A review of the evidence concerning the impact of medical measures on recent mortality and morbidity in the United States

Determinants of life-expectancy and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in European and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries: A longitudinal analysis (1990-2019)

•We relate 68 factors to population health observed in 61 countries over 30 years.•Using random forests, multiple imputation and generalized estimating equations.•GDP per capita and demographics are key; income inequality is not.•Health and social expenditure are more influential than freedom and corruption.•On the macro-level, life-style effects appear to be mediated by cultural context.

Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Prevalence Differs by Appalachian Residence in Ohio

BACKGROUND

Areas within the Appalachian region may have a greater burden of under diagnosed Alzheimer's disease and related disorders (ADRD).

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the prevalence of ADRD in the Appalachian counties of Ohio, and to determine if differences exist by geographic location (Appalachian/non-Appalachian and rural/urban) and across time among Medicare beneficiaries.

METHODS

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Public Use Files from 2007-2017 were used to estimate county-level ADRD prevalence among all fee-for-service beneficiaries in Ohio. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate prevalence overall, by Appalachian Regional Commission's Appalachian/non-Appalachian designation, and by rural/urban (Rural-Urban Continuum Codes) classification. Models were repeated, adjusting for county-level demographics and comorbidities.

RESULTS

The prevalence of ADRD varied by both Appalachian residence and rural status (p = 0.008). Before adjustment by county-level demographics and comorbidities, the prevalence of ADRD in urban Appalachian counties was 1-3% lower than in urban non-Appalachian counties, while rural Appalachian counties had 2-3% higher prevalence compared to rural non-Appalachian counties. After adjustment, the differences between prevalence ratios were accentuated; the prevalence ratio was consistently higher for rural Appalachian counties, yet varied across the study period for urban counties (1.03 in 2007 to 0.97 in 2017).

CONCLUSION

The results suggest a disparate burden of ADRD in Ohio with higher prevalence in rural Appalachian counties. This potential difference by Appalachian region is important to consider for availability of services and subsequent delivery of care. In order to better understand the disparity, further epidemiologic studies are necessary to better estimate the burden of ADRD.

Toward Healthy Longevity

For a variety of health, economic and social reasons, many countries are increasingly concerned about diet-related health problems impairing the quality and length of life. This article presents an analysis of the implementation of food and nutrition policies in Finland and Norway which are intended to address both the supply and demand aspects of food and dietary issues. The purpose was to identify policy problems and illustrate ways they have been addressed in order to be useful to other countries involved in developing such policies. The paper is based on on-site studies conducted in 1990, 1987, and 1980. Major findings indicate mixed progress due in part to problems in implementation. These include: development of an effective strategic capacity for planning, advocacy, coordination, and evaluation; integration into the health services system and other policy sectors; development of decentralized infrastructure for deploying policy; accuracy in public information on food and nutrition; the use of government market power, and social equity in the distribution of policy benefits and costs.

Epidemics, Panic and Power: Representations of Measles and Measles Vaccines

In anglophone countries, there have been increasing efforts to vaccinate the total population. A number of strategies have been employed in order to achieve this goal, including compulsory vaccination before children can attend school (USA); financial incentives to general practitioners and other vaccinators to achieve vaccination targets (UK); and, in New Zealand, a system known as mandatory choice. The New Zealand system involves education centres being co-opted into the medical domain to encourage parents to vaccinate their children. In order to promulgate such strategies, ‘vaccinepreventable’ diseases, vaccines, parents of unvaccinated children, and the children themselves are represented in particular ways. This paper examines the last three ‘epidemics’ of measles in New Zealand and the way in which the campaigns to prevent these epidemics represented the disease and other agents. Drawing on Foucault’s concepts of governmentality and bio-power, the paper explores the linkages between disease representations and the state.

