[Specific proposals for organising an agency for evaluating the efficiency of health technologies and policies]. / Propuestas concretas para organizar una agencia de evaluación de la eficiencia de tecnologías y políticas sanitarias.

We describe in detail a twofold proposal for the creation, organization and sequential development of two bodies responsible for evaluating the efficiency of health technologies and policies in Spain and its possible design. It would constitute a key element in the process of re-organising the National Health System. The first, which could be adopted immediately, would be called the Office for the Evaluation of the Efficiency of Medicines, would be attached to the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices as a functionally independent body and limited to evaluating the efficiency of medicines. The second, the National Health Evaluation Commission, in the form of an independent administrative body, would evaluate health technologies and possibly public health policies. Functional independence, adequate resources and anchoring in the values of good governance are the defining characteristics of this dual proposal.

Effectiveness, acceptability, and potential of lay student vaccinators to improve vaccine delivery.

SETTING: Task sharing can fill health workforce gaps, improve access to care, and enhance health equity by redistributing health services to providers with less training. We report learnings from a demonstration project designed to assess whether lay student vaccinators can support community immunizations. INTERVENTION: Between July 2022 and February 2023, 27 undergraduate and graduate students were recruited from the University of Toronto Emergency First Responders organization and operated 11 immunization clinics under professional supervision. Medical directives, supported with online and in-person training, enabled lay providers to administer and document vaccinations when supervised by nurses, physicians, or pharmacists. Participants were invited to complete a voluntary online survey to comment on their experience. OUTCOMES: Lay providers administered 293 influenza and COVID-19 vaccines without adverse events. A total of 141 participants (122 patients, 17 lay vaccinators, 1 nurse, and 1 physician) responded to our survey. More than 80% of patients strongly agreed to feeling safe and comfortable with lay providers administering vaccines under supervision, had no concerns with lay vaccinators, and would attend another lay vaccinator clinic. Content and thematic analysis of open-text responses revealed predominantly positive experiences, with themes about excellent vaccinators, organized and efficient clinics, and the importance of training, communication, and access to regulated professionals. The responding providers expressed comfort working in collaborative immunization teams. IMPLICATIONS: Lay student providers can deliver vaccines safely under a medical directive while potentially improving patient experiences. Rather than redeploying scarce professionals, task sharing strategies could position trained lay vaccinators to support immunizations, improve access, and foster community engagement.

RéSUMé: LIEU: Le partage de tâches peut combler les pénuries de personnels de santé et améliorer l'accès aux soins et l'équité en santé en redistribuant les services de santé vers des prestataires ayant moins de formation. Nous rendons compte des enseignements d'un projet de démonstration visant à déterminer si des vaccinateurs étudiants profanes pourraient appuyer l'immunisation communautaire. INTERVENTION: Entre juillet 2022 et février 2023, 27 étudiantes et étudiants de premier cycle et de cycles supérieurs ont été recrutés auprès de l'organisation des secouristes opérationnels de l'Université de Toronto pour gérer 11 cliniques de vaccination sous la supervision de personnel spécialisé. Des directives médicales, appuyées par une formation en ligne et en présentiel, ont permis à ces prestataires profanes d'administrer des vaccins et de les consigner en dossier sous la supervision d'infirmières, de médecins ou de pharmaciens. Les personnes participantes ont été invitées à répondre à un sondage en ligne sur leur expérience. RéSULTATS: Les prestataires profanes ont administré 293 vaccins contre la grippe et la COVID-19 sans manifestations postvaccinales indésirables. En tout, 141 personnes (122 patients, 17 vaccinateurs profanes, 1 infirmière et 1 médecin) ont répondu au sondage. Plus de 80 % des patients ont dit se sentir tout à fait en sécurité et à l'aise de recevoir des vaccins administrés par des prestataires profanes sous supervision, n'avoir aucune inquiétude vis-à-vis des vaccinateurs profanes et être disposés à se présenter à une autre clinique gérée par des vaccinateurs profanes. L'analyse du contenu et des thèmes des réponses aux questions ouvertes a révélé des expériences majoritairement positives, et des thèmes axés sur l'excellence des vaccinateurs, l'organisation et l'efficacité des cliniques, ainsi que l'importance de la formation, des communications et de l'accès à des professionnels réglementés. Les prestataires ayant répondu au sondage se sont dit à l'aise de travailler au sein d'équipes de vaccination collaboratives. CONSéQUENCES: Des prestataires étudiants profanes peuvent administrer des vaccins en toute sécurité en suivant une directive médicale, et cela peut potentiellement améliorer l'expérience des patients. Plutôt que de redéployer des ressources professionnelles limitées, les stratégies de partage de tâches pourraient placer des vaccinateurs profanes formés pour appuyer l'immunisation, améliorer l'accès et favoriser l'engagement communautaire.

