PHealth 2017
PHealth 2017

Author: B. Blobel

Publisher: IOS Press

Published: 2017-05-05

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 1614997616

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Smart mobile systems such as microsystems, smart textiles, smart implants, sensor-controlled medical devices and innovative sensor techniques have become important enablers for telemedicine and next-generation health services, with social media and gamification adding further to personalized health (pHealth) as an eco-system. This book presents the proceedings of pHealth 2017, the 14th in a series of international conferences for personalized health held in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, in May 2017. The conference series, which began in 2003 as a dissemination activity in the framework of a European project on wearable micro and nano technologies for personalized health, presents advances in wearable or implantable micro-, nano- and bio-technologies for healthcare and wellness, and brings together expertise from medical, technological, political, administrative, and social domains, and even from philosophy and linguistics. The book contains keynotes and invited papers, as well as 16 oral presentations and 8 poster presentations. Encompassing diverse fields such as medical services, public health, prevention, social and elderly care, wellness and personal fitness, the book will be of interest to practitioners from various medical and health disciplines, as well as developers and administrators, provider institutions, and patient and citizens representatives.

The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids
The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-03-31

Total Pages: 487

ISBN-13: 0309453070

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Significant changes have taken place in the policy landscape surrounding cannabis legalization, production, and use. During the past 20 years, 25 states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis and/or cannabidiol (a component of cannabis) for medical conditions or retail sales at the state level and 4 states have legalized both the medical and recreational use of cannabis. These landmark changes in policy have impacted cannabis use patterns and perceived levels of risk. However, despite this changing landscape, evidence regarding the short- and long-term health effects of cannabis use remains elusive. While a myriad of studies have examined cannabis use in all its various forms, often these research conclusions are not appropriately synthesized, translated for, or communicated to policy makers, health care providers, state health officials, or other stakeholders who have been charged with influencing and enacting policies, procedures, and laws related to cannabis use. Unlike other controlled substances such as alcohol or tobacco, no accepted standards for safe use or appropriate dose are available to help guide individuals as they make choices regarding the issues of if, when, where, and how to use cannabis safely and, in regard to therapeutic uses, effectively. Shifting public sentiment, conflicting and impeded scientific research, and legislative battles have fueled the debate about what, if any, harms or benefits can be attributed to the use of cannabis or its derivatives, and this lack of aggregated knowledge has broad public health implications. The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids provides a comprehensive review of scientific evidence related to the health effects and potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis. This report provides a research agendaâ€"outlining gaps in current knowledge and opportunities for providing additional insight into these issuesâ€"that summarizes and prioritizes pressing research needs.

Communities in Action
Communities in Action

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2017-04-27

Total Pages: 583

ISBN-13: 0309452961

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In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Investment for Health and Well-being
Investment for Health and Well-being

Author: Dyakova M

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2017-09-27

Total Pages: 88

ISBN-13: 9289052597

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Governments across the WHO European Region need to take urgent action to address the growing public health inequality economic and environmental challenges in order to achieve sustainable development (meeting current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs) and to ensure health and well-being for present and future generations. Based on a scoping review this report concludes that current investment policies and practices (doing business as usual) are unsustainable with high costs to individuals families communities societies the economy and the planet. Investment in public health policies that are based on values and evidence provides effective and efficient inclusive and innovative solutions that can drive social economic and environmental sustainability. Investing for health and well-being is a driver and an enabler of sustainable development and vice versa and it empowers people to achieve the highest attainable standard of health for all.

Public Health Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters
Public Health Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters

Author: Emily Ying Yang Chan

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2017-02-10

Total Pages: 294

ISBN-13: 1317357442

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The pressure of climate change, environmental degradation, and urbanisation, as well as the widening of socio- economic disparities have rendered the global population increasingly vulnerable to the impact of natural disasters. With a primary focus on medical and public health humanitarian response to disasters, Public Health Humanitarian Responses to Natural Disasters provides a timely critical analysis of public health responses to natural disasters. Using a number of case studies and examples of innovative disaster response measures developed by international agencies and stakeholders, this book illustrates how theoretical understanding of public health issues can be practically applied in the context of humanitarian relief response. Starting with an introduction to public health principles within the context of medical and public health disaster and humanitarian response, the book goes on to explore key trends, threats and challenges in contemporary disaster medical response. This book provides a comprehensive overview of an emergent discipline and offers a unique multidisciplinary perspective across a range of relevant topics including the concepts of disaster preparedness and resilience, and key challenges in human health needs for the twenty-first century. This book will be of interest to students of public health, disaster and emergency medicine and development studies, as well as to development and medical practitioners working within NGOs, development agencies, health authorities and public administration.