Disability-Free Life among the Elderly in the United States

This article examines the sociodemographic factors associated not only with the length but also the quality of life. Although much research has examined dependency or the reliance on other individuals or institutions, this analysis instead focuses on difficulty in performing activities of daily living. The authors employ logit analysis and the Longitudinal Study of Aging data set to examine the sociodemographic factors-age, sex, race, education, poverty status, and marital status-that affect the prevalence of disability and the transitions that arise between the able and disabled states. Findings show that age is linked with disability: Older respondents are more likely to be or to become disabled and less likely to recover from their disabilities. Education is also strongly linked with disability: More highly educated elderly consistently enjoy less disability; if disabled, they generally have greater chances to regain their abilities. Race and sex are key variables: Disability varies by race and sex groups; further, within race/sex subpopulations, disability is differentially affected by other covariates, especially marital status and poverty. Therefore, it is crucial to examine disability not only for the total elderly population but to appreciate different disability characteristics among race- and sex-specific subpopulations. These social, demographic, and economic factors identify characteristics that place the elderly at risk of disability, and they also identify those characteristics that enhance an individual's chances of successful aging.

Science for Reducing Health Inequalities Emerges From Social Justice Movements

Although the health sciences have investigated economic and social inequalities in morbidity and mortality for hundreds of years, health inequalities persist and are, by some measures, increasing. This is not simply a situation in which the knowledge exists but is not implemented. Rather, science in general and epidemiology in particular have focused on quantifying the effects of specific agents considered in isolation. This approach is powerful, but, in the absence of ecological concepts that connect parts and wholes, contributes to maintaining health inequalities. By joining movements for human rights and social justice, health scientists can identify research questions that are relevant to public health, develop methods that are appropriate to answering those questions, and contribute to efforts to reduce health inequalities.

Identifying environmental health priorities in underserved populations: a study of rural versus urban communities

OBJECTIVES

Understanding and effectively addressing persistent health disparities in minority communities requires a clear picture of members' concerns and priorities. This study was intended to engage residents in urban and rural communities in order to identify environmental health priorities. Specific emphasis was placed on how the communities: defined the term environment; their perceptions of environmental exposures as affecting their health; specific priorities in their communities; and differences in urban versus rural populations.

STUDY DESIGN

A community-engaged approach was used to develop and implement focus groups and compare environmental health priorities in urban versus rural communities.

METHODS

A total of eight focus groups were conducted: four in rural and four in urban communities. Topics included: defining the term environment; how the environment may affect health; and environmental priorities within their communities, using both open discussion and a predefined list. Data were analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively to identify patterns and trends.

RESULTS

There were important areas of overlap in priorities between urban and rural communities; both emphasized the importance of the social environment and shared a concern over air pollution from industrial sources. In contrast, for urban focus groups, abandoned houses and their social and physical sequelae were a high priority while concerns about adequate sewer and water services and road maintenance were high priorities in rural communities.

CONCLUSIONS

This study was able to identify environmental health priorities in urban versus rural minority communities. In contrast to some previous risk perception research, the results of this study suggest prioritization of tangible, known risks in everyday life instead of rare, disaster-related events, even in communities that have recently experienced devastating damage from tornadoes. The findings can help inform future efforts to study, understand and effectively address environmental issues, and are particularly relevant to developing effective community-based strategies in vulnerable populations.

Life expectancy free of disability: a composite measure of population health status

Access to disability data from a nationwide survey of New Zealanders provides the opportunity to estimate Life Expectancy Free of Disability (LEFD) for the non-institutional adult population. This measure of population health status combines mortality and morbidity data into a single index. The analysis is restricted to the 15-64 age range and results on partial life expectancy free of disability are presented for the key sociodemographic groups. The results conform to the international evidence and highlight the potential impact of disability as a component in a composite measure of population health status: although women live longer than men, almost all this apparent advantage in longevity is spent in some state of disablement; Maori are disadvantaged in comparison with non-Maori both in terms of longevity and in the proportion of the life span spent disability-free; and, social class comparisons show a decline in LEFD with declining social class that is steeper than the corresponding mortality gradient. Despite some technical difficulties and the strong requirements of the data, the LEFD measure has many potential applications in public health research and planning. In particular, it has the potential to direct research and policy towards the enhancement of the active years of life rather than just the postponement of mortality.