[When should a liver disease patient be admitted to the intensive care unit?] / Wann soll ein Leberkranker auf die Intensivstation?

Liver diseases are a significant global cause of morbidity and mortality. Liver cirrhosis can result in severe complications such as bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy (HE), and infections. Implementing a clear strategy for intensive care unit (ICU) admission management improves patient outcomes. Hemodynamically significant esophageal/gastric variceal bleeding (E/GVB) and grade 4 HE, when accompanied by the need for renal replacement therapy (RRT), are definitive indications for ICU admission. E/GVB, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP), and infections with multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) require close and stringent critical assessment. Patients with severe hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) or respiratory failure have increased baseline mortality and most likely benefit from early ICU treatment. Rapid identification of sepsis in patients with liver cirrhosis is a crucial criterion for ICU admission. Prioritizing cases based on mortality risk and clinical urgency enables efficient resource utilization and optimizes patient management. In addition, "Liver Units" provide an intermediate care (IMC) level for patients with liver diseases who require close monitoring but do not need immediate intensive care.

Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) concept and access to healthcare delivery in Sefwi Wiawso Municipal, Ghana.

BACKGROUND: In spite of the successes of the community-based health planning and services (CHPS) policy since its inception in the mid-1990s in Ghana, data pertaining to the implementation and use of CHPS facilities in Sefwi Wiawso Municipal is scant. We assessed access to healthcare delivery and factors influencing the use of CHPS in Sefwi Wiawso Municipal. METHODS: An analytical community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in the Sefwi Wiawo Municipal from September to October 2020. Respondents for the study were recruited through multi-stage sampling. Information was collected on their socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge and use of CHPS facilities through interviews using a structured pre-tested questionnaire. Factors influencing the use of CHPS facilities were assessed using univariable and multivariable logistic regression to generate crude and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 483 respondents were recruited for the study. The mean age of the respondents was 43.0 ± 16.3 years, and over 70% were females or married/cohabiting with their partners. Most respondents (88.2%) knew about the CHPS concept and more than half (53.4%) accessed healthcare in the CHPS facilities. Most respondents rated the quality of health services (> 65%) and staff attitude (77.2%) very positively. Significant factors influencing the use of the CHPS facilities were; knowledge of the CHPS concept (AOR 6.57, 95% CI 1.57-27.43; p = 0.01), longer waiting time for a vehicle to the facility, and shorter waiting time at the facility before being provided with care. People who waited for 30-60 min (AOR 2.76, 95% CI 1.08-7.07; p = 0.01) or over an hour (AOR 10.91, 95% CI 3.71-32.06; p = 0.01) before getting a vehicle to the facility, while patients who waited for less than 30 min (AOR 5.74, 95% CI 1.28-25.67; p = 0.03) or 30-60 min (AOR 2.60, 95% CI 0.57-11.78; p = 0.03) at the CHPS facility before receiving care were more likely to access care at the CHPS facilities. CONCLUSION: Knowledge, and use of healthcare services at the CHPS facilities were high in this population. Interventions aimed at reducing waiting time at the CHPS facilities could greatly increase use of healthcare services at these facilities.

Improving maternal and child nutrition services in community based health planning and services zones in the jirapa municipality of northern ghana-challenges and strategies: the perspective of community health officers.

