Propuestas para ampliar la cobertura de salud mental infantil en Chile / Proposals to expand the coverage of Child Mental Health in Chile / Propostas para expandir a cobertura de saúde mental infantil no Chile

Las experiencias tempranas de vida impactan de manera significativa en la arquitectura del cerebro del infante, pudiendo fortalecerla o debilitarla permanentemente. La sintomatología psicológica presente en la infancia no es transitoria, por lo que la intervención temprana supone beneficios directos, tanto sociales como económicos. El presente trabajo propone fundamentar, con base en los hallazgos de la literatura más reciente, la incorporación en Chile de nuevas Garantías Explícitas en Salud, destinadas específicamente a tratar patologías mentales de la infancia. Se argumenta que se trata de una política pública altamente eficiente, capaz de aportar significativamente en la disminución tanto de los costes asociados a Salud Mental como de las brechas de equidad en salud.

Early life experiences can make an important impact in the architecture of the infant's brain, which can strengthen or weaken it permanently. The childhood psychological symptomatology is not fleeting, so early intervention involves direct social and economic benefits. This paper offers, based on the most recent findings, the addition of new Health Care Guarantees specifically aimed to treating mental pathologies in childhood. This public policy has been shown to be highly efficient and capable to make a real contribution to the reduction of both, the costs associated with Mental Health and the equity gaps in child health care.

As experiências iniciais da vida afetam significativamente a arquitetura do cérebro da criança, que pode fortalecê-lo ou enfraquecê-lo permanentemente. A sintomatologia psicológica presente na infância não é transitória, portanto a intervenção precoce envolve benefícios sociais e econômicos diretos. O presente trabalho propõe basear, com base nos achados da literatura mais recente, a incorporação no Chile de novas Garantias Explícitas de Saúde especificamente voltadas ao tratamento de patologias mentais da infância. Argumenta-se que se trata de uma política pública altamente eficiente, capaz de contribuir significativamente para a redução tanto dos custos associados à Saúde Mental quanto das disparidades de equidade em saúde.

La donación de órganos y el veto familiar. Razones bioéticas para un cambio / Organ donation and family refusal. Bioethical reasons for a change

Cases of next-of-kin veto, i.e., a family refusal to allow organs harvest contrary to donor wishes or when the law presumes consent, is a widespread practice that seriously harms thousands of people. This is a practice settled in many countries Family refusal to donate reduces an already shallow donor pool by approximately 43% in the Americas, 25% in Europe (37,3% in United Kingdom) and 54% in Asia. Some countries, such Argentina, France, Colombia and Wales, current reversed its policy on organ donations to a system that prevents next of kin to dishonoring the donor's wishes restricting the confirm donor status only with the National Donor Registry and unless evidence of their objection is produced. In part I we review the latest amended transplant legislation of those countries that are trying to change this scenario. In part II we question the most frequently cited arguments to uphold the next-of-kin veto right and the countries that successfully changed their legislation banning this practice to encourage organ donation. We conclude that it is imperative to change this practice because the harm caused by promoting the family veto is greater and more serious than the potential harm of not allowing it

Los casos de veto familiar a la donación de órganos es una práctica generalizada que perjudica seriamente a miles de personas. Esta es una práctica establecida en muchos países. La negativa de la familia a donar reduce en un 43% las donaciones bajas de los donantes en las Américas, un 25% en Europa (37,3% en el Reino Unido) y un 54% en Asia. Algunos países como Argentina, Francia, Colombia y Gales han intentado revertir su política de donación de órganos de modo de impedir que los parientes revoquen los deseos del donante. En la primera parte, revisamos las más recientes reformas legislativas de aquellos países que están tratando de cambiar este escenario. En la segunda parte cuestionamos los argumentos más citados para defender el derecho de veto de la familia. Concluimos que es imperativo cambiar esta práctica porque el daño causado por el veto familiar es mayor y más grave que el daño potencial de no permitirlo

Born to donate: proposals for "savior sibling" regulation in Latin America.