Health Differences in Advanced Old Age

The first part of this paper provides a general outline of objectives and methods of the Internal Medicine and Geriatrics Unit of the Berlin Aging Study (BASE). Based on a multi-dimensional conceptualization of health, objective and laboratory data collected about different organ systems, e.g. cardiovascular and musculoskeletal, and functional capacity are complemented by qualitative clinical diagnoses and judgements as well as self-reported health problems and functional limitations. Some of the central questions that can be addressed using these data relate to understanding the nature and processes of differential ageing. The second part of the paper includes initial analyses of inter-individual health differences in advanced old age (70 to 105 years). Initial findings indicated that heterogeneity in somatic morbidity and functional capacity was at least as large in old adults (70 to 84 years) as in very old adults (85 to 105 years), even though higher rates of somatic morbidity and lower levels of functional capacity were observed in the very old. Chronological age and morbidity as well as psychosocial and demographic factors were found to be independent predictors of functional capacity in advanced old age. Additionally, the relative importance of psychosocial factors was found to be a function of age with lower predictive ability among the very old. In conclusion, these initial findings support the hypothesis of significant health differences in advanced old age due to differential ageing.

Does more health care improve health among older adults? A longitudinal analysis

OBJECTIVE

This research assesses the association of health services use with subsequent physical health among older Americans, adjusting for the confounding between health care use and prior health.

METHOD

Longitudinal data are from the Survey on Assets and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD). Linear and logistic regressions are used to model the linkages between medical care use and health outcomes, including self-rated health, functional limitations, and mortality.

RESULTS

There is limited evidence that increased health care use is correlated with improved subsequent health. Increased use of medical care is largely associated with poorer health outcomes. Moreover, there are no significant interaction effects of health care use and baseline health on Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, despite the existence of a significant but very small interaction effect on self-rated health.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings have implications for the quality of care delivered by the American health care system.

Health system outcomes and determinants amenable to public health in industrialized countries: a pooled, cross-sectional time series analysis

BACKGROUND

Few studies have tried to assess the combined cross-sectional and temporal contributions of a more comprehensive set of amenable factors to population health outcomes for wealthy countries during the last 30 years of the 20th century. We assessed the overall ecological associations between mortality and factors amenable to public health. These amenable factors included addictive and nutritional lifestyle, air quality, public health spending, healthcare coverage, and immunizations.

METHODS

We used a pooled cross-sectional, time series analysis with corrected fixed effects regression models in an ecological design involving eighteen member countries of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development during the period 1970 to 1999.

RESULTS

Alcohol, tobacco, and fat consumption, and sometimes, air pollution were significantly associated with higher all-cause mortality and premature death. Immunizations, health care coverage, fruit/vegetable and protein consumption, and collective health expenditure had negative effects on mortality and premature death, even after controlling for the elderly, density of practicing physicians, doctor visits and per capita GDP. However, tobacco, air pollution, and fruit/vegetable intake were sometimes sensitive to adjustments.

CONCLUSION

Mortality and premature deaths could be improved by focusing on factors that are amenable to public health policies. Tackling these issues should be reflected in the ongoing assessments of health system performance.

Geographic variability in patient characteristics, treatment and outcome in an International Trial of Magnesium in acute myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

The interpretation of clinical trials and efforts directed at reducing the worldwide burden of coronary disease must take regional differences into account. This study examined the regional differences in baseline characteristics, treatment, and outcome in patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) who were entered into the Magnesium in Coronaries (MAGIC) trial.