BACKGROUND: The Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) initiative plays a key role in delivering maternal and child health nutrition services in Ghana. This study explored bottle necks hindering the delivery of maternal and child nutrition services at CHPS zones and searched for strategies to address them from the perspective of community health officers in rural Northern Ghana. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative cross-sectional study design using key informant interviews involving the municipal nutrition officer and Community Health Officers (CHOs) from eleven CHPS zones was carried out in April 2019. Manual data analysis was done using the framework analysis approach in qualitative data analysis for applied policy research. RESULTS: This study identified challenges of maternal and child nutrition services in the Jirapa municipality to be municipal health directorate and CHPS zone based in nature. Municipal health directorate based challenges were inadequate logistics/medicines; lack of staff training; lack of supervision/monitoring; and inadequate financial support/motivation/incentives. CHPS zone based challenges were lack of planning activities by staff; inadequate home visits; lack of commitment by staff; and lack of community meetings/engagements. Proposed strategies to address municipal health directorate based challenges included adequate provision of logistics/medicines; frequent training of staff in maternal and child nutrition related issues; frequent supervision/monitoring activities from the municipal health directorate; and providing financial support/motivation/incentives at the CHPS zones. Proposed strategies to address CHPS zone based challenges were planning of activities; improved home visits; increased commitment towards delivering maternal and child nutrition services; and frequent community meetings/engagements. CONCLUSION: In order to improve maternal and child nutrition services at CHPS zones, there is the need to address certain systemic challenges at both the municipal or district health directorate and CHPS zones levels of the primary health care system. It is recommended that, the Municipal Health Directorate; the Municipal Health Management Team; the Municipal Assembly and all relevant stakeholders involved in improving maternal and child nutrition services at the community level, actively engage CHOs to help address the systemic challenges.

Os Determinantes Sociais da Saúde no planejamento da testagem à covid-19 no Amazonas, Brasil / The Social Determinants of Health in the planning of COVID-19 testing in Amazonas, Brazil

RESUMO A sindemia da covid-19 afetou desproporcionalmente populações mais vulneráveis do ponto de vista social, como pessoas de baixa renda, populações indígenas e ribeirinhas. No estado do Amazonas, onde a geografia única e as disparidades sociais apresentam desafios significativos para o acesso e a equidade em saúde, os Determinantes Sociais da Saúde (DSS) desempenham um papel crucial. Este artigo analisa se e como os DSS foram considerados durante o planejamento de testes para a covid-19 no Amazonas. Para tal análise, realizou-se um estudo de caso qualitativo por meio de análise documental e entrevistas semiestruturadas com atores-chave envolvidos no planejamento e na implementação da testagem. Os documentos oficiais foram sistematizados usando TIDieR-PHP. Os dados foram analisados empregando a ferramenta REFLEX-ISS. Os DSS não foram considerados no planejamento de testes no Amazonas. Não houve consenso entre os entrevistados sobre a importância de considerar os DSS no planejamento da intervenção. Os testes foram restritos a pacientes com sintomas graves e a algumas categorias de trabalhadores em serviços considerados essenciais. Faz-se necessário, aos gestores de políticas de saúde, conhecimento sobre a importância de considerar os DSS no planejamento em intervenções populacionais para realizar uma política equânime.

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 syndemic has disproportionately affected socially vulnerable populations, such as low-income individuals, Indigenous peoples, and riverine communities. Social Determinants of Health (SDH) have played a crucial role in the state of Amazonas, where unique geography and social disparities pose significant challenges to health access and equity. This article examines whether and how SDH were considered during COVID-19 testing planning in Amazonas. For this analysis, we conducted a qualitative case study through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders involved in testing planning and implementation. Official documents were systematized using TIDieR-PHP, and data were analyzed using the REFLEX-ISS tool. SDH were not considered in testing planning in Amazonas. The respondents could not all agree on the importance of considering SDH in intervention planning. Testing was limited to patients with severe symptoms and specific categories of essential workers. Health policymakers need to understand the relevance of considering SDH in planning population interventions to ensure equitable policy implementation.

