Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

American Obesity: Rooted In Uncertainty, Institutions And Public Policy, James Woodward

Theses and Dissertations--Public Policy and Administration

Despite the efforts of policymakers, medical professionals, and other stakeholders, obesity and related health problems show no signs of receding from their record-high rates. Public policy has largely taken the form of consumer advice, (e.g., USDA’s Dietary Guidelines). Since consumers bear most of the costs associated with their obesity, the goal of obesity prevention appears to be incentive-compatible, prima facie. That is, there is no a priori case for much further policy intervention unless existing advice is deficient or consumers’ exhibit systematically poor decision-making.

My review of the literature shows that scholars have long conveyed a consistent narrative regarding …

The Value Of Public Health Financial Data, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Effective policy and administrative decision-making in public health requires reliable information on the amount of resources invested in governmental public health programs and how these resouces are allocated and used across the U.S. public health system. This session examines current and potential uses of public health financial data in the U.S., and considers expanded roles for research in informing policy and administrative decisions.

Vital Statistics: The State Of The Public Health Pbrn Program, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Public Health PBRN Program has continued to expand during the 2013 program year with new networks, new research projects, and expanded translation and dissemination initiatives. The program plays an increasingly powerful role in helping to transform the U.S. public health enterprise into a rapid-learning system for health improvement.

Public Health Roi: Evidence, Experience And Remaining Questions, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Expanding the delivery of efficacious public health and prevention strategies holds considerable potential for improving health outcomes and constraining costs across the U.S. health system. Unfortunately, lingering certainties about the costs required to expand public health delivery systems and about the health and economic effects of such expansions has muted private and public support for increased public health expenditures. This lecture examines recent evidence from public health services and systems research studies that examine the health and economic value of public health delivery, and identifies remaining research needs for the field.

Monitoring Qi Maturity Of Public Health Organizations And Systems In Minnesota: Promising Early Findings And Suggested Next Steps, Kimberly J. Miner Gearin, M. Elizabeth Gyllstrom, Brenda M. Joly, Renee S. Frauendienst, Julie Myhre, William Riley

Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research

Public health departments and systems are increasing investments in quality improvement. This paper presents methods used to identify a select number of items from a previously validated QI Maturity Tool as the basis for calculating organizational and system-level QI maturity scores that could be followed over time. Findings suggest that the abbreviated tool measures variation in QI maturity across LHDs, and differences in scores among divisions within a state health department. Minnesota has incorporated the abbreviated tool into an annual reporting system for the MN Local Public Health Act, thereby enabling stakeholders to monitor a system median score and distribution …

Accelerating And Expanding Knowledge Transfer In Public Health Settings: Frontiers In Phssr, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Creating a "rapid-learning" system in public health requires mechanisms for the continuous exchange of knowledge and evidence among researchers, practice settings, and policy decision-makers. The open-access platform Frontiers in Public Health Services and Systems Research provides a new mechanism for this exchange.

Public Health Return On Investment: Making The Case, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Fiscal pressures and policy imperatives have created a need for rigorous economic analyses of public health programs and policies. ROI analyses can reveal whether the benefits of public health strategies justify their costs, who realizes these benefits and costs, and under what circumstances.

Comparative Effectiveness Research And Patient Centered Outcomes Research In Public Health Settings: Design, Analysis, And Funding Considerations, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

The principles and methods of CER and PCOR have developed primarily with therapeutics in mind, but they must also be applied to the study of public health programs, policies, and delivery systems. This session surveys the emerging field, and provides examples of CER/PCOR methods applied in public health settings using practice-based research networks (PBRNs).

Driving Qi With Research: Findings From Public Health Pbrns, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Public health agencies are increasingly experimenting with quality improvement (QI) strategies designed to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their efforts. Does QI work in public health, and if so for whom and under what circumstances? What QI strategies work best for which types of public health process failures, and at what cost? Research underway through the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN) Program is examining these types of questions to build an evidence base for public health QI.

Disparities Research In Public Health Pbrns, Glen P. Mays

Health Management and Policy Presentations

Public health agencies are well positioned within the health system to play key roles in addressing oral health issues on a population-wide basis, However, current evidence reveals wide geographic variation in the delivery of public health interventions for oral health promotion. This session explores the factors contributing to this variation, and it highlights studies underway through the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRNs) to produce more and better evidence about public health delivery and impact.

Opportunities For Comparative Research In Public Health Pbrns : A Baseline Analysis Of Local Practice Settings, Glen P. Mays, Sharla A. Smith, Elaine B. Wootten, Sylvia J. Porchia

Health Management and Policy Presentations

This analysis describes the organizational and operational characteristics of local public health agencies participating in an initial cohort of five (5) public health PBRNs in the U.S. We examine variation in practice settings within and between PBRNs; compare practice settings to state and national norms; and identify opportunities for comparative research that can be conducted through PBRNs.