METHODS AND RESULTS

MAGIC randomized 6213 patients to standard care with either placebo infusion or infusion of intravenous magnesium sulphate. There was no difference in mortality between these groups. For this analysis, three geographic regions were identified (Region 1=United States and Canada; Region 2=Bulgaria, Georgia, and Russia; Region 3=Austria, Belgium, Chile, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Venezuela) and compared with respect to baseline characteristics, treatment, and 30-day mortality. Patients in Region 2 had the highest prevalence of adverse risk factors at entry, including history of prior myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, and hypertension; anterior location of index acute myocardial infarction; and presence of pulmonary congestion at presentation. Furthermore, Region 2 patients infrequently received reperfusion therapy compared with those in Region 1. Region 3 was intermediate in this regard. Mortality was highest in Region 2, least in Region 1, and intermediate in Region 3.

CONCLUSION

Geographic location, particularly, parts of Eastern Europe, is strongly and independently associated with mortality following STEMI. This geographic variation in mortality confirms prior reports, although adequate explanations continue to be elusive and are beyond the scope of this large simple trial. Future international trials must recognize this variation in design, analysis, and interpretation.

Rural health disparities, population health, and rural culture

In this commentary, I place the maturing field of rural health research and policy in the context of the rural health disparities documented in Health United States, 2001, Urban and Rural Health Chartbook. Because of recent advances in our understanding of the determinants of health, the field must branch out from its traditional focus on access to health care services toward initiatives that are based on models of population health. In addition to presenting distinct regional differences, the chartbook shows a pattern of risky health behaviors among rural populations that suggest a "rural culture" health determinant. This pattern suggests that there may be environmental and cultural factors unique to towns, regions, or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) economic types that affect health behavior and health.

L’espérance de vie sans incapacité, un indicateur de l’évolution des conditions de santé au cours du temps : vingt ans de calcul

En l'absence de données fiables sur l'évolution de la morbidité, il existe trois grandes théories sur l'évolution de l'état de santé des populations qui accompagne la chute de la mortalité : la pandémie des troubles mentaux, des maladies chroniques et des incapacités; la compression de la morbidité; et les théories de l'équilibre. Toutes ces théories ont été décrites en termes d'évolution relative de l'espérance de vie (EV) et de l'espérance de vie sans incapacité (EVSI). Or plusieurs séries d'espérances de vie sans incapacité ont déjà été calculées. La plupart concernent les États-Unis et s'appuient sur les données d'incapacité du National Health Interview Survey. Quel enseignement quant à l'évolution des conditions de santé au cours du temps peut-on tirer de ces études qui ensemble, couvrent une période de trente ans?

Toward a population health delivery system: first steps in performance measurement

In spite of the technological sophistication and clinical excellence of the U.S. health care industry and annual health expenditures in excess of a trillion dollars, the overall health status of the American population is comparatively poor. The BCHS in west central Florida sought to improve the health status of the communities that it serves. Known by the acronym CHAPIR, an information-driven health status decision support system was developed, pilot tested, and is now fully implemented throughout the BCHS. The methodological approach, quantitative indicators, report format components, and management implications of the system are described.

Antagonism and accommodation: interpreting the relationship between public health and medicine in the United States during the 20th century

Throughout the course of the 20th century, many observers have noted important tensions and antipathies between public health and medicine. At the same time, reformers have often called for better engagement and collaboration between the 2 fields. This article examines the history of the relationship between medicine and public health to examine how they developed as separate and often conflicting professions. The historical character of this relationship can be understood only in the context of institutional developments in professional education, the rise of the biomedical model of disease, and the epidemiologic transition from infectious disease to the predominance of systemic chronic diseases. Many problems in the contemporary burden of disease pose opportunities for effective collaborations between population-based and clinical interventions. A stronger alliance between public health and medicine through accommodation to a reductionist biomedicine, however, threatens to subvert public health's historical commitment to understanding and addressing the social roots of disease.

