Background Policy-making can be described as a complex decisionmaking process involving different actors engaged in negotiating their interests [1] and promoting different types of evidence. Policy informed by research evidence is widely seen as a good thing. However Monaghan [2] indicated that ‘Policy-makers may fish for evidence, select the beneficial bits and throw back those that are un-req...

The term governance is used more and more often in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of public policies. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to shed light on its meaning, and to study its applicability for the study of recent public health policies in Latin America. After discussing the differences between governance and the close concepts of management, governability and govern...

Two recent evaluation studies undertaken for the European Commission, related to the LEADER Community Initiative implemented throughout the 1990s, have provided the basis for the issues discussed in this article. This programme was set up to encourage pilot experiences in the promotion of rural development in the problem areas of Europe, by introducing a set of distinctive features emphasizing ...

BACKGROUND: The number of potential life years lost due to accidents and injuries though poorly studied has resulted in tremendous economic and social loss to Nigeria. Numerous socio-cultural, economic and political factors including the current epidemic of ethnic and religious conflicts act in concert in predisposing to and enabling the ongoing catastrophe of accident and injuries in Nigeria. ...

If, according to Gaetano Mosca, the Italian social thinker, we define elites as individuals and groups, that, as a result of the power they gain, they plan idea and, as a result of that, make decisions that are effective in the community action; thus, at the macro and national levels, the elites and experts of each country are considered as the most important and valuable treasure of the countr...

Background The importance of evaluating policy processes to achieve health equity is well recognised but such evaluation encounters methodological, theoretical and political challenges. This paper describes how a program theorybased evaluation framework can be developed and tested, using the example of an evaluation of the South Australian Health in All Policies (HiAP) initiative.   Methods A f...

OBJECTIVES This study aims to assess the value for money and budget impact of offering hemodialysis (HD) as a first-line treatment, or the HD-first policy, and the peritoneal dialysis (PD) first policy compared to a supportive care option in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in Indonesia. METHODS A Markov model-based economic evaluation was performed using local and international d...

OBJECTIVE To determine the pattern of blood sugar and HbA1c testing among supportive living residents with diabetes and whether, in those with diabetes, blood glucose measurement was done at the time of a fall. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The management of diabetes in relation to falls in the supportive living sector is unknown. A cross-sectional questionnaire study in Edmonton Alberta, Canad...