Wednesday, May 05, 2004
There Is No Perfect Health System "Perspective" article in
Health Affairs by Elizabeth A. McGlynn - "Extensive research into quality of care in different countries yields no conclusive findings that one system is better or worse than others. Quality does not necessarily vary with financing mechanisms; even countries with single-payer systems have variations in quality. Quality is not directly related to the amount spent on health care, since the highest-spending country (the United States) does not have measurably better outcomes. Investments in the quality measurement and reporting systems in all countries would substantially increase the opportunities to learn from cross-national comparisons."
Outcomes-Based Drug Coverage in British Columbia Article in
Health Affairs - "For the past decade the provincial drug plan in British Columbia has based the allocation of public subsidy on scientific standards of evidence. Coverage policies under B.C. PharmaCare are marked by the restriction of public subsidy until manufacturers provide valid evidence of a comparative health outcome advantage versus therapeutic alternatives. Implementing and maintaining such outcomes-based coverage policies has required a system of evidentiary review and support. Since 1994 the Therapeutics Initiative at the University of British Columbia has provided provincial decisionmakers with such support. We describe lessons from the B.C. experience for jurisdictions interested in basing coverage on evidence of proven comparative advantage for patients health."
When Things Go Wrong: How Health Care Organizations Deal With Major Failures Article in
Health Affairs - "Concern about patient safety, caused in part by high-profile major failures in which many patients have been harmed, is rising worldwide. This paper draws on examples of such failures from several countries to analyze how these events are dealt with and to identify lessons and recommendations for policy. Better systems are needed for reporting and investigating failures and for implementing the lessons learned. The culture of secrecy, professional protectionism, defensiveness, and deference to authority is central to such major failures, and preventing future failures depends on cultural as much as structural change in health care systems and organizations."
Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care Marketplace, 2004 Update This page at the Kaiser Family Foundation web site provides an index to different section sof this report, which "presents information on key trends in the health care marketplace of interest to policymakers, public interest groups, the media, and industry analysts and leaders. This chartbook updates many of the exhibits included in earlier reports..."
Mental health of youth in OntarioPress release from the Centre on Addiction and Mental Health - "One in ten students report experiencing multiple (three or more) mental health issues including symptoms of depression and anxiety, problem drinking, other drug use and anti-social behaviour such as theft, vandalism or violence according to a study released today by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). The Mental Health and Well-Being of Ontario Students Report, released during Mental Health Week, presents data from 2003, as well as trends from the past decade." Both the
full report and an
executive summary of the report is available in Adobe Acrobat format.
Advocates rally against state mental health cuts (Missouri)May 5 Springfield
News-Leader story - "State-funded drugs and services for people with mental illnesses are being threatened again this year as Missouri legislators and state health officials focus on the Medicaid program in looking for ways to trim costs. State budget projections are predicting shortfalls ranging from $300 million to $1 billion in 2004. Mental-health advocates predict the proposed cuts will do more harm over the long term than good. Advocates from southwest Missouri and across the state hope to take their concerns to legislators today following a 1 p.m. rally at the Capitol."
Mental health concerns raised (UK)Story at
icWales - "A Welsh mental health charity has used the occasion of its first birthday to raise concerns about the 'desperate' plight of services in Wales. The call by Hafal follows in the wake of what it called a 'damning' report by the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI)..."