Planejamento no SUS: a agenda das Práticas Corporais e Atividades Físicas de 2004 a 2023 / Planning at the SUS: the agenda of Body Practices and Physical Activities from 2004 to 2023

RESUMO As Práticas Corporais e Atividades Físicas (PCAF) têm sido incorporadas no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), tendo o Programa Academia da Saúde como principal expoente. Contudo, ainda não foi investigado o planejamento, que expressa as responsabilidades dos gestores quanto à saúde da população, para efetivação dessas práticas como políticas públicas de saúde. Assim, o presente artigo teve o objetivo de analisar a formulação e o desenvolvimento da agenda de promoção das PCAF a partir dos instrumentos de planejamento do âmbito federal do SUS - Plano Nacional de Saúde, Programação Anual de Saúde e Relatório Anual de Gestão, de 2004 a 2023. Por meio de estudo de caráter analítico-descritivo, pautado em pesquisa documental, foi realizada a busca de termos como: (in)atividade física; fisicamente ativo; exercício físico; práticas corporais; entre outros. A formulação e o desenvolvimento da referida agenda estiveram principalmente relacionados com o enfrentamento das doenças crônicas não transmissíveis, e houve importante disparidade entre o que foi planejado e o executado, em desfavor da expansão do Academia da Saúde. Com o resgate histórico da agenda das PCAF no SUS apresentado, são permitidos debates e iniciativas com vistas a efetivá-las enquanto política pública de saúde.

ABSTRACT Body Practices and Physical Activities (BPPA) have been incorporated into the Unified Health System (SUS), with the Health Academy Program as its main exponent. However, planning, which expresses the responsibilities of managers regarding the population's health, has not yet been investigated to make these practices effective as public health policies. Thus, the aim of this article was to analyze the formulation and development of the agenda for BPPA promotion from the planning instruments of the federal level of the SUS - National Health Plan, Annual Health Programming, and Annual Management Report, from 2004 to 2023. Through an analytical-descriptive study based on documentary research, a search was carried out for terms such as: physical (in)activity; physically active; physical exercise; body practices; among others. The formulation and development of the BPPA promotion agenda were mainly related to facing chronic noncommunicable diseases, and there was an important disparity between what was planned and what was executed, to the detriment of the expansion of Health Academy. With the historic rescue of the BPPA agenda presented in the SUS, debates and initiatives are allowed with a view to making them effective as a public health policy.

The Impact of Primary Care Clinic and Family Physician Continuity on Patient Health Outcomes: A Retrospective Analysis From Alberta, Canada.

PURPOSE: Continuity of care is broadly associated with better patient health outcomes. The relative contributions of continuity with an individual physician and with a practice, however, have not generally been distinguished. This retrospective observational study examined the impact of continuity of care for patients seen at their main clinic but by different family physicians. METHODS: We analyzed linked health administrative data from 2015-2018 from Alberta, Canada to explore the association of physician and clinic continuity with rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations across varying levels of patient complexity. Physician continuity was calculated using the known provider of care index and clinic continuity with an analogous measure. We developed zero-inflated negative binomial models to assess the association of each with all-cause ED visits and hospitalizations. RESULTS: High physician continuity was associated with lower ED use across all levels of patient complexity and with fewer hospitalizations for highly complex patients. Broadly, no (0%) clinic continuity was associated with increased use and complete (100%) clinic continuity with decreased use, with the largest effect seen for the most complex patients. Levels of clinic continuity between 1% and 50% were generally associated with slightly higher use, and levels of 51% to 99% with slightly lower use. CONCLUSIONS: The best health care outcomes (measured by ED visits and hospitalizations) are associated with consistently seeing one's own primary family physician or seeing a clinic partner when that physician is unavailable. The effect of partial clinic continuity appears complex and requires additional research. These results provide some reassurance for part-time and shared practices, and guidance for primary care workforce policy makers.

Health Workforce Planning: Designing a Specialty and Subspecialty Supply Model for Iran.