A Savior Sibling is a child who is born to provide an organ, bone marrow or cell transplant, to a sibling that is affected with a fatal disease. There are created with the in vitro fertilization and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and, in the process, the ethical standards for organ donation of children become less demanding. Therefore, we propose that the authorization of the technique considers, unavoidably, the opinion of an impartial third party that can guarantee the welfare of the child. We develop a critical analysis of the laws that regulate the creation of babies to serve as organ donors. We evaluate under what circumstances the organizations that play a part in the decisions, fulfill the ethical standards to allow the organ donation of children.

Born to donate: proposals for "savior sibling" regulation in Latin America / Niños creados para servir de donantes de órganos: propuestas para una regulación en América Latina

Abstract A Savior Sibling is a child who is born to provide an organ, bone marrow or cell transplant, to a sibling that is affected with a fatal disease. There are created with the in vitro fertilization and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis and, in the process, the ethical standards for organ donation of children become less demanding. Therefore, we propose that the authorization of the technique considers, unavoidably, the opinion of an impartial third party that can guarantee the welfare of the child. We develop a critical analysis of the laws that regulate the creation of babies to serve as organ donors. We evaluate under what circumstances the organizations that play a part in the decisions, fulfill the ethical standards to allow the organ donation of children.

Resumen Los llamados Savior Sibling son bebés creados con la técnica de la fertilización in vitro y el diagnóstico preimplantacional genético, con el fin de servir como donantes a un hermano afectado por una enfermedad fatal. Se crean con el diagnóstico genético de fertilización in vitro y preimplantación y, en el proceso, las normas éticas para la donación de órganos a niños son menos exigentes. Por esta razón, proponemos que la autorización para llevar a cabo esta técnica considere, como obligatorio, la opinión de un tercero que sea imparcial y que pueda garantizar el bienestar del niño. Se hizo un análisis crítico de las leyes que regulan la creación de estos bebés que sirven como donantes de órganos. Evaluamos bajo qué circunstancias, las organizaciones que participan en estas decisiones cumplen con los estándares éticos para permitir la donación de órganos a niños.

[A peek to the origin, functioning and challenges of the new Chilean transplantation system]. / Una mirada al origen, funcionamiento y desafíos del nuevo sistema de donación y trasplantes chileno.

Chile made several legal, practical and educational changes to the organ donation and transplant system in recent years, to improve its results. However, studies evaluating these reforms and suggesting further corrections are still pending. Our aim is to assess the new regulations and their reception by both the population and health care providers. Proposals are made to promote the development of a model of Chilean transplantation able to respond to the needs of the population.

Una mirada al origen, funcionamiento y desafíos del nuevo sistema de donación y trasplantes chileno / A peek to the origin, functioning and challenges of the new Chilean transplantation system

Chile made several legal, practical and educational changes to the organ donation and transplant system in recent years, to improve its results. However, studies evaluating these reforms and suggesting further corrections are still pending. Our aim is to assess the new regulations and their reception by both the population and health care providers. Proposals are made to promote the development of a model of Chilean transplantation able to respond to the needs of the population.

Transparencia y trasplantes: ¿es posible? Dilemas bioéticos de la adjudicación de órganos / Transparency and transplants: it is possible? Bioethical dilemmas in assigning organs / Transparência e transplantes: é possível? Dilemas bioéticos da adjudicação de órgãos

Resumen: 13. La falta de información sobre cómo se administran las listas de espera y se distribuyen recursos escasos es frecuente en todas las áreas de la medicina. Sin embargo, es en materia de trasplante de órganos donde la ausencia de transparencia y percepción de injusticia derivada genera mayores perjuicios, pues los estudios evidencian una estrecha relación entre la negativa a donar órganos y la desconfianza en el sistema. Se requiere aumentar la confianza de la población en los mecanismos de adjudicación de órganos por la vía mejorar su participación en la resolución de los dilemas bioéticos que toda adjudicación de recursos escasos significa, pues las decisiones finales en esta área no son médicas, sino que morales.

