Evaluation Study On Regional Public Health Development

BackgroundIn recent years, China has been vigorously promoting the establishment of public health service system and fully implementing the basic and major public health service project. The public health service and emergency public health emergency response capability has been constantly enhanced. The equalization of basic public health services has been further improved. However, how to establish a recognized conceptual framework to evaluate the regional public health services effectively and to do better inter-regional comparative study is still an uncertain problem to domestic and international academic circles and health authorities."Data and facts are not like pebbles on a beach, waiting to be picked up and collected. They can only be perceived and measured through an underlying theoretical and conceptual framework, which defines relevant facts, and distinguishes them from background noise."-this saying which has been quoted numerous times told us that establishing a conceptual framework is the fist step for public health evaluation. As the core functions of public health system, public health evaluation is defined as a process that collecting and analysis data routinely and systematically and evaluating the effectiveness, fairness, efficiency and quality of public health based on a conceptual framework, so as to outline the real and potential level of public health development. Therefore, carrying out the study on public health development evaluation to evaluate the effectiveness of public health activities is a choice which coincides with the fact as well as an indispensable part of public health service. PurposeThis study aims to explore and establish a set of simple and scientific conceptual framework and key index system, in order to make an objective and fair evaluation of regional public health development. Thus this article plans to provide a decision-making basis for policy development research and system improvement in the period of deepening health care reform.MethodsBased on literature review, this research uses Delphi technique to survey and collect the opinions of experts on the conceptual framework and key index system of regional public health development. Then empirical data are used to make a detailed case study.ResultsBased on literature review and Delphi technique, a set of simple and scientific conceptual framework and key index system of regional public health development are developed from the perspective of "safety, health and development". Likewise, all the indicators are also divided into four dimensions:inputs, outputs, outcomes and impact, to evaluate the level of health care development from a performance perspective. Under the safety dimension, indicators are categorized by health care core functions, which including disease prevention and control, health emergency response, food safety and health supervision. The indicators under health dimension are classified into three categories:the level of population health, the determinants of health and health equalization. The indicators under development dimension are grouped into five types: policy support, public health network construction, capacity building of professional bodies, human resource management and research results.Through Delphi technique, the conceptual framework and key index system are verified by experts’opinion survey with high coordination degree. Then, the conceptual framework and key index system are further verified with empirical data and detailed case study.SummaryBased on literature review and Delphi technique, the research has been made to explore and establish a set of simple and scientific conceptual framework and key index system of regional public health development. It is the first time that the conceptual framework of regional public health development has been developed from the perspective of "safety, health and development". And a high level of consensus has been found in the conceptual framework and key index system through a Delphi survey.