scholarly journals Cross-national Comparisons of Health Indicators Require Standardized Definitions and Common Data Sources

Author(s):  
Hanna Tolonen ◽  
Jaakko Reinikainen ◽  
Päivikki Koponen ◽  
Hanna Elonheimo ◽  
Luigi Palmieri ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Health indicators are used to monitor the health status and determinants of health of the population and population sub-groups, identify existing or emerging health problems which would require prevention and health promotion activities, help to target health care resources in the most adequate way as well as for evaluation of the success of public health actions both at the national and international level. The quality and validity of the health indicator depends both on available data and used indicator definition. In this study we will evaluate existing knowledge about comparability of different data sources for definition of health indicators, compare how selected health indicators presented in different international databases possibly differ, and finally, present the results from a case study from Finland on comparability of health indicators derived from different data sources at national level. Methods For comparisons, four health indicators were selected that were commonly available in international databases and available for the Finnish case study, were selected. These were prevalence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and asthma in the adult populations. Our evaluation has three parts: 1) a scoping review of the latest literature, 2) comparison of the prevalences presented in different international databases, and 3) a case study using data from Finland.Results Literature shows that comparability of estimated outcomes for health indicators using different data sources such as self-reported questionnaire data from surveys, measured data from surveys or data from administrative health registers, varies between indicators. Also, the case study from Finland showed that diseases which require regular health care visits such as diabetes, comparability is high while for health outcomes which can remain asymptomatic for a long time such as hypertension, comparability is lower. In different international health related databases, country specific results differ due to variations in the used data sources but also due to differences in indicator definitions.Conclusions Reliable comparison of the health indicators over time and between regions within a country or across the countries requires common indicator definitions, similar data sources and standardized data collection methods.

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Tolonen ◽  
Jaakko Reinikainen ◽  
Päivikki Koponen ◽  
Hanna Elonheimo ◽  
Luigi Palmieri ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Health indicators are used to monitor the health status and determinants of health of the population and population sub-groups, identify existing or emerging health problems which would require prevention and health promotion activities, help to target health care resources in the most adequate way as well as for evaluation of the success of public health actions both at the national and international level. The quality and validity of the health indicator depends both on available data and used indicator definition. In this study we will evaluate existing knowledge about comparability of different data sources for definition of health indicators, compare how selected health indicators presented in different international databases possibly differ, and finally, present the results from a case study from Finland on comparability of health indicators derived from different data sources at national level. Methods For comparisons, four health indicators were selected that were commonly available in international databases and available for the Finnish case study. These were prevalence of obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and asthma in the adult populations. Our evaluation has three parts: 1) a scoping review of the latest literature, 2) comparison of the prevalences presented in different international databases, and 3) a case study using data from Finland. Results Literature shows that comparability of estimated outcomes for health indicators using different data sources such as self-reported questionnaire data from surveys, measured data from surveys or data from administrative health registers, varies between indicators. Also, the case study from Finland showed that diseases which require regular health care visits such as diabetes, comparability is high while for health outcomes which can remain asymptomatic for a long time such as hypertension, comparability is lower. In different international health related databases, country specific results differ due to variations in the used data sources but also due to differences in indicator definitions. Conclusions Reliable comparison of the health indicators over time and between regions within a country or across the countries requires common indicator definitions, similar data sources and standardized data collection methods.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-107
Author(s):  
Machrus Salim ◽  
Nila Mujtahidah

The study aim at investigating the process of planning, implementing, and evaluating of the Revised 2013 Curriculum year 2018 to improve the students' achievement. The study was case study research with multi case study design as the objects of the study had some similarities. The data sources were the results of conducting interviews, documentations, and observations. The data analysis included data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The data were verified using data sources triangulation.The result showed: 1) The planning at SMP Raden Fatah Batu and MTs Ihyaul Ulum Gresik was initiated by comprehending the existing syllabus, mapping the main and basic competence as well as the success indicators for each subject. The involvement of the teachers in The Teacher Association Forum was maximized to share ideas and conform the planning. 2) In implementing, both schools involved the associated basic competence and current issues, created pleasant and conducive learning, used learning media, and involved the parents which were effective in improving the students' achievement. 3) The evaluation was conducted comprehensively and factually. The students' achievement was identified continually on all of the aspects of learning and it involved teacher-counselor The final score was derived from the averaged total score.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 573-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allen Hicken ◽  
Ken Kollman ◽  
Joel W. Simmons

In this paper, we examine consequences of party system nationalization. We argue that the degree to which party systems are nationalized should affect the provision of public benefits by governments. When political competition at the national level occurs between parties that represent specific sub-national constituencies, then the outcomes of policy debates and conflicts can lead to an undersupply of nationally focused public services. We test our argument using data on DPT and measles immunization rates for 58 countries. We find that low party system nationalization is a barrier to improvements in these health indicators. Specifically, a substantial presence of regionalized parties hinders states’ convergence toward international heath standards.


