Morgonvinden

Soitinnus: lauluääni, piano.

Delivery, Outcome, and Costs of Orthodontic Care in Finnish Health Centres

The goal of the study was to analyse orthodontic care in Finnish health centres with special reference to the delivery, outcome and costs of treatment. Public orthodontic care was studied by two questionnaires sent to the chief dental officers of all health centres (n = 276) and to all specialist orthodontists in Finland (n = 146). The large regional variation was mentioned by the orthodontists as the most important factor requiring improvement. Orthodontic practices and outcome were studied in eight Finnish municipal health centres representing early and late timing of treatment. A random sample of 16- and 18-year-olds (n = 1109) living in these municipalities was examined for acceptability of occlusion with the Occlusal Morphology and Function Index (OMFI). In acceptability of occlusion, only minor differences were found between the two timing groups. The percentage of subjects with acceptable morphology was higher among untreated than among treated adolescents. The costs of orthodontic care were estimated among the adolescents with a treatment history. The mean appliance costs were higher in the late, and the mean visit costs higher in the early timing group. The cost-effectiveness of orthodontic services differed among the health centres, but was almost equal in the two timing groups. National guidelines and delegation of orthodontic tasks were suggested as the tools for reducing the variation among the health centres. In the eight health centres, considerable variation was found in acceptability of occlusion and in cost-effectiveness of services. The cost-effectiveness was not directly connected with the timing of treatment.

Pohjanmaan ELY-keskuksen aluetalouskatsaus

Tässä katsauksessa on käsitelty aluetalouksia mahdollisimman monipuolisesti väestön, yritysten, tuotannon ja työllisten näkökulmista eri aluetasoilla. Sekä mennyttä kehitystä että ennusteita tulevasta on esitelty. Tärkeimpinä ennusteina on käytetty Tilastokeskuksen väestöennustetta viime vuoden syyskuulta ja ETLA:n alue- ja toimialaennustetta tämän vuoden lokakuulta. Historiatilastot ovat pääasiassa Tilastokeskuksen StatFin-tilastokannasta ja TEM:n Toimiala Onlinesta. Käsittelytapana on ollut se, että ensin on esitelty maakuntien %-muutosennusteita ja sitten ELY-alueen seutukuntien ja kuntien toteutuneita %-muutoksia. Aikajänne on vaihdellut muutamasta vuodesta vuosikymmeniin. Johtopäätöksenä voidaan todeta, että ELY-alueen molemmat maakunnat ovat selvinneet ja pärjäävät ennusteiden mukaan jatkossakin varsin hyvin muihin maakuntiin verrattuna. Seutukuntatasolla on kuitenkin havaittavissa polarisaatiota suurten työssäkäyntikeskusten hyväksi syrjäisten seutukuntien kustannuksella niin koko maassa kuin maakunnissakin. Tämä tendenssi tulee todennäköisesti vain voimistumaan kuluvalla vuosikymmenellä.

Utilization of Statistical Methods for Management in the Forest Industry

The strongest wish of the customer concerning chemical pulp features is consistent, uniform quality. Variation may be controlled and reduced by using statistical methods. However, studies addressing the application and benefits of statistical methods in forest product sector are scarce. Thus, the customer wish is the root cause of the motivation behind this dissertation. The research problem addressed by this dissertation is that companies in the chemical forest product sector require new knowledge for improving their utilization of statistical methods. To gain this new knowledge, the research problem is studied from five complementary viewpoints – challenges and success factors, organizational learning, problem solving, economic benefit, and statistical methods as management tools. The five research questions generated on the basis of these viewpoints are answered in four research papers, which are case studies based on empirical data collection. This research as a whole complements the literature dealing with the use of statistical methods in the forest products industry. Practical examples of the application of statistical process control, case-based reasoning, the cross-industry standard process for data mining, and performance measurement methods in the context of chemical forest products manufacturing are brought to the public knowledge of the scientific community. The benefit of the application of these methods is estimated or demonstrated. The purpose of this dissertation is to find pragmatic ideas for companies in the chemical forest product sector in order for them to improve their utilization of statistical methods. The main practical implications of this doctoral dissertation can be summarized in four points: 1. It is beneficial to reduce variation in chemical forest product manufacturing processes 2. Statistical tools can be used to reduce this variation 3. Problem-solving in chemical forest product manufacturing processes can be intensified through the use of statistical methods 4. There are certain success factors and challenges that need to be addressed when implementing statistical methods