Key Policies for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequities
Key Policies for Addressing the Social Determinants of Health and Health Inequities

Author: Centers of Disease Control

Publisher: World Health Organization

Published: 2017-09-27

Total Pages: 92

ISBN-13: 9289052651

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Evidence indicates that actions within four main themes (early child development fair employment and decent work social protection and the living environment) are likely to have the greatest impact on the social determinants of health and health inequities. A systematic search and analysis of recommendations and policy guidelines from intergovernmental organizations and international bodies identified practical policy options for action on social determinants within these four themes. Policy options focused on early childhood education and care; child poverty; investment strategies for an inclusive economy; active labour market programmes; working conditions; social cash transfers; affordable housing; and planning and regulatory mechanisms to improve air quality and mitigate climate change. Applying combinations of these policy options alongside effective governance for health equity should enable WHO European Region Member States to reduce health inequities and synergize efforts to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

What's In, What's Out
What's In, What's Out

Author: Amanda Glassman

Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Published: 2017-10-10

Total Pages: 449

ISBN-13: 1944691057

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Vaccinate children against deadly pneumococcal disease, or pay for cardiac patients to undergo lifesaving surgery? Cover the costs of dialysis for kidney patients, or channel the money toward preventing the conditions that lead to renal failure in the first place? Policymakers dealing with the realities of limited health care budgets face tough decisions like these regularly. And for many individuals, their personal health care choices are equally stark: paying for medical treatment could push them into poverty. Many low- and middle-income countries now aspire to universal health coverage, where governments ensure that all people have access to the quality health services they need without risk of impoverishment. But for universal health coverage to become reality, the health services offered must be consistent with the funds available—and this implies tough everyday choices for policymakers that could be the difference between life and death for those affected by any given condition or disease. The situation is particularly acute in low- and middle income countries where public spending on health is on the rise but still extremely low, and where demand for expanded services is growing rapidly. What’s In, What’s Out: Designing Benefits for Universal Health Coverage argues that the creation of an explicit health benefits plan—a defined list of services that are and are not available—is an essential element in creating a sustainable system of universal health coverage. With contributions from leading health economists and policy experts, the book considers the many dimensions of governance, institutions, methods, political economy, and ethics that are needed to decide what’s in and what’s out in a way that is fair, evidence-based, and sustainable over time.

Patent Politics
Patent Politics

Author: Shobita Parthasarathy

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2017-02-21

Total Pages: 299

ISBN-13: 022643785X

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Introduction -- Defining the public interest in the US and European patent systems -- Confronting the questions of life-form patentability -- Commodification, animal dignity, and patent-system publics -- Forging new patent politics through the human embryonic stem cell debates -- Human genes, plants, and the distributive implications of patents -- Conclusion

Precision Medicine Powered by pHealth and Connected Health
Precision Medicine Powered by pHealth and Connected Health

Author: Nicos Maglaveras

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2017-11-16

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 9811074194

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This volume presents the proceedings of the 3rd ICBHI which took place in Thessaloniki on 18-21 November, 2017.The area of biomedical and health informatics is exploding at all scales. The developments in the areas of medical devices, eHealth and personalized health as enabling factors for the evolution of precision medicine are quickly developing and demand the development of new scaling tools, integration frameworks and methodologies.

Causal Inference
Causal Inference

Author: Miquel A. Hernan

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2019-07-07

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9781420076165

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The application of causal inference methods is growing exponentially in fields that deal with observational data. Written by pioneers in the field, this practical book presents an authoritative yet accessible overview of the methods and applications of causal inference. With a wide range of detailed, worked examples using real epidemiologic data as well as software for replicating the analyses, the text provides a thorough introduction to the basics of the theory for non-time-varying treatments and the generalization to complex longitudinal data.