Policy and the life course Flashcards
Define policy.
A set of ideas or a plan of what to do in particular situations that has been agreed to officially by a group of people, a business organisation, a government, or a political party.
Define health policy.
Refers to decisions, plans & actions undertaken to achieve specific healthcare goals within a society.
What is meant by Big P policies?
A policy at the state/national level, perhaps even made into a law.
What is meant by Little P policies?
Policies that are possibly at the local government.
Give examples of Big P policies.
- Budgets & Taxes: Income tax, VAT, National Insurance
- Acts & Legislation Equality Act: Speed limits, Smoke free laws
- Regulations: Ofsted, Food Standards Agency
- Programmes/Initiatives: Sure Start, Heating grants
Give examples of Little P policies.
- Targets: Vaccination, Renewable energy
- Guidelines: Alcohol, Diet, NICE
What are the steps of the Policy Cycle?
- Problem definition (is there a problem?)
- Policy formulation (how to tackle the problem)
- Implementation (put the policy to work)
- Policy evaluation (did the policy work? re-evaluate)
Why has the stages model been criticised?
Presenting policy development as too neat and rational.
List examples of motivation behind policies.
- Political agendas
- Financial factors
- Votes and feedback from constituents
- Event (e.g. war or outbreak of disease)
List the steps of policy formulation.
- Agree aims
- Analysis: Options conceived, outlined compared
- What needs changing?
- How will it be done?
- Who will be responsible? - Consultation
- Public opinion
- Stakeholders
- Interest groups - Authorisation: Decision made & authorised
Who is responsible for the planning and management of policies?
- Local government (Local Authorities)
- Services (Schools, Hospitals)
- Regulatory bodies (e.g. HFEA, HRA)
- New working groups
What 5 things should the policy focus on?
- What health or other problem are we trying to improve?
- What are the risk factors?
- What can be changed?
- How quickly can it be changed?
- What will it cost to change?
List the steps of policy authorisation.
- An issue or problem emerges for the government
- Ideas for addressing it are considered
- Interested people and groups are consulted
- Cabinet ministers agree which proposals to take forward
- Proposals become ‘bills’
- Parliament considers and scrutinises bills
What are the 3 main purposes of NICE?
- To carry out assessments of the most appropriate treatment regimes for different diseases
- must account FOR both desired medical outcomes (i.e. the best possible result for the patient) and economic arguments regarding differing treatments
- To bring together expertise from the royal medical colleges, professional bodies and patient/carer organisations which draw up the guidelines
How is the policy effectiveness evaluated?
Through measures, study designs and other considerations.
Which 2 measures are involved in evaluating effectiveness?
- Outcomes of interest (e.g. birth weight, mortality rates)
- Intermediate measures (e.g. decrease in smoking rates)
Which study designs are involved in evaluating effectiveness?
- Experimental studies (e.g. trials)
- Observational studies
- Before-and-after, time trends
- Differences or changes between groups
What other considerations are thought about while evaluating effectiveness?
Is the policy more effective in some groups than others?
What is WHO’s Life Course Approach to policies?
Act early, Act on time, and Act together.
What is the life course argument for acting early?
- Foundations of health and wellbeing are laid early in childhood
- Later interventions – although important are less effective where good early foundations are lacking
What is the economic argument for acting early?
- Most cost efficient time to intervene
- Financial returns on early years investments are highest for age 0-3 years
- Financial returns diminish progressively as children get older
What is the social justice argument for acting early?
- Every child has the right to a good start in life and to fulfil their potential
- The factors influencing their early development is beyond their control