Psychological factors affecting a medical condition: ischemic coronary heart disease

The criteria for scientific validation of the entities currently subsumed under the DSM-IV category of "Psychological Factors Affecting a Medical Condition" have never been clearly enumerated. Historically, its precursor category ("Psychophysiological Disorder") was rarely used, and predicated upon clinical observation of personality styles among patients with specific physical illnesses, or clinical observations relating psychosocial events and symptom exacerbation. Because of logical flaws with either of these methods, clarification of the most rigorous criteria for demonstrating a cause-effect relationship is necessary. With the increase in well-designed and carefully executed epidemiological and treatment studies, this diagnostic category has evolved into an arena where cutting-edge insights and therapies are becoming available for a growing variety of medical conditions, especially ischemic coronary heart disease. The present article reviews the nature of the scientific evidence necessary to accept an etiological or aggravating role for psychological events.

[The historicity of the interpretative theories about health and disease]

The interpretative theories of the health-illness process that can be identified through History have as consequence intervention projects upon the reality, in response to social needs. Until the 19 century, they could be synthesized in two main streams: ontologic and dynamic. In the ontologic conception, illness assumes the character of a natural or supernatural entity, external to the human body, that shows itself when invading it. The dynamic conception sees illness as a product of the disharmony among vital forces, and the re-establishment of the health comes of the restoration of this balance. At the end of the 18 century, the social-environmental paradigms prevailed in Europe as forms of explanation for human illness, linked to the dynamic conception, and the first evidences of the social determination of the health-illness process were formulated. The onset of the Bacteriologic Era made the ontologic conception victorious and its conquests led to the abandon of the social approaches to face the populations health problems. At the present time, one can identify the prevalence of the multicausal theory, with emphasis in the individual conditionings. This paper proposes the articulation of the individual and collective dimensions of the health-illness process, in consonance with the Theory of Nursing Praxical Intervention in Collective Health.

Socioeconomic status and morbidity in the last years of life

OBJECTIVES

This study evaluated the effect of socioeconomic status, as characterized by level of education, on morbidity and disability in the last years of life.

METHODS

The analysis used data from the National Health Interview Survey (1986-1990), with mortality follow-up through December 1991.

RESULTS

Among 10,932 decedents 50 years or older at baseline interview, educational attainment was inversely associated with long-term limitation of activity, number of chronic conditions, number of bed days, and days of short hospital stay during the year preceding the interview.

CONCLUSIONS

Decedents with higher socioeconomic status experienced lower morbidity and disability and better quality of life even in their last years of life.

Purchasing population health: aligning financial incentives to improve health outcomes

OBJECTIVE

To review the concept of population health, including its definition, measurement, and determinants, and to suggest an approach for aligning financial incentives toward this goal. DATA SOURCE, STUDY DESIGN, DATA EXTRACTION: Literature review, policy analysis

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

The article presents the argument that a major reason for our slow progress toward health outcome improvement is that there is no operational definition of population health and that financial incentives are not aligned to this goal. Current attempts at process measures as indicators of quality or outcome are not adequate for the task. It is suggested that some measure of health-adjusted life expectancy be adopted for this purpose, and that integrated delivery systems and other agents responsible for nonmedical determinants be rewarded for improvement in this measure. This will require the development of an investment portfolio across the determinants of health based on relative marginal return to health, with horizontal integration strategies across sectoral boundaries. A 20-year three-phase development strategy is proposed, including components of research and acceptance, integrated health system implementation, and cross-sectoral integration.

CONCLUSIONS

The U.S. health care system is a $1 trillion industry without a definition of its product. Until population outcome measures are developed and rewarded for, we will not solve the twenty-first century challenge of maximizing health outcome improvement for the resources available.

Does admission to a department of internal medicine improve patients' quality of life?

OBJECTIVES

The Tromsø Medical Department Health Benefit Study was designed to estimate health gains from admissions to a department of internal medicine. We have previously reported that the hospital stays had no effect on the life expectancy of 61% of the patients. However, it has been claimed that modern medicine has a greater effect on quality of life (QoL) than on life expectancy. The aim of the present study was to investigate this issue by estimating gains in QoL for patients admitted to a department of internal medicine.

