Journal of Health Innovation and Integrated Care

Participation of the public in the governance of healthcare organisations

Toni Dedeu — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 00:59:33 PDT

Participation has emerged as a key theme for social policy and administration in many developed countries. Public service providers are often keen to consult users, and users themselves want to make their voices heard. In recent years, policy-makers and citizen groups have therefore called for a more intensive participation of healthcare users in the governance and delivery of the public healthcare services. As a result, citizens are being asked to be involved and to participate in the planning, provision and evaluation of services. Yet there is a perennial discussion regarding the definition of what people participation means.

Care closer to home: a policy chimera?

Naomi Chambers — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 10:23:51 PST

With the economic downturn now affecting welfare services globally, the title of the WHO report published in October 2008, Primary Health Care – Now More than Ever, seems remarkably prescient. Anaspect of primary health care is ‘care closer to home’ or otherwise termed ‘care in close-to-client settings’. Evidence suggests that whilst there have been some gains, this shift is proving difficult to achieve, particularly in high income countries. Given its comparative intractability, does it remain a worthwhile policy goal and, if so, how can it be more actively pursued?

Forumclínic: the virtual community for chronic patients

Joan Gené Badia et al. — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:33:38 PDT

The popularization of the Internet facilitates its use in the area of healthcare. It spreads health information between professionals and patients and connects these groups of people, creating virtual communities. These allow the exchange of information, lend support and promote personal autonomy. In light of the huge volume of information available, the entities rigorously controlling the contents of healthcare websites take on real importance. They verify that the authors comply with the code of ethics to which they are committed. In this article we will present the experiences of the web and Forumclinic DVDs using the example of Medicine 2.0. This interactive program for patients is designed to complement the clinical care of consultations while promoting self-care in those suffering from chronic illnesses. It offers detailed information and discussion forums for chronic patients, moderated by professionals.