Participatory Budgeting: Could It Diminish Health Disparities in the United States?

Participatory budgeting (PB)-a democratic process where ordinary residents decide directly how to spend part of a public budget-has gained impressive momentum in US municipalities, spreading from one pilot project in Chicago's 49th ward in 2009 to 50 active PB processes across 14 cities in 2016-2017. Over 93,600 US residents voted in a PB process in 2015-2016, deciding over a total of about $49.5 million and funding 264 projects intended to improve their communities. The vast majority of US PB processes take place in large urban centers (e.g., New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Boston), but PB has also recently spread to some smaller cities and towns [1]. Figure 1 illustrates the growth of PB processes in the USA, and within New York City and Chicago council districts specifically. Fig. 1 Participatory budgeting in the USA has grown from 1 process in 2009-2010 to 50 processes in 2016-2017 PB constitutes a rare form of public engagement in that it typically comprises several distinct stages that encourage residents to participate from project idea collection to project implementation (see Fig. 2). The decisive public vote in US PB is practically binding as elected officials commit to implementing the public decision at the outset of the process. Moreover, all current PB processes in the USA have expanded voting rights to residents under 18 years old and to non-citizens. Under President Obama, the White House recognized PB as a model for open governance. Participatory Budgeting Project, a nonprofit organization that advocates for PB, won the 2014 Brown Democracy Medal, which recognizes the best work being done to advance democracy in the USA and internationally. Fig. 2 Typical stages of a participatory budgeting process in the USA PB has been lauded for its potential to energize local democracy, contribute to more equitable public spending and help reduce inequality [2, 3]. Social justice goals have been explicit in US PB from the start. Grassroots advocates, technical assistance providers, and many elected officials who have adopted it emphasize that PB must focus on engaging underrepresented and marginalized communities [2, 4, 5]. PB steering committees have specified equity and inclusiveness goals in PB rule books [6, 7]. The most conclusive research so far on PB's potential to reduce social inequalities, however, comes from Brazil, where PB started in 1989. In Brazil, PB has been associated with a reduction in extreme poverty, better access to public services, greater spending on sanitation and health services, and, most notably, a reduction in child and infant mortality [8, 9].In this paper, we outline three mechanisms by which PB could affect health disparities in US municipalities: First, by strengthening residents' psychological empowerment; second, by strengthening civic sector alliances; and third, by (re)distributing resources to areas of greatest need. We summarize the theoretical argument for these impacts, discuss the existent empirical evidence, and highlight promising avenues for further research.

Correction to: Participatory Budgeting: Could It Diminish Health Disparities in the United States?

The abstract is missing from this article despite the fact that the heading "Abstract" appears before the article's first paragraph.

Spinal intradural extramedullary tumors: the value of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring on surgical outcome.

Nerve sheath tumors and meningiomas account for most intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors. These tumors are benign and amenable to complete surgical resection. In recent years, these surgeries are performed with intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) in order to minimize neurological injury, but the evidence for the statistical efficacy of this utility is lacking. This paper evaluates IONM benefits in IDEM tumor resection. Data of patients treated surgically for spinal intradural tumors from 1998 to 2003 was previously collected and analyzed. We retrospectively evaluated patients' charts operated in the years 2011 to 2013. Patients' medical files were reviewed including radiological examinations and electrophysiological reports. The data was collected and evaluated. Forty-one cases of meningioma or nerve sheath tumor resection surgery were performed in the study period. The surgical results were compared to 70 cases of historical controls. Demographic data was similar in these two groups. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predicted values of IONM were 75, 100, 100, and 97%, respectively. New neurological deficit rate was evident in 10 and 14% for the study and control groups, respectively (not significant). While IONM predicts neurological deficits with high accuracy level, this study does not suggest that there is a significant global benefit of IONM in these cases. As reported by others, in this series, the rate of new neurological deficits in non-monitored cases is similar to the monitored cases series; hence, IONM role in preventing new neurological deficits has yet to be proven.

Most Americans Do Not Believe That There Is An Association Between Health Care Prices And Quality Of Care.

Many organizations are developing health care price information tools for consumers. However, consumers may avoid low-price care if they perceive price to be associated with quality. We conducted a nationally representative survey to examine whether consumers perceive that price and quality are associated and whether the way in which questions are framed affects consumers' responses. Most Americans (58-71 percent, depending on question framing) did not think that price and quality are associated, but a substantial minority did perceive an association (21-24 percent) or were unsure whether there was one (8-16 percent). Responses to questions framed in terms of high price and high quality differed from responses to questions framed in terms of low price and low quality. People who had compared prices were more likely than those who had not compared prices to perceive that price and quality were associated. We explore implications of these findings, including how behavioral economics can inform approaches to helping consumers use price and quality information.