DESIGN

The time trade-off method (TTO) was used for assessing QoL gain from consecutive admissions during a 6-week period. The assessments were made by one of two expert panels, each consisting of an internist, a surgeon and a general practitioner, on the basis of summaries of all relevant clinical information about the patients. Short-term improvements in QoL during the stay or shortly after discharge were scored on an ordinal scale.

RESULTS

Of the admitted patients, 41% had gains in QoL measured with the TTO (mean gain = 0.06; 95% confidence interval = 0.05-0.07; n = 422), and eight of these had gains equal to or greater than 0.50. Another 40% had gains in health-related short-term QoL measured with the ordinal scale. In a multivariate linear regression analysis, emergency admissions, high age and the disease categories 'endocrinological diseases' and 'pneumonia and influenza', were associated with higher gain, and 'undiagnosed symptoms' and 'cerebrovascular diseases' with lower gain.

CONCLUSIONS

As judged by the expert panels, the investigated department of internal medicine was effective in improving the QoL of 81% of the admitted patients. Whilst most of the patients achieved small gains, a minority had gains in QoL corresponding to the treatment of life-threatening diseases.

Reform of primary health care: the case of Spain

Different approaches to health reform are proposed in many countries to overcome inefficiencies in care delivery. This paper assesses an incremental reform initiated in Spain 10 years ago, which sought to improve the efficiency of the entire health system through changes in the organization and delivery of primary care. In this study, aspects of accessibility, comprehensiveness, longitudinality and technical quality of reformed versus unreformed care were assessed for respondents to a household interview survey conducted in the Basque Region of Spain in 1992. According to this study, aspects of care such as longitudinality and technical quality seemed improved with the reform, whereas other aspects such as accessibility and comprehensiveness remained unchanged. The authors conclude that system related characteristics (more associated with access and comprehensiveness) may be impeding the achievement of the goals of the reform and argue that attempts to encourage more autonomy of care delivery may be required.

The health crisis in the former Soviet Union: a report from the 'post-war' zone

Observers of the Soviet health and demographic scene have noted that many of the phenomena (particularly mortality) were unprecedented in 'peace time.' In fact, the Cold War (or Third World War) was 'war time,' although not in the conventional military sense (it was ideological, political and economic warfare). The health crisis in the former Soviet Union is partly the result of that lost conflict by the Soviet side due to its inability to match the West in defense outlays and to provide for the needs of the civilian sector. Health conditions began to deteriorate in the late sixties, and were exacerbated by the collapse of the Soviet Empire in late 1991. These were reflected in increasing mortality and morbidity, decreasing natality, a deteriorating health service, and an environment ruined by the heedless drive toward industrialization and militarization. This resulted in a 'systemic' breakdown of the Soviet system, not only its health care structure. The situation of the former Soviet Union is that of a country that has suffered a humiliating national defeat with all the consequences of a 'post-war' situation, including inflation, anomie and social polarization. The health crisis is likely to get worse, and will not be resolved until a viable political, economic and social order is established. Today's deteriorating health and demographic situation will create 'echo' problems in the decade to come.

Cost-effectiveness of alternative interventions for the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease

Although mortality from coronary heart disease (CHD) in Australia has fallen dramatically since the 1960s, it still remains the major cause of death in Australia and poses a significant burden on the economy. Even though a number of studies have concluded that prevention has been the main determinant of the declines in CHD, a disproportionate amount of health-care expenditure is devoted to treatment rather than prevention. This paper reviews the international literature on the economic appraisal (costs and benefits) of alternative interventions for the treatment and prevention of CHD with the view of assessing whether there is sufficient evidence to justify a reallocation of resources away from treatment to prevention. First, few studies on the economic evaluation of CHD prevention and treatment programs have been undertaken in Australia, with most being from the United States and Europe. Second, assumptions about the specification, measurement and valuation of costs, and the epidemiological evidence on program effectiveness have varied. Third, health promotion and prevention programs are not necessarily more cost-effective than drug or surgical treatments for CHD. Individual interventions must be judged on their own merits. There is a need for a systematic evaluation of interventions for CHD using primary Australian data to better inform decision making on resource-allocation priorities. Such an evaluation should incorporate economic evaluation techniques.