2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignatius Swart ◽  
Barry Irwin ◽  
Marthie M. Grobler

The potential attack surface of a nation is large and no single source of cyber security data provides all the required information to accurately describe the cyber security readiness of a nation. There are a variety of specialised data sources available to assess the state of a nation in key areas such as botnets, spam servers and incorrectly configured hosts. By applying data fusion principles, the potential exists to provide a representative view of all combined data sources. This research will examine a variety of currently available Internet data sources and apply it to an adapted Joint Directors of Laboratories (JDL) data fusion model in order to illustrate the potential gains and current limitations. The JDL model has been adapted to suit national level cyber sensor data fusion with the aim to formally define and reduce data ambiguity and enhance fusion capability in a real world system. A case study highlights the results of applying available open source security information against the model to relate to the current South African cyber landscape.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark John Brandt ◽  
Anthony Aron ◽  
Megan Parker ◽  
Cristina Rodas ◽  
Megan Shaffer

A regularity in US American politics is that liberals have more policy consensus than do conservatives, and both ideological groups have more consensus than moderates (Ondish & Stern, 2018). The idea is that conservatives’ local conformity paradoxically results in less consensus than liberals at the national level. If this is the case, then the liberal consensus effect should also be observed in other countries. We test this using data from Europe. In the European Social Survey (Country N = 38, N = 376,129) we find that on average leftists have more consensus than do rightists; however, we do not find this using the Eurobarometer (Country N = 18, N = 375,830). In both data sources we also observe variation in ideological differences between countries. These results suggest that there is a liberal/leftist consensus effect that can be found in Europe and the United States, but there are also exceptions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (01) ◽  
pp. 51-64
Author(s):  
Astiwi Indriani ◽  
Shoimatul Fitria

The government has been doing a lot of efforts to help SMEs capitalisation, various schemes of credit and funding for SMEs were launched as KUR, PMT, Gapoktan, etc. In the middle of 2015, KUR could be just absorbed although the conditions have softened. This is because SMEs are unique, that is feasible but not bankable. In addition, the funding only limited on distributing capital, in fact the SMEs problems not only in the capital, but concerning the expertise in marketing, financing, and managing the company. It need deep research about how to formulate funding schemes that is considered attractive by the SMEs. This research used qualitative method with the interpretive paradigm fenomology approach, case study in PT Jepara Express International (furniture supplier). This research was conducted through interview, observation and documentation by using data analysis technique, Milles and Hubberman method. Credibility of data was tested by using triangulation techniques, data sources, and time. From research methods, SMEs furniture in Jepara intrepreting that funding considered attractive if using partnership type with cluster and profit-sharing systems are becoming solution for SMEs furniture’s funding distribution program.  In addition, certain entities formed to become alternative distribution funding schemes. Through this entities, SMEs furniture in Jepara could access and also got assisstance in marketing, financing and managing the company. Finnally, SMEs furniture could increase its performance through assisstance program. In the future needs further research about appropriate entities to represent the SMEs needed in financing and assisstance


Author(s):  
Ewan Ferlie ◽  
Sue Dopson ◽  
Chris Bennett ◽  
Michael D. Fischer ◽  
Jean Ledger ◽  
...  

This chapter is the first of a set of four chapters exploring the themes of the book more empirically within particular health care organizations. This chapter analyses the bureaucratic career of a succession of national-level service improvement agencies apparent in the English health care sector since around 2000. There have also been a series of reorganizations in this domain which have consistently failed to secure a high level of autonomy; their bureaucratic career as agencies has therefore been somewhat disappointing. We also examine the types of preferred management knowledge espoused by these agencies, which absorbed and then disseminated to the health care field conventional forms of private firm related and business school produced knowledge, which has been highly influential in the latest cycle. However, there is also evidence of some interesting exceptions (public value, social movements) to this pattern which we had not expected and which complicate the assessment.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Ruello ◽  
Camille Pelat ◽  
Céline Caserio-Schönemann ◽  
Anne Fouillet ◽  
Isabelle Bonmarin ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo describe the results of the new organization of influenzasurveillance in France, based on a regional approach.IntroductionIn France, until winter 2014-2015, management and preventiveactions for the control of the flu epidemic were implemented whenthe national incidence of influenza-like illness (ILI) consultationsin general practice was over an epidemic threshold. The 2014-2015influenza epidemic had a major public health impact, particularly inthe elderly, and caused a severe overloading of the health care system,in particular emergency departments (ED) [1]. The epidemic alertemitted by the French National Public Health Agency at the nationallevel was too late for the hospitals to prepare themselves in manyregions.After a national feedback organized in April 2015 with allpartners involved in influenza surveillance and management, it wasrecommended to improve influenza surveillance in France following3 axes: 1) regionalize surveillance so that healthcare structures canadapt to the particular situation of their region; 2) use a pre-epidemicalert level for better anticipating the outbreak; 3) use multiple datasources and multiple outbreak detection methods to strengthen thedetermination of influenza alert level.MethodsA user-friendly web application was developed to provide commondata visualizations and statistical results of outbreak detectionmethods to all the epidemiologists involved in influenza surveillanceat the national level or in the 15 regional units of our agency [2].It relies on 3 data sources, aggregated on a weekly time step: 1) theproportion of ILI among all coded attendances in the ED participatingto the OSCOUR Network [3] ; 2) the proportion of ILI among allcoded visits made by emergency general practitioners (GPs) workingin the SOS Médecins associations [3]; 3) the incidence rate of ILIestimated from a sample of sentinel GPs [4].For each region each week, 3 statistical outbreak detection methodswere applied to the 3 data sources, generating 9 results that werecombined to obtain a weekly regional influenza alarm level. Basedon this alarm level and on other information (e.g.virological data),the epidemiologists then determined the epidemiological status ofeach region as either 1) epidemic-free, 2) in pre/post epidemic or 3)epidemic.The R software was used for programming algorithms and buildingthe web interface (package shiny).ResultsThe epidemiological status of influenza at the regional level wascommunicated through maps published in the weekly influenzareports of the Agency throughout the surveillance season [5].In week 2016-W03, Brittany was the first French region to declarethe influenza epidemic, with nine other regions in pre-epidemic alert.The epidemic then spread over the whole mainland territory. The peakof the epidemic was declared in week 11, the end in week 16.ConclusionsThis regional multi-source approach has been made possible bythe sharing of data visualizations and statistical results through a webapplication. This application helped detecting early the epidemicstart and allowed a reactive communication with the regionalhealth authorities in charge of the organization of health care, themanagement and the setting up of the appropriate preventivemeasures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aahmari A ◽  