Background: One of the approaches to health workforce planning is supply-based. It has been emphasized that countries should model health workforce based on evidence and their context. The objective of this study is to "design a supply health workforce planning model for specialty and subspecialty in Iran." Methods: This is a study using Walker and Avant's (2018) theory synthesis framework to construct the model. This method has three steps. According to the viewpoint of the research team and the needs of the country, the focal concept is determined. Then, a literature review was done to determine related factors and their relationships. In the third step, according to the review, the viewpoint of the research team, the rationale of the connection between components, and the graphic model were presented. Results: "Supply" was selected as the focal concept. In the literature review, 42 components were obtained from the systematic review, 43 components obtained from the study of other texts were combined with the opinion of the research team about the field of Iran, and the connections between them were determined. In the third step, the supply model was designed using the Stock and Flow method. Finally, by applying the "functional full-time coefficient", the number of full-time equivalent physicians was calculated. Conclusion: The presented model is an evidence-based model that follows stock and flow design. Stock is the number of specialties or subspecialties that exist in the labor market. Flow includes inflow and outflow according to the educational pathway in the context of Iran.

[Operational planning of health services: How do we make it possible?] / Planificación operativa en servicios sanitarios: ¿cómo lo hacemos posible?

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The Catalan Health Service carries out the operational planning of service delivery and organization. The goal is to describe the methodology and procedure followed to perform these functions. METHODS: The process of operational planning in healthcare services (OPHS) is continuous, dynamic, participatory, objective, and adaptable. OPHS can be divided into three stages prior to implementation and evaluation: Service delivery planning, Organization of healthcare resources, and Procurement planning. RESULTS: Three examples of projects are presented following the POSS framework. It is essential to adapt the process to the characteristics of each project. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed framework is useful to achieve high quality and equity in access to services.

Accurate Prediction Equations for Ventilatory Thresholds in Cardiometabolic Disease When Gas Exchange Analysis is Unavailable: Development and Validation.

AIMS: To develop and validate equations predicting heart rate (HR) at the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VTs) and an optimized range-adjusted prescription for patients with cardiometabolic disease (CMD). To compare their performance against guideline-based exercise intensity domains. METHODS: Cross-sectional study involving 2,868 CMD patients from nine countries. HR predictive equations for first and second VTs (VT1, VT2) were developed using multivariate linear regression with 975 cycle-ergometer cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET). 'Adjusted' percentages of peak HR (%HRpeak) and HR reserve (%HRR) were derived from this group. External validation with 1,893 CPET (cycle-ergometer or treadmill) assessed accuracy, agreement, and reliability against guideline-based %HRpeak and %HRR prescriptions using mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), Bland-Altman analyses, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC). RESULTS: HR predictive equations (R²: 0.77 VT1, 0.88 VT2) and adjusted %HRR (VT1: 42%, VT2: 77%) were developed. External validation demonstrated superiority over widely used guideline-directed intensity domains for %HRpeak and %HRR. The new methods showed consistent performance across both VTs with lower MAPE (VT1: 7.1%, VT2: 5.0%), 'good' ICC for VT1 (0.81, 0.82) and 'excellent' for VT2 (0.93). Guideline-based exercise intensity domains had higher MAPE (VT1: 6.8%-21.3%, VT2: 5.1%-16.7%), 'poor' to 'good' ICC for VT1, and 'poor' to 'excellent' for VT2, indicating inconsistencies related to specific VTs across guidelines. CONCLUSION: Developed and validated HR predictive equations and the optimized %HRR for CMD patients for determining VT1 and VT2 outperformed the guideline-based exercise intensity domains and showed ergometer interchangeability. They offer a superior alternative for prescribing moderate intensity exercise when CPET is unavailable.

Equations to predict heart rate at ventilatory thresholds were developed and externally validated, offering a new perspective when a cardiopulmonary exercise test is unavailable to accurately determine the aerobic exercise intensity domains. Additionally, an adjusted range for exercise intensity prescription based on the percentage of heart rate reserve (%HRR) was provided, utilizing a large sample from eight countries. The proposed equations and the range-adjusted %HRR significantly outperformed the guideline-directed methods for determining exercise intensity, exhibiting higher accuracy, agreement, and reliability. Exercise intensity prescription based on the percentage of heart rate peak showed higher errors, raising concerns about its clinical applicability. Our study may enhance the efficacy of exercise training and physical activity advice when gas exchange analysis is unavailable, potentially leading to improved clinical outcomes, even in low-resource settings. Employing these approaches in research could facilitate more tailored and consistent interventions, introducing a contemporary perspective for studies comparing exercise intensity prescriptions.