Changes in radiographic parameters after minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion / Alterações dos parâmetros radiográficos depois de fusão intersomática lombar minimamente invasiva / Cambios en los parámetros radiográficos en fusión lumbar intersomática mínimamente invasiva

Objective : This study aims to evaluate changes in lumbosacral parameters after minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion. The secondary aim was to evaluate whether interbody cage shape (crescent shaped or rectangular) would influence the results. Method : Retrospective analysis of 70 patients who underwent one or two level lumbar interbody fusion through a minimally invasive posterolateral approach. This included midline preservation and unilateral facetectomy. Pre- and postoperative (three to six months postoperative) radiographs were used for measuring lumbar lordosis (LL), segmental lordosis (SL) at the level of interbody fusion, and sacral slope (SS). Further analyses divided the patients into Roussouly lumbar subgroups. Results : LL was significantly reduced after surgery (59o:39o, p=0.001) as well as the SS (33.8o:31.2o, p=0.05). SL did not change significantly (11.4:11.06, p=0.85). There were no significant differences when comparing patients who received crescent shaped cage (n=27) and rectangular cage (n=43). Hypolordotic patients (Roussouly types 1 and 2) had radiographic improvement in comparison to normolordotic and hyperlordotic groups (types 3 and 4). Conclusion : Minimally invasive lumbar interbody fusion caused reduction in lumbosacral parameters. Cage shape had no influence on the results.

Objetivo : Este estudo visa avaliar modificações dos parâmetros lombossacrais após fusão intersomática lombar minimamente invasiva. O objetivo secundário foi avaliar se o formato do dispositivo intersomático (meia lua ou retangular) influenciaria os resultados. Método : Análise retrospectiva de 70 pacientes submetidos à fusão intersomática lombar em um ou dois níveis por abordagem posterolateral minimamente invasiva, incluindo preservação da linha média e facetectomia unilateral. Radiografias pré e pós-operatórias (três a seis meses de pós-operatório) foram utilizadas para mensurar lordose lombar (LL), lordose segmentar (LS) no nível da fusão intersomática e inclinação sacral (IS). A avaliação ainda dividiu os pacientes nos subgrupos de Roussouly para lordose lombar. Resultados : A LL diminuiu significativamente após a cirurgia (59o:39 o, p=0,001), assim como a IS (33,8o:31,2o, p=0,05). A LS não foi modificada significativamente (11,4:11,06, p=0,85). A comparação dos pacientes que receberam dispositivo em meia lua (n=27) e retangular (n=43) não mostrou diferenças significativas. Os pacientes hipolordóticos (tipos 1 e 2 de Roussouly) apresentaram melhora radiográfica em comparação com os grupos normolordótico e hiperlordótico (tipos 3 e 4). Conclusão : A fusão intersomática lombar minimamente invasiva levou a uma redução dos parâmetros lombossacrais. O formato do dispositivo intersomático não influenciou os resultados.

Objetivo : El propósito de este estudio es evaluar las modificaciones en los parámetros lumbosacrales después de fusión lumbar mínimamente invasiva. El objetivo secundario es evaluar si los diferentes formatos de los dispositivos intersomáticos (en forma de media luna o rectangular) podría influir en los resultados. Método : Análisis retrospectivo de 70 pacientes sometidos a fusión intersomática lumbar en uno o dos niveles a través de un abordaje posterolateral mínimamente invasivo, incluyendo la preservación de la línea media y facetectomía unilateral. Radiografías pre y postoperatorias (tres y seis meses postoperatorios) fueron utilizadas para medir lordosis lumbar (LL), lordosis segmentaria (LS) a nivel de la fusión intersomática y la pendiente del sacro (PS). La evaluación también dividió a los pacientes en subgrupos lumbares de Roussouly. Resultados : La LL disminuyó significativamente después de la cirugía (59o:39o, p=0,001), así como la PS (33,8o:31,2o, p=0,05). La LS no se modificó significativamente (11,4:11,06, p=0,85). No hubo diferencias significativas al comparar los pacientes que recibieron dispositivo en forma de media luna (n=27) y rectangular (n=43). Los pacientes hipolordóticos (tipos 1 y 2 de Roussouly presentaron mejoría radiológica en comparación con los grupos normolordótico y hiperlordótico (tipos 3 y 4). Conclusión : La fusión intersomática mínimamente invasiva causó una disminución de los parámetros lumbosacrales. El formato de los dispositivos intersomáticos no influyó en los resultados.

"The ultimate decision is yours": exploring patients' attitudes about the overuse of medical interventions.

Previous research has found that American patients strongly believe that more testing and more treatment lead to better outcomes and, to a lesser extent, that newer treatments are more effective. We conducted five focus groups with privately insured, healthy, middle-aged Americans (n = 43) to explore these apparent preferences. Contrary to previous research, an unexpected distinction emerged. Participants placed enormous value on testing and screening, reacting with hostility to guidelines recommending less of either. However, they were suspicious of overmedication. The wariness of pharmaceuticals and enthusiasm for testing and screening both appear to reflect participants' efforts to take responsibility for their health. But recommendations to test and screen less conflicted with their active, engaged, information-seeking roles. Nonetheless, given patients' concerns about overuse of pharmaceuticals, we maintain that they can learn to understand the connections between over-testing and over-treatment, and can actively choose to do less. We close with suggestions about how treatment guidelines can better communicate these connections to patients. Our findings cannot necessarily be generalized beyond privately-insured, healthy, middle-aged Americans. But because we found that, among these individuals, attitudes towards pharmaceuticals differ from attitudes towards testing and screening, we maintain that future research should also distinguish among and compare attitudes towards different types of medical interventions.