Abstract: 17. Paucity of information on how waiting lists are managed and limited resources allocated is all too common across most fields of medicine. Organ transplantation is front and center among areas where non-transparency and the attendant perception of injustice causes the most damage, with studies showing a close link between the refusal to donate organs and mistrust in the system. Confidence in organ allocation mechanisms needs to be restored to alleviate the shortage crisis. Insofar as the nature of the ensuing final decisions is moral rather than medical, public involvement in addressing the bioethical issues arising from the allocation of limited resources becomes imperative.

Resumo: 21. A falta de informação sobre como se administram as listas de espera e se distribuem recursos escassos é comum em todas as áreas da medicina. Entretanto, no campo da transplantação de órgãos a ausência de transparência e percepção de injustiça derivada gera maiores prejuízos, uma vez que estudos evidenciam uma estreita relação entre a recusa de doar órgãos e a desconfiança no sistema. É necessário aumentar a confiança da população nos mecanismos de adjudicação de órgãos por meio da melhoria de sua participação na resolução dos dilemas bioéticos que toda alocação de recursos escassos significa, na medida que as decisões finais nesta área não são médicas, mas sim morais.

Increasing organ donation by presumed consent and allocation priority: Chile.

Chile, a middle-income country, recently joined Israel and Singapore as the world's only countries to require reciprocity as a precondition for organ transplantation. The Chilean reform includes opt-out provisions designed to foster donation and priority for organ transplantation for registered people. Although the reform has had serious difficulties in achieving its mission, it can be reviewed by other countries that seek to address the serious shortage of organs. As increased organ donation can substantially enhance or save more lives, the effect on organ availability due to incentives arising from rules of preference should not be underestimated.

Le Chili, pays à revenu intermédiaire, a récemment rejoint Israël et Singapour dans le groupe des pays du monde à exiger la réciprocité comme condition préalable à la transplantation d'organes. La réforme chilienne contient des dispositions de retrait conçues pour favoriser les dons et donner la priorité des dons d'organes aux personnes inscrites. Bien que la réforme ait eu des difficultés à atteindre son but, elle peut être adoptée par d'autres pays qui cherchent à résoudre l'inquiétante pénurie d'organes. En effet, des dons accrus d'organes peuvent considérablement améliorer ou sauver davantage de vies. L'effet sur la disponibilité des organes, due à des incitations qui découlent des règles de préférence, ne devrait pas être sous-estimé.

Chile, un país de ingresos medios, se ha sumado recientemente a Israel y Singapur como los únicos países del mundo que exigen reciprocidad como condición previa para el trasplante de órganos. La reforma de Chile incluye disposiciones de exclusión voluntaria diseñadas para fomentar la donación y la prioridad del trasplante de órganos para personas registradas. Aunque la reforma ha experimentado dificultades importantes para lograr su misión, otros países que buscan atender la grave escasez de órganos podrían revisarla. Dado que el aumento de la donación de órganos puede mejorar considerablemente o salvar más vidas, cabe no subestimar el efecto sobre la disponibilidad de órganos debido a los incentivos derivados de las reglas de preferencia.

When constitutional justice has the last word on health care: the case of Chile.

The Chilean health care system is in crisis. Since the recent ruling of the Constitutional Court that declared the risk rating (actuarial insurance) of private health insurers unconstitutional, all of the social actors related to health care have tried to agree on a legislative reform that would overcome the existing highly segmented and inequitable system, which is a legacy of Pinochet's dictatorship. Here we demonstrate how the social and political demands for legislative reform in the health care sector have been supported by the decisions of the courts. To achieve its goals of reducing equity gaps in health and ending the judicialization of health care (claims for protection represent almost 70% of total resources of the courts), the National Congress of Chile is trying to create a new national health insurance system that guarantees the right to a minimum level of health care. Part of this effort involves obtaining the constitutional approval of the courts. In Chile, justice has the final word on health care.

Human rights and the right to abortion in Latin America.