Concept analysis of health system resilience.

BACKGROUND: There are several definitions of resilience in health systems, many of which share some characteristics, but no agreed-upon framework is universally accepted. Here, we review the concept of resilience, identifying its definitions, attributes, antecedents and consequences, and present the findings of a concept analysis of health system resilience. METHODS: We follow Schwarz-Barcott and Kim's hybrid model, which consists of three phases: theoretical, fieldwork and final analysis. We identified the concept definitions, attributes, antecedents and consequences of health system resilience and constructed an evidence-informed framework on the basis of the findings of this review. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL Complete, EBSCOhost-Academic Search and Premier databases and downloaded identified titles and abstracts on Covidence. We screened 3357 titles and removed duplicate and ineligible records; two reviewers then screened each title, and disagreements were resolved by discussion with the third reviewer. From the 130 eligible manuscripts, we identified the definitions, attributes, antecedents and consequences using a pre-defined data extraction form. RESULTS: Resilience antecedents are decentralization, available funds, investments and resources, staff environment and motivation, integration and networking and finally, diversification of staff. The attributes are the availability of resources and funds, adaptive capacity, transformative capacity, learning and advocacy and progressive leadership. The consequences of health system resilience are improved health system performance, a balanced governance structure, improved expenditure and financial management of health and maintenance of health services that support universal health coverage (UHC) throughout crises. CONCLUSION: A resilient health system maintains quality healthcare through times of crisis. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, several seemingly robust health systems were strained under the increased demand, and services were disrupted. As such, elements of resilience should be integrated into the functions of a health system to ensure standardized and consistent service quality and delivery. We offer a systematic, evidence-informed method for identifying the attributes of health system resilience, intending to eventually be used to develop a measuring tool to evaluate a country's health system resilience performance.

Guideline Recommendations on Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize recommendations on assessing and managing behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) in existing clinical practice guidelines on dementia care to learn from and adapt recommendations to a Canadian context and language for describing BPSDs. DESIGN: Systematic review. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Moderate to high-quality clinical practice guidelines on dementia care that made 1 or more recommendations on BPSD assessment or management. METHODS: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, JBI EBM, PsycINFO, AgeLine, and gray literature for clinical practice guidelines on dementia care making recommendations on BPSD, published between January 1, 2011, and October 13, 2022. Two independent reviewers conducted study screening and data abstraction. Four independent reviewers completed quality appraisal using the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) II tool; included guidelines had a mean overall AGREE II score ≥4. RESULTS: Our systematic review identified 23 moderate to high-quality clinical practice guidelines (264 recommendations). The mean overall quality score on the AGREE II tool ranged from 4 to 6.5. Recommendations were clearly presented (mean clarity of presentation score 73.5%), but guideline applicability was not consistently addressed (mean applicability score 39.3%). BPSD was the most prevalent term describing neuropsychiatric symptoms (number of guidelines [n] = 14). People with lived experience contributed to 6 guidelines (26.1%). Ten guidelines (43.5%) described 1 or more health equity considerations. Guidelines made recommendations for assessing and managing agitation (n = 12), aggression (n = 10), psychosis (n = 11), depression (n = 9), anxiety (n = 5), apathy (n = 6), inappropriate sexual behavior (n = 3), nighttime behavior (n = 5), and eating disturbances (n = 3). There was substantial variability in recommendation statements, evidence quality assigned to each statement, and strength of recommendations. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: There are several moderate to high-quality clinical practice guidelines making recommendations on BPSD assessment and management, but variability in recommendation statements across guidelines and insufficient consideration of guideline applicability may hamper guideline dissemination and implementation in clinical practice.

Understanding priorities and needs for child and adolescent mental health in Greece from multiple informants: an open resource dataset.

