Public policy for pensions, health and sickness insurance

Includes bibliography

Public policy for pensions, health and sickness insurance: potential lessons from Sweden for Latin America

Includes bibliography

Health-care financing and equity: public insurance in Chile

Includes bibliography

The financial protection impact of the public health system and private insurance in Brazil

Includes bibliography

Brazilian community health agents and qualitative primary healthcare information

The aim of this study was to explore female community health agents’ views about the value of recording qualitative information on contextual health issues they observe during home visits, data that are not officially required to be documented for the Brazilian System of Primary Healthcare Information. Background: The study was conducted in community primary healthcare centres located in the cities of Araçatuba and Coroados (state of São Paulo) and Rio de Janeiro (state of Rio de Janeiro), Brazil. Methods: The design was a qualitative, exploratory study. The purposeful sampling criteria were being female, with a minimum of three years of continuous service in the same location. Data collection with 62 participants was conducted via 11 focus groups (in 2007 and 2008). Audio files were transcribed and submitted to the method of thematic analysis. Four themes guided the analysis: working with qualitative information and undocumented observation; reflecting on qualitative information; integrating/analysing quantitative and qualitative information; and information-sharing with agents and family health teams. In 2010, 25 community health agents verified the final interpretation of the findings. Findings: Participants valued the recording of qualitative, contextual information to expand understanding of primary healthcare issues and as an indicator of clients’ improved health behaviour and health literacy. While participants initiated the recording of additional health information, they generally did not inform the family health team about these findings. They perceived that team members devalued this type of information by considering it a reflection of the clientele’s social conditions or problems beyond the scope of medical concerns. Documentation of qualitative evidence can account for the effectiveness of health education in two ways: by improving preventative care, and by amplifying the voices of underprivileged clients who live in poverty to ensure the most appropriate and best quality primary healthcare for them.

Cooperative interventions and the interaction of Community Health Agents within the Family Health team

This qualitative study examines the social relationships between the Community Health Agents (CHAs) and the Family Health team (FH), highlighting cooperative interventions and interactions among workers. A total of 23 participant observations and 11 semi-structured interviews were conducted with an FH team in a city in the interior of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The results revealed that CHAs function as a link in the development of operational actions to expedite teamwork. These professionals, while creating bonds, articulate connections of teamwork and interact with other workers, developing common care plans and bringing the team and community together, as well as adapting care interventions to meet the real needs of people. In communication practice, when talking about themselves they talk about the community itself because they are the community's representatives and spokespersons on the team. The conclusion is that the CHA may be a strategic worker if his/her actions include more political and social dimensions of work in healthcare.

Incidence and causative agents of chemical eye injuries in Switzerland

CONTEXT Chemical eye injuries are ophthalmological emergencies with a high risk of secondary complications and severe visual loss. Only limited epidemiological data for such injuries are available for many countries. PATIENTS AND METHODS We performed two independent studies. The cause of chemical eye injuries was assessed with a prospective questionnaire study. Questionnaires were sent to all ophthalmologists in Switzerland. A total of 163 patients (205 eyes) were included, between December 2012 and October 2014. Independent of the questionnaire study, the incidence of chemical eye injuries was assessed with a retrospective cohort study design using the database of the mandatory accident insurance. RESULTS Ophthalmological questionnaires revealed that plaster/cement (20.5%), alkaline (12.2%) and acid (10.2%) solutions caused the highest number of chemical injuries. Only 2% of all injuries were classified as grade III and none as grade IV (Roper-Hall classification). The official toxicological information phone-hotline was contacted in 4.3% of cases. Using data from the accident insurance, an incidence of chemical eye injuries of about 50/100 000/year was found in the working population. CONCLUSION Here, we present data on the involved agents of chemical eye injuries in Switzerland, and also the incidence of such injuries in the working population. This may also help to assess the need for further education programs and to improve and direct preventive measures.