The scope of this study is to question the fact that in some countries in Latin America (Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic) abortion is still forbidden in all situations. Even after all the debate on this thorny issue, the theory of human rights is not often used in the defense of abortion. This is clearly related to the pervasive, albeit unspoken belief that, due to their condition, pregnant women inherently lose their full human rights and should surrender and even give up their lives in favor of the unborn child. This article seeks to show that an adequate reading of the theory of human rights should include abortion rights through the first two trimesters of pregnancy, based on the fact that basic liberties can only be limited for the sake of liberty itself. It also seeks to respond to those who maintain that the abortion issue cannot be resolved since the exact point in the development of the embryo that distinguishes legitimate from illegitimate abortion cannot be determined. There are strong moral and scientific arguments for an approach capable of reducing uncertainty and establishing the basis for criminal law reforms that focus on the moral importance of trimester laws.

Human rights and the right to abortion in Latin America / Direitos humanos e direito ao aborto na América Latina

The scope of this study is to question the fact that in some countries in Latin America (Chile, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic) abortion is still forbidden in all situations. Even after all the debate on this thorny issue, the theory of human rights is not often used in the defense of abortion. This is clearly related to the pervasive, albeit unspoken belief that, due to their condition, pregnant women inherently lose their full human rights and should surrender and even give up their lives in favor of the unborn child. This article seeks to show that an adequate reading of the theory of human rights should include abortion rights through the first two trimesters of pregnancy, based on the fact that basic liberties can only be limited for the sake of liberty itself. It also seeks to respond to those who maintain that the abortion issue cannot be resolved since the exact point in the development of the embryo that distinguishes legitimate from illegitimate abortion cannot be determined. There are strong moral and scientific arguments for an approach capable of reducing uncertainty and establishing the basis for criminal law reforms that focus on the moral importance of trimester laws.

O objetivo deste estudo é questionar o fato de alguns países da América Latina (Chile, El Salvador, Nicarágua, Honduras e República Dominicana) proibirem o aborto em qualquer situação. Mesmo após todos os debates sobre o tema, poucas vezes é utilizada a teoria dos direitos humanos para sua defesa. O que certamente está relacionado com a crença generalizada, embora velada, de que as mulheres grávidas perdem, devido a esta condição, seus direitos humanos, devendo ceder e até renunciar à sua vida em favor do nascituro. Este artigo pretende demonstrar que uma leitura adequada da teoria dos direitos humanos deve incluir o direito ao aborto nos três primeiros meses de gravidez, baseado em que as liberdades fundamentais só podem ser limitadas pelo bem da própria liberdade. Também tem a intenção de responder aos que sustentam que o tema aborto não pode ser resolvido já que o ponto exato no desenvolvimento embrionário separando o feito da forma legítima do da ilegítima não pode ser determinado. Existem argumentos morais e científicos consistentes para reduzir a incerteza e assentar as bases para reformas penais centradas na importância moral dos prazos.

Un modelo de adjudicación de recursos sanitarios para Chile / A model for health care resources adjudication for Chile / Um modelo de adjudicação de recursos sanitários para Chile

Un modelo de adjudicación de recursos sanitarios, que recoja la experiencia comparada y los análisis desarrollados en la literatura especializada, debe partir de la premisa de que la aplicación de mecanismos de exclusión abiertamente discriminatorios de pacientes -como ocurre con los criterios de racionamiento del Plan AUGE relacionados con la edad del paciente, su lugar de residencia o su estatus sanitario- resultan inadmisibles, pues no se condicen con la exigencia de universalidad en el acceso a cuidado de salud propia de todo sistema comprometido con los objetivos sanitarios del milenio en materia de equidad.

A model for adjudication of health care resources which gathers the comparative experience and the analysis developed by specialized literature, must start from the premise that the application of exclusion mechanisms of patients openly discriminatory -such as those happening with rationing criteria by Plan AUGE related to the age of patient, his/her place of residence or his/her health status- are unacceptable, since they do not agree with the universality exigency in health care access of any system compromise with millennium health goals for equity.