The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI) aims to enhance mental health care capacity for children and adolescents across Greece. Considering the need for evidence-based policy, the program developed an open-resource dataset for researching the field within the country. A comprehensive, mixed-method, community-based research was conducted in 2022/2023 assessing the current state, needs, barriers, and opportunities according to multiple viewpoints. We surveyed geographically distributed samples of 1,756 caregivers, 1,201 children/adolescents, 404 schoolteachers, and 475 health professionals using validated instruments to assess mental health symptoms, mental health needs, literacy and stigma, service use and access, professional practices, training background, and training needs and preferences. Fourteen focus groups were conducted with informants from diverse populations (including underrepresented minorities) to reach an in-depth understanding of those topics. A dataset with quantitative and qualitative findings is now available for researchers, policymakers, and society [ https://osf.io/crz6h/ and https://rpubs.com/camhi/sdashboard ]. This resource offers valuable data for assessing the needs and priorities for child and adolescent mental health care in Greece. It is now freely available to consult, and is expected to inform upcoming research and evidence-based professional training. This initiative may inspire similar ones in other countries, informing methodological strategies for researching mental health needs.

[Brazilian Ministry of Health strategy to increase vaccination coverage at bordersEstrategia del Ministerio de Salud de Brasil para aumentar las tasas de cobertura de vacunación en las fronteras]. / Estratégia do Ministério da Saúde do Brasil para aumento das coberturas vacinais nas fronteiras.

Objective: Evaluate the implementation of the Ministry of Health's "Action Plan: Border Vaccination Strategy - Agenda 2022" in the Brazil's 33 twin cities and evaluate the increase in the country's vaccination coverage (VC). Methodology: Pre-post community clinical trial. Implementation of the strategy was analyzed, and pre- and post-intervention VC were compared in two stages: P1 (pre-intervention) and P2 (post-intervention). Based on statistical analyses of P1 and P2 coverage, calculations were made of municipal averages, standard deviation, and difference in VC between the two periods. Results: Integration was observed between the primary health care (PHC), surveillance, immunization, and special indigenous health district (DSEI) teams, although there were difficulties, for example, in relation to migratory flows. While immigration flows present challenges in the areas of immunization, PHC, and DSEI, the difficulties are compounded by the polarization of these services, which hinders intersectoral integration. After carrying out the workshops, a total of 50 977 doses were administered in the general population in the 33 twin cities. There was an increase in vaccination coverage in children up to 1 year of age in the locations evaluated after the intervention, which may be relevant in terms of increasing VC in Brazil. Conclusion: There was an increase in vaccination coverage in children up to 1 year of age in the locations evaluated after the intervention, helping to increase VC in Brazil.

Objetivo: Evaluar la aplicación de la Estrategia de Vacunación en las Fronteras - Agenda 2022, que forma parte del Plan de Acción del Ministerio de Salud en las 33 ciudades hermanas y evaluar el aumento de las tasas de cobertura de vacunación en Brasil. Métodos: Ensayo clínico comunitario realizado antes y después de la intervención correspondiente. Se analizó la aplicación de la estrategia y se compararon las tasas de cobertura de vacunación antes y después de la intervención en dos periodos: P1 (pre-intervención) y P2 (post-intervención). En los análisis estadísticos de la tasa de cobertura de vacunación en P1 y P2 se calcularon los valores de media y desviación estándar de los municipios y la diferencia entre las tasas de cobertura de los dos periodos. Resultados: Se observó una integración entre los equipos de Atención Primaria de Salud, Vigilancia, Inmunización y el Distrito Especial de Salud Indígena (DISEI), pero con dificultades, como las inherentes al flujo migratorio. Cabe destacar que el flujo migratorio es uno de los desafíos en el contexto de la inmunización, la atención primaria de salud y el DISEI, dificultad que se ve agravada por la polarización entre los servicios (inmunización, atención primaria de salud y el DISEI), lo que supone un reto para la integración de los sectores. Por lo que respecta al análisis de las tasas de cobertura de vacunación llevado a cabo después de realizar los talleres, se administró un total de 50 977 dosis a la población general en las 33 ciudades hermanas de Brasil. Hubo un aumento de las tasas de cobertura de vacunación de menores de hasta un año de edad en los lugares evaluados después de la intervención, lo que puede ser importante para aumentar las tasas de cobertura de Brasil. Conclusión: Después de la intervención hubo un aumento de las tasas de cobertura de vacunación de menores de hasta un año de edad en los lugares evaluados, lo cual influyó en el incremento de las tasas de cobertura de Brasil.