I have published a case study about how British universities −who offer radiographic reporting programs for radiographers− put admission conditions and tuitions on radiographers in three categories which are; British citizens, European citizens, and internationals [1]. I compared the three categories by collecting the data from the universities’ websites directly. The case study has a simple methodology which is clearly explained in the paper [1]. The case study showed that there is no English language requirements for Europeans due to the Bologna Agreement in June 19, 1999 and the Copenhagen Declaration in November 2002. The English language is not the mother tongue of any European country besides the UK. The tuitions for international students are very high compared to the UK/European citizens where they (UK/European) have the same low tuition. In addition, the international students can’t join approved programs from the HCPC, while UK/European citizens can join HCPC approved programs. The interpretation modules are not allowed for international students and they are allowed for UK/ European students. Training, ability to have the HCPC registration, and the ability to work all are allowed for UK/European citizens, while international students are not allowed to do so. After I published this case study which shows the facts in solid data that there is segregation on all levels and discrimination against international Radiographers, the Society and College of Radiographers and the Head of Radiography Education sent two letters threatening the journals Editors and I [2,3]. They said they are so perfect and they do not have any discrimination whatsoever [2,3]. They demanded to remove the paper from the online source and publish an apology [2,3]. They threaten and bullied me and the journal editors that they will legally be suing us for defamation. Therefore, I publish this letter challenging them to sue me. What I have published is accurate 100% and I did not make the numbers from my head. I collected the data from the universities’ websites directly. All that they claimed in their letters are wrong and emotionally driven. They did not stop here, no they continued by sending their trolls to report my researchgate account to suspend my account for more than one month. Is well known that the HCPC and the British media when someone is not British get suspended or not allowed to do any medical practice in the UK for any issue, the British media and HCPC publish their names, age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and what mistake they did, but when the person is a white British citizen, the HCPC and the media tend to hide their identity and usually they get suspended for a short period of time. The HCPC, Society of Radiographers, and Heads of Radiography Education are discriminating on all levels against us as international radiographers and this is supported by numbers and solid data. They claim that they are so perfect and do not have any issue. This level of denial indicates that there is a massive issue and this is only the tip of the iceberg. The Society of Radiographers did not help the UK or international Radiographers in any way, shape, or form. Instead of denying their discriminatory behaviors against us, they should help the international Radiographers to rebuild their health care sector which collapsed after the pandemic (i.e. SARS II CoV a.k.a Covid-19). They have already a large shortage of Radiographers in the UK and with these behaviors, they will never solve the problems which the British citizens face every day in UK hospitals. No one should forget the number of international health care workers who sacrificed their lives during the pandemic to help the patients in the UK.


Author(s):  
Emily Rempel ◽  
Hannah Durrant ◽  
Julie Barnett

BackgroundFrom 2016 to 2018 we collaborated on a programme of work with a local authority in the South West of England around understanding diagnosis trends for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Tracking SEND is a key issue for both local and national government due to the high cost of provision and perceived increases in diagnoses prior to 2010. ObjectiveIn this presentation we explore the use of school census data for research and commissioning in local government. MethodsWe supplement statistical reports of SEND diagnoses from 2011 to 2017 with semi-structured interviews with individuals who inform their decision making with these and similar data. We draw on theories of narrative and causal story-telling to understand how modern statistical analysis is used as a tool to develop commissioning decisions. This includes testing narratives using data as well as data being used to inform narratives. Early Findings and ConclusionsWe add to a growing area of literature that discusses data and statistics as subjective policy tools. Early results include the use of data as a perceived objective tool in calming emotions during commissioning negotiations. We aim to describe how these decisions are made and what this means for service provision for children with SEND.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document