Changes in active life expectancy in Taiwan: compression or expansion?

The 1986-1989 supplements on Elderly Living Conditions to the Monthly Surveys of Human Resources in the Taiwan area are used to estimate active life expectancy and to examine evidence for a compression of disability. Unlike recent results generated in Western countries in favour of the expansion of morbidity hypothesis, our findings tend to support the hypothesis that declining mortality leads to a compression of disability. In Taiwan fatal diseases (e.g. heart disease, stroke, and cancer) play a more important role in disability than to nonfatal diseases (e.g. arthritis, dementia, sensory impairments, and osteoporosis, etc.). Fatal diseases are still the leading causes of disability; modern technology has not prolonged life significantly to Taiwanese who contract such diseases. Hence the improvement in recent life expectancy is very slow and the duration between age at onset of fatal diseases and death tends to be short. As a result of such short duration, the area between the disability and the mortality curve in the life table narrows.

The disablement process

Building on prior conceptual schemes, this article presents a sociomedical model of disability, called The Disablement Process, that is especially useful for epidemiological and clinical research. The Disablement Process: (1) describes how chronic and acute conditions affect functioning in specific body systems, generic physical and mental actions, and activities of daily life, and (2) describes the personal and environmental factors that speed or slow disablement, namely, risk factors, interventions, and exacerbators. A main pathway that links Pathology, Impairments, Functional Limitations, and Disability is explicated. Disability is defined as difficulty doing activities in any domain of life (from hygiene to hobbies, errands to sleep) due to a health or physical problem. Feedback effects are included in the model to cover dysfunction spirals (pernicious loops of dysfunction) and secondary conditions (new pathology launched by a given disablement process). We distinguish intrinsic disability (without personal or equipment assistance) and actual disability (with such assistance), noting the scientific and political importance of measuring both. Disability is not a personal characteristic, but is instead a gap between personal capability and environmental demand. Survey researchers and clinicians tend to focus on personal capability, overlooking the efforts people commonly make to reduce demand by activity accommodations, environmental modifications, psychological coping, and external supports. We compare the disablement experiences of people who acquire chronic conditions early in life (lifelong disability) and those who acquire them in mid or late life (late-life disability). The Disablement Process can help inform research (the epidemiology of disability) and public health (prevention of disability) activities.

Avaliação dos serviços de saúde: avaliar o quê?

Este artigo reconhece a limitada influência dos serviços de saúde no processo saúde-doença, em oposição a fatores sociais e econômicos mais amplos. Entretanto, o mesmo tem como objetivo oferecer uma base conceitual para aqueles interessados em avaliar o sucesso (qualidade) destes serviços. O artigo apresenta duas atuações distintas no campo da saúde que se diferenciam em suas funções: as ações de atendimento direto (serviços clínicos) e as ações indiretas ("advogar saúde"). Não é intenção dos autores reavivar a velha polêmica entre cura e prevenção, mas sim criar uma diferenciação metodológica que facilite o processo avaliativo, uma vez que cada nível de atuação teria o seu respectivo indicador de sucesso. Discutem-se o conceito de qualidade e as tarefas dos serviços diretos de atendimento (serviços clínicos), além de critérios a serem utilizados na elaboração de indicadores de qualidade. Conclui-se dizendo que os objetivos dos serviços diretos de atendimento (serviços clínicos) devem ser claramente explicitados e que a estratégia de avaliação será determinada por esta escolha. Os autores sugerem que os interesses dos usuários deveriam desempenhar um papel relevante no processo avaliativo e que a avaliação do cuidado como um todo deve receber maior ênfase, em oposição à tradicional ênfase atribuída à cura.

