees recalled difficult and strenuous situations where they had to prioritise between distinct areas to focus on and invest in, for example around choices between prioritising medications, health professional staffing, care specific equipment, or urgent infrastructure issues. Values could be identified which they deemed as important within the policy-making process, such as trust and responsibility. They explicitly expressed the need for ethical tools and assistance in terms of policy advice for reaching morally sustainable decisions in health policy matters. Conclusions The study showed that ethical concepts and values frequently come into play in health policy-making, and that ethics is highly relevant in policy-makers’ daily decision-taking, yet that they lack ethical guidance on what to base their decisions. The study is of relevance since it can provide future decisions on austerity-related issues with an ethical underpinning and could identify areas of moral concern.

scholarly journals Understanding needs and barriers to using geospatial tools for public health policymaking in China

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dohyeong Kim ◽  
Yingyuan Zhang ◽  
Chang Kil Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Geographical Information Systems ◽  
Geographical Information ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Adoption And Implementation ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Geospatial Tools

Despite growing popularity of using geographical information systems and geospatial tools in public health fields, these tools are only rarely implemented in health policy management in China. This study examines the barriers that could prevent policy-makers from applying such tools to actual managerial processes related to public health problems that could be assisted by such approaches, e.g. evidence-based policy-making. A questionnaire-based survey of 127 health-related experts and other stakeholders in China revealed that there is a consensus on the needs and demands for the use of geospatial tools, which shows that there is a more unified opinion on the matter than so far reported. Respondents pointed to lack of communication and collaboration among stakeholders as the most significant barrier to the implementation of geospatial tools. Comparison of survey results to those emanating from a similar study in Bangladesh revealed different priorities concerning the use of geospatial tools between the two countries. In addition, the follow-up in-depth interviews highlighted the political culture specific to China as a critical barrier to adopting new tools in policy development. Other barriers included concerns over the limited awareness of the availability of advanced geospatial tools. Taken together, these findings can facilitate a better understanding among policy-makers and practitioners of the challenges and opportunities for widespread adoption and implementation of a geospatial approach to public health policy-making in China.

Participation of Iranian non-governmental organizations in health policy-making; barriers and strategies for development

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-56
Author(s):  
Rahim Khodayari-Zarnaq ◽  
Edris Kakemam ◽  
Morteza Arab-Zozani ◽  
Jamal Rasouli ◽  
Mobin Sokhanvar
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Governmental Organization ◽  
Governmental Organizations ◽  
Non Governmental Organizations ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe effectiveness of non-governmental organization (NGO) participation in the healthcare sector has been demonstrated globally. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the status of Iranian NGOs’ contribution to health policy-making, the barriers to and strategies for developing their contribution.Design/methodology/approachIn this qualitative study, 25 participants were recruited from health-related NGOs in Tabriz, Iran. Semi-structured, in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted. Furthermore, a set of relevant documents were collected and their contents evaluated. The text of documents and interviews were analyzed using a thematic (deductive–inductive) approach using NVivo software.FindingsMost NGO activity has been in the area of providing services, whereas the least amount of activity has been in the domain of policy-making. Factors that were influential for NGO participation in policy-making were divided into three categories: those related to government, to civil society and within NGOs themselves. The primary barriers to participation in policy-making were related to government and the way that NGOs operated. Recommendations include the production of supportive law, financial aid to NGO and infrastructure that facilitates NGO participation.Practical implicationsFinancial support from the government and legislation of supportive laws could help to realize the potential of NGOs.Originality/valueNo such research has been undertaken before to evaluate what activities health-related NGOs undertake, their contribution in health policy-making and obstacles and facilitators of this contribution. NGOs can play a key role in ensuring accountability, transparency and empower citizens to demand basic health services from government.

scholarly journals Do Changes in Welfare and Health Policy Affect Life Satisfaction of Older Citizens in Europe?

2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marinela Olaroiu ◽  
Ioana Dana Alexa ◽  
Wim J. A. van den Heuvel
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Well Being ◽  
European Countries ◽  
National Surveys ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Older Citizens

Objectives. Ageing of societies causes serious political concerns on well-being of old citizens and care for the (frail) old. These concerns increased with the economic crisis of 2008. In European countries policy measures were taken to deal with the consequences of this crisis. This study explores the possible effects of these measures on life satisfaction of older citizens. Methods. Life satisfaction was assessed through international surveys in 2007 and 2013 and changes in societal conditions, using eight indicators on demography, welfare, and health, are assessed in 31 European countries in 2006 and in 2014. Data are standardised and based on official, national surveys and statistics. Results. The former found that U-shape relationship between age and life satisfaction disappeared after the crisis. Negative changes in social protection and care arrangements, taken after the economic crisis, are related to low life satisfaction in old citizens. Conclusions. Various societal conditions deteriorated in 2014 as compared to 2006. Policy measures, taken due to the 2008 economic crisis, have changed societal conditions and affected life satisfaction of older citizens negatively. In countries with a rudimentary structure of health and welfare provisions old citizens could not cope with the imposed policy measures.

