Hacia un modelo de comunicación en salud pública en América Latina y el Caribe Toward a model of communications in public health in Latin America and the Caribbean

OBJETIVO: No existen estudios bibliométricos ni cienciométricos que permitan examinar con un criterio cuantitativo, retrospectivo e integral la producción científica sobre salud pública en América Latina y el Caribe. Además, las carencias de los sistemas de información existentes no permite examinar la pertinencia, calidad e impacto de la producción científica con miras a evaluarla en función del cumplimiento de determinadas exigencias sociales y del patrón de comunicación científica existente. El propósito de este trabajo es presentar los resultados de un análisis bibliográfico sobre la producción científica en el área de salud pública en la Región de América Latina y el Caribe. El objetivo final del análisis es construir un modelo de comunicación científica en este campo que sirva de apoyo para que investigadores, gestores y trabajadores de la salud pública puedan tomar las decisiones y las acciones necesarias. MÉTODO: El método utilizado consistió en una revisión bibliográfica de la base de datos LILACS-SP para identificar la distribución de las publicaciones sobre salud pública generadas por cada país en el período comprendido entre 1980 y 2002. Los datos obtenidos se procesaron con Microsoft Excel (2000) y Bibexcel (2001), para obtener indicadores de la producción científica, el tipo de documentos publicados, el idioma, el número de autores por publicación, el contenido temático y las instituciones participantes. Para efectos del presente trabajo, la muestra se limitó a los ocho países que arrojaron una producción de documentos superior a los tres mil registros durante el período de estudio. Estos países fueron, en orden descendente de cantidad de registros: Brasil, Chile, México, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Perú y Cuba. En conjunto, representan 85,10% del total de la producción. RESULTADOS: Los datos recabados ayudaron a establecer las bases de un modelo de comunicación científica en el área de salud pública, caracterizado principalmente por los elementos señalados a continuación. Treinta y siete países participaron con 97 605 documentos en el período de 1980-2002. La mayor parte de los registros aportados por esas ocho naciones correspondió a artículos publicados en revistas científicas (67,73%) y a monografías (29,46%). La proporción de trabajos firmados por dos o más autores fue relativamente alta, de 56,48% entre los registros analizados. La producción correspondiente a artículos científicos (56 253) se distribuyó entre 929 diferentes títulos de revistas. Las revistas con mayor producción, en orden descendente, fueron: Revista de Saúde Pública; Cadernos de Saúde Pública, Revista Médica de Chile, Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición y Salud Pública de México. La clasificación temática de las revistas participantes se distribuyó en 29 diferentes especialidades, principalmente de las áreas de medicina general y pediatría. La producción consiste principalmente en estudios en seres humanos en general y, en orden descendente, de sexos femenino y masculino y de edad adulta; en menor proporción, en embarazadas y personas de edad mediana o ancianos. En el ámbito regional, el contenido de la producción coincide en aspectos como factores de riesgo, políticas de salud y atención primaria de la salud. Se identifica una preponderancia de ciertas áreas temáticas entre los países participantes, como el de los médicos de familia en Cuba. CONCLUSIONES: Se obtuvo un modelo preliminar de comunicación en salud pública en América Latina y el Caribe que se espera ayude a sentar las bases para una mayor investigación orientada hacia el desarrollo de un modelo de comunicación científica en el área.<br>OBJECTIVE: So far, there have been no bibliometric or scientometric studies that make it possible to examine, with quantitative, retrospective, and comprehensive criteria, the scientific output on public health in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Further, the weakness of the existing information systems makes it impossible to examine the relevance, quality, and impact of this scientific output, with a view to evaluating it in terms of societal needs and existing patterns of scientific communication. This article presents the results of a bibliographic analysis of the scientific output in the area of public health in Latin America and the Caribbean. The ultimate goal of the analysis is to build a model of scientific communication in this field, to help researchers, managers, and others working in the area of public health to make decisions and choose actions to take. METHODS: We conducted a literature review in order to identify the distribution of publications on public health that were produced by LAC researchers and published in each of the LAC countries from 1980 through 2002. The review used the Literatura Latino-Americana e do Caribe em Saúde Pública (LILACS-SP) (Latin American and Caribbean Literature on Public Health) bibliographic database. That database is operated by the Latin American and Caribbean Center on Health Sciences Information (BIREME), which is in São Paulo, Brazil. We processed the LILACS-SP data using two software packages, Microsoft Excel and Bibexcel, to obtain indicators of the scientific output, the type of document, the language, the number of authors for each publication, the thematic content, and the participating institutions. For the 1980-2002 period, there were 97 605 publications registered, from a total of 37 LAC countries. RESULTS: For the analysis presented in this article, we limited the sample to the 8 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that had at least 3 000 documents each registered in the LILACS-SP database over the 1980-2002 study period. In descending order of the number of publications registered, the 8 nations were: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela. Those 8 countries were responsible for 83 054 publications (85.10% of the total of 97 605 registered documents produced by the 37 LAC countries). Of those 83 054 publications from the 8 countries, 56 253 of them (67.73%) were articles published in scientific journals and 24 488 were monographs (29.48%). The proportion of works produced by two or more coauthors was relatively high (56.48%). The 56 253 articles appeared in a total of 929 different journals. Of the 929 journals, 91 of them published at least 150 articles over the study period. In descending order, LAC journals with the largest number of articles on public health were: Revista de Saúde Pública (Brazil); Cadernos de Saúde Pública (Brazil); Revista Médica de Chile; Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición (Venezuela); and Salud Pública de México. The 91 journals that published at least 150 articles represented 29 different specialties. The most common of the specialties for the 91 journals were general medicine (18 journals) and pediatrics (10 journals). In descending order, the populations that the publications dealt with primarily were human beings in general, females, males, and adults; and, in descending order, a relatively small number of publications dealt with pregnant women and middle-aged or elderly persons. The topics most often covered in the publications were risk factors, health policy, and primary health care, as well as family doctors in the case of Cuba. CONCLUSIONS: This research produced a preliminary model of communications in public health in LAC countries that will hopefully help lay the groundwork for further research to develop a model of scientific communication in LAC nations