The case for unstable angina pectoris as a primary end point in primary prevention studies

Coronary artery disease (CAD) primary end point definitions used in previous prevention trials are reviewed, as well as trends over time for CAD mortality, incidence and hospital discharges to see if new primary end points should be considered. CAD mortality has shown a dramatic decline in the U.S. in the last 20 years, whereas the decrease in the incidence of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is less consistent. The decline in CAD incidence and mortality has been attributed to changes in lifestyle and increased medical/surgical intervention. Hospital discharge rates for CAD have risen during the past decade. In addition, although the rate of discharge for AMI appears to have stabilized, the rates for angina, and more dramatically for unstable angina, have increased. Unstable angina made up 4% of CAD discharges in 1980, and increased to 25% of CAD discharges in 1989. Because of these trends, future trials that rely solely on AMI as a primary end point will not reflect the actual experience with CAD presentation in the U.S. Given the greater availability of methods to diagnose unstable angina more accurately, and because of its high risk pathology, it is concluded that unstable angina should receive serious consideration as a primary end point in future primary prevention trials.

Some epidemiological aspects of stroke: mortality/morbidity trends, age, sex, race, socioeconomic status

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The reasons for decreasing stroke mortality could be related to either decreasing incidence and/or improved prognosis. Thus far, secular trends of stroke have been analyzed either through mortality or morbidity data. This report examines both aspects simultaneously, on a nationwide basis, for the period 1968-1988.

METHODS

Mortality statistics were based on the Compressed Mortality File. Estimates of morbidity were based on the National Hospital Discharge Survey. The Area Resource File was used to obtain county-specific socioeconomic statistics.

RESULTS

The decline in stroke mortality continued through the 1970s and 1980s, whereas morbidity remained constant and possibly even increased. Mortality and morbidity rates were similar in both sexes, higher in blacks, and lower in other (primarily Asian) Americans. There was an inverse correlation between death rates and socioeconomic status, which was particularly marked in blacks. Temporal decline occurred in all strata.

CONCLUSIONS

The observed decrease in stroke mortality rates results most probably from an improved survival rather than from a decline in incidence. The abundance of new drugs and screening programs may not have affected the overall morbidity of stroke, possibly because of inefficient treatment regimens.

More resources better health? A cross-national perspective

This study is an attempt to examine the relative importance of health care resources in predicting infant mortality within industrialized, developing, and underdeveloped countries. The analyses were based on the data of 117 countries. Findings from this study suggest that health resources as a whole do not make a significant contribution to accounting for the variance of infant mortality rates over and above the variance accounted for by socioeconomic resources only. The contribution of health resources to the health of the population as a whole is really rather small in comparison to the role of socioeconomic resources.

National health objectives for the year 2000: the demographic impact of health promotion and disease prevention

BACKGROUND

The national objectives in Healthy People 2000, drafted by health professionals aware of currently available public health interventions, represent a wealth of information about near-term future mortality and morbidity.

METHODS

Life table methods were used to calculate the impact of projected changes in mortality and activity limitation rates on life expectancy and expected disability years.

RESULTS

Meeting the mortality objectives would increase life expectancy at birth by 1.5 to 2.1 years, raising life expectancy to 76.6 to 77.2 years. In addition, meeting the target for disability from chronic conditions would increase the number of years of life without activity limitations from 66.8 years to 69.3-69.7 years. If the targets for coronary heart disease and unintentional injury were changed to reflect recent trends, a greater improvement in life expectancy at birth would be achieved: from 1.8 to 2.7 years to 76.9 to 77.8 years.

CONCLUSION

Meeting the targets would have an important demographic impact. Including changes in the coronary heart disease and injuries targets, life expectancy in the year 2000 would be above the middle of the ranges used in current Census Bureau projections.