National strategies for knowledge translation in health policy-making: A scoping review of grey literature.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Without strategic actions in its support, the translation of scientific research evidence into health policy is often absent or delayed. This review systematically maps and assesses national-level strategic documents in the field of knowledge translation (KT) for health policy, and develops a practical template that can support Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet) Europe countries in producing national strategies for evidence-informed policy-making. METHODS: Websites of organizations with strategic responsibilities in KT were electronically searched, on the basis of pre-defined criteria, in July-August 2017, and an updated search was carried out in April-June 2021. We included national strategies or elements of national strategies that dealt with KT activities, as well as similar strategies of individual institutions with a national policy focus. Two reviewers screened the strategies for inclusion. Data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: A total of 65 unique documents were identified, of which 17 were eligible and analysed for their structure and content. Of the 17, 1 document was a national health KT action plan and 6 documents were institution-level KT strategies. The remaining 10 strategies, which were also included were 2 national health strategies, 5 national health research strategies and 3 national KT strategies (not specific to the field of health alone). In all, 13 structural elements and 7 major themes of health policy KT strategies were identified from the included documents. CONCLUSION: KT in health policy, as emerged from the national strategies that our mapping identified, is based on the production and accessibility of policy-relevant research, its packaging for policy-making and the activities related to knowledge exchange. KT strategies may play different roles in the complex and context-specific process of policy-making. Our findings show that the main ideas of health-specific evidence-informed policy literature appear in these strategies, but their effectiveness depends on the way stakeholders use them. Specific knowledge-brokering institutions and organizational capacity, advocacy about the use of evidence, and close collaboration and co-decision-making with key stakeholders are essential in furthering the policy uptake of research results.

Equidade na promoção das práticas corporais e atividades físicas no SUS: reflexões a partir do serviço de orientação ao exercício / Equity in the promotion of body practices and physical activities in SUS: reflections from the exercise guidance service / Equidad en la promoción de prácticas corporales y actividades físicas en SUS: reflexiones desde el servicio de orientación en ejercicio

A equidade é um dos princípios constitucionais e dou-trinários do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), assim como da Política Nacional de Promoção da Saúde, principal marco das Práticas Corporais e Atividades Físicas (PCAF) no referido sistema. Considerando as desigualdades sociais gerais e as iniquidades em saúde, a equidade deve ser prioritária. Assim, o trabalho, de caráter ensaístico, teve como objetivo apresentar a experiência do Serviço de Orientação ao Exercício na operacionalização des-te princípio. Foram abordados aspectos relacionados ao acesso, recursos, resultados e desafios para indicar possibilidades e ca-minhos para a efetivação da equidade na promoção das PCAF no SUS, visando o seu fortalecimento e qualificação como sistema de saúde universal, integral e equânime.

Equity is one of the constitutional and doctrinal principles of the Unified Health System (SUS), as well as of the National Health Promotion Policy, the main framework for Body Practices and Physical Activities (PCAF) in this system. Considering the general social inequalities and inequities in health, equity must be a priority. The aim of this essay was to present the experience of the Exercise Guidance Service in operationalizing this principle. Aspects related to access, resources, results and challenges were addressed in order to indicate possibilities and paths towards the realization of equity in the promotion of PCAF in the SUS, with a view to strengthening and qualifying it as a universal, comprehensive and equitable health system.

La equidad es uno de los principios constitucionales y doctrinales del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS), así como de la Política Nacional de Promoción de la Salud, marco principal de las Prácticas Corporales y Actividades Físicas (PCAF) de este sistema. Considerando las desigualdades sociales generales y las inequidades en salud, la equidad debe ser priorizada. El objetivo de este ensayo era, por tanto, presentar la experiencia del Servicio de Orientación para el Ejercicio en la puesta en práctica de este principio. Se analizaron aspectos relacionados con el acceso, los recursos, los resultados y los desafíos, a fin de indicar posibilidades y formas de hacer realidad la equidad en la promoción del PCAF en el SUS, con miras a fortalecerlo y calificarlo como sistema de salud universal, integral y equitativo.