scholarly journals How to Create a Successful Regional Startup Ecosystem: A Policy-making Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 747-768
Author(s):  
Ales Pustovrh ◽  
Marko Jaklič ◽  
Domen Bole ◽  
Blaž Zupan
Keyword(s):  
Policy Making ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
East Europe ◽  
Business Environments ◽  
South East Europe ◽  
Support Measures ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Levels Of Support ◽  
Different Levels

The paper analyses regional startup ecosystems in South-East Europe and policy measures implemented in individual ecosystems. It shows that different startup ecosystems have different levels of support measures and different levels of success in creating, growing and retaining local startups and attracting startups from other regions. Results show that policy-makers can help create attractive ecosystems and thus create business environments that can greatly enhance the attraction of their ecosystem for domestic startup and attract foreign startups. If successful, this can result in a virtuous circle of constantly increasing attractiveness of a regional startup ecosystem.

scholarly journals ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF COVID-19 DATA: EVIDENCE FROM NEWCOMB-BENFORD LAW

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hrvoje Jošić ◽  
Berislav Žmuk
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Individual Country ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The World ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Benford Law ◽  
Made In

The COVID-19 infection started in Wuhan, China, spreading all over the world, creating global healthcare and economic crisis. Countries all over the world are fighting hard against this pandemic; however, there are doubts on the reported number of cases. In this paper Newcomb-Benford Law is used for the detection of possible false number of reported COVID-19 cases. The analysis, when all countries have been observed together, showed that there is a doubt that countries potentially falsify their data of new COVID-19 cases of infection intentionally. When the analysis was lowered on the individual country level, it was shown that most countries do not diminish their numbers of new COVID-19 cases deliberately. It was found that distributions of COVID-19 data for 15% to 19% of countries for the first digit analysis and 30% to 39% of countries for the last digit analysis do not conform with the Newcomb-Benford Law distribution. Further investigation should be made in this field in order to validate the results of this research. The results obtained from this paper can be important for economic and health policy makers in order to guide COVID-19 surveillance and implement public health policy measures.

scholarly journals Policy options to increase motivation for improving evidence-informed health policy-making in Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haniye Sadat Sajadi ◽  
Reza Majdzadeh ◽  
Elham Ehsani-Chimeh ◽  
Bahareh Yazdizadeh ◽  
Sima Nikooee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Policy Making ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Research Impact ◽  
Comparative Case Study ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Policy Options ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Conducting Research

Abstract Background Current incentive programmes are not sufficient to motivate researchers and policy-makers to use research evidence in policy-making. We conducted a mixed-methods design to identify context-based policy options for strengthening motivations among health researchers and policy-makers to support evidence-informed health policy-making (EIHP) in Iran. Methods This study was conducted in 2019 in two phases. In the first phase, we conducted a scoping review to extract interventions implemented or proposed to strengthen motivations to support EIHP. Additionally, we employed a comparative case study design for reviewing the performance evaluation (PE) processes in Iran and other selected countries to determine the current individual and organizational incentives to encourage EIHP. In the second phase, we developed two policy briefs and then convened two policy dialogues, with 12 and 8 key informants, respectively, where the briefs were discussed. Data were analysed using manifest content analysis in order to propose contextualized policy options. Results The policy options identified to motivate health researchers and policy-makers to support EIHP in Iran were: revising the criteria of academic PE; designing appropriate incentive programmes for nonacademic researchers; developing an indicator for the evaluation of research impact on policy-making or health outcomes; revising the current policies of scientific journals; revising existing funding mechanisms; presenting the knowledge translation plan when submitting a research proposal, as a mandatory condition; encouraging and supporting mechanisms for increasing interactions between policy-makers and researchers; and revising some administrative processes (e.g. managers and staff PEs; selection, appointment, and changing managers and reward mechanisms). Conclusions The current individual or organizational incentives are mainly focused on publications, rather than encouraging researchers and policy-makers to support EIHP. Relying more on incentives that consider the other impacts of research (e.g. impacts on health system and policy, or health outcomes) is recommended. These incentives may encourage individuals and organizations to be more involved in conducting research evidence, resulting in promoting EIHP. Trial registration NA.

A Web-based Spatial DSS for estimating biomass-to-energy supply in Thessaly

2011 ◽  
pp. 450-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stelios Rozakis
Keyword(s):  
Energy Supply ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Comprehensive Analysis ◽  
Energy Crop ◽  
European Policy ◽  
Spatial Decision Support ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Policy Measures

Biomass-to-energy projects have become attractive these days because of recent European policy measures that attempt to address acute environmental, agricultural and energy challenges accumulated during the last 30 years. Bio-energy issues constitute spatially dependent problems by definition due to the state-of-the-art technology and the bulky nature of biomass. Moreover, biomass profitability is linked to the structure and perspectives of the arable cropping systems since these are able to supply considerable quantities in the short and medium term required to fulfil the ambitious targets aimed at by policy makers. Therefore, appropriate tools are necessary to enable a comprehensive analysis and support decisions of policy makers, industry, researchers and farmers. Spatial Decision Support Systems that have been developed to support bio-energy decisions are used as a basis enhanced by a web-based interface, in this exercise resulting in a Web-SDSS. This tool is implemented in Thessaly, the most significant arable cropping region in Greece, in order to evaluate selected energy crop supply. The methodology and architecture of this tool are detailed in this paper, followed by an illustrative description of its operational version implemented in ex-tobacco producing areas.

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