Diseño de un modelo conceptual sobre la transferencia de resultados de investigación en salud pública en Honduras Design of a conceptual model on the transference of public health research results in Honduras

OBJETIVO: Diseñar un modelo conceptual sobre la comunicación de los resultados de la investigación científica en el área de la salud pública, en un contexto local. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: A través del enfoque de pensamiento de sistemas se utilizó la Metodología de Sistemas Blandos (MSB) y la bibliometría para analizar y resolver una situación problemática relacionada con la transferencia de los resultados de la investigación a los diversos actores del sistema de salud de Honduras. RESULTADOS: Se definieron y modelaron seis definiciones de raíz relevantes a la situación problemática expresada, las cuales llevaron al diseño del modelo conceptual. Éste identificó cuatro niveles de resolución: el de los investigadores, los profesionales de la información/documentación, los profesionales de la salud y la población abierta/la sociedad. CONCLUSIONES: La MSB ayudó a diseñar el modelo conceptual. El estudio bibliométrico fue relevante en la construcción de una imagen rica de la situación problemática.OBJECTIVE: To design a conceptual model on the transference of public health research results at the local, context level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using systems thinking concepts, a soft systems approach (SSM) was used to analyse and solve what was perceived as a problem situation related to the transference of research results within Honduras public health system. A bibliometric analysis was also conducted to enrich the problem situation. RESULTS: Six root definitions were defined and modeled as relevant to the expressed problem situation. This led to the development of the conceptual model. The model obtained identified four levels of resolution as derived from the human activities involved in the transference of research results: 1) those of the researchers; 2) the information/documentation professionals; 3) health staff; and 4) the population/society. These actors/ clients and their activities were essential to the functioning of the model since they represent what the model is and does. CONCLUSIONS: SSM helped to design the conceptual model. The bibliometric analysis was relevant to construct the rich image of the problem situation

Papel de la informetría y de la cienciometría y su perspectiva nacional e internacional

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of informetrics and scientometrics in the national and international perspective, noting their uses and practices. Beginning with some definitions of bibliometrics, scientometrics and informetrics, this paper discusses the role of science as a social process aiming at identifying the limitations of science indicators

Collaboration on HIV/AIDS research in Latin America and the Caribbean : comparison of regional and international databases

This paper presents the results of a research in progress on HIV/AIDS research in developing countries. In this case, the paper refers to the collaboration patterns found among researchers in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. A bibliographic search in both, regional (Latin American and Caribbean Database on the Health Sciences–LILACS) and international (MEDLINE) databases for the period 1982-2005 was conducted. The goal being to compare patterns of collaboration found among regional countries through both databases. Bibexcell 2001 was used to generate the registry files needed for the following indicators: authorship; country of publication; type of documents; subject content of the publications, and language. Results described that collaboration was more visible in MEDLINE than in LILACS. It was also found that the USA was the leading country in collaboration with all the 12 countries analysed. The paper further discusses on the implications of this type of research for developing countries and provides practical applications of the results derived from the study

Análise da produção científica brasileira sobre a Modelagem da Informação da Construção

A difusão acadêmica da Modelagem da Informação da Construção (BIM) no Brasil configurou-se em um relevante