Um modelo de adjudicação de recursos sanitários, que recolha a experiência comparada e as análises desenvolvidas na literatura especializada, deve partir da premissa de que a aplicação de mecanismos de exclusão abertamente discriminatórios de pacientes -como ocorre com os critérios de racionamento do Plano AUGE relacionados com a idade do paciente, seu lugar de residência ou seu estado sanitário- resultam inadmissíveis, pois não condizem com a exigência de universalidade no acesso a cuidado de saúde própria de todo sistema comprometido com os objetivos sanitários do milênio em matéria de equidade.

Justiça e fundamentação sanitária no Plano AUGE: dilemas bioéticos associados à distribuição de recursos escassos / Justice and health care rationing in AUGE: bioethical dilemmas associated to the distribution of scarce resources / Justicia y racionamiento sanitario en el Plan AUGE: dilemas bioéticos asociados a la distribución de recursos escasos

Los criterios de racionamiento en materia sanitaria establecidos por el Plan AUGE en Chile, se fundan principalmente en máximas de eficiencia que son contrarias a los principios de equidad que debieran sustentar las políticas sanitarias de las sociedades democráticas. Para la aplicación y justificación de las técnicas de racionamiento sanitario se requiere no sólo una reflexión desde la ciencia médica y la economía de la salud, sino que también desde la filosofía moral y la bioética. El estudio de las teorías de la justicia distributiva sanitaria permite valorar críticamente los criterios de racionamiento sanitarios utilizados por las Guías Clínicas de cada una de las patologías GES/AUGE que resultan contrarios al principio de equidad...

Rationing criteria in health care establish by AUGE, in Chile, are based, mainly, in maximum efficiency, contrary to the equity principle, which should sustain health care policies in democratic societies. For the application and justification of health care rationing techniques is required not only a medical science and health care economy reflection, but a moral philosophy and bioethical reflection as well. The study of health care distributive justice theories allows to value critically health care rationing criteria used by Clinical Guidelines for each GES/AUGE pathology, which operate contrary to the equity principle...

Os critérios de fundamentação em matéria sanitária estabelecidos pelo Plano AUGE, no Chile, se fundam, principalmente, em máximas de eficiência que são contrárias aos princípios de equidade que deveriam sustentar as políticas sanitárias ds sociedades democráticas. Para a aplicação e justificação das técnicas de racionamento sanitário se requer não só uma reflexão a partir da ciência médica e da economia da saúde, mas, também, a partir da filosofia moral e da bioética. O estudo das teorias da justiça distributiva sanitária permite valorar criticamente os critérios de racionamento sanitário utilizados pelas Guias Clínicas de cada uma das patologias GES/AUGE que resultam contrários ao princípio da equidade...

Entre la igualdad y la eficiencia en materia sanitaria / Between equality and efficiency in medical care / Entre a igualdade e a eficiência en matéria sanitária

Este trabajo reflexiona en torno a los mecanismos de adjudicación de recursos sanitarios escasos propuestos por la "Economía de la Salud". Se analizan los modelos de costo-beneficio y el criterio QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life-Years) en tanto mecanismos de adjudicación que pretenden resolver los dilemas bioéticos relacionados con una distribución que parece priorizar resultados eficientes por sobre los resultados equitativos pero ineficientes.

This work considers the allocation methods of scarce medical resources budgeted for "health economics". Cost-benefit models and the criteria QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life-Years) are analyzed as allocation methods that propose to resolve ethical dilemmas related to an economic distribution that seems to prioritize efficient results over more equitable, but inefficient, results.

Este trabalho traz uma reflexão em torno dos mecanismos de adjudicação de recursos sanitários escassos propostos pela "Economia da Saúde". São analisados os modelos de custo-benefício e o critério QALY (Quality-Adjusted Life-Years) como mecanismos de adjudicação que pretendem resolver os dilemas bioéticos relacionados com uma distribuição que parece priorizar resultados eficientes sobre os resultados eqüitativos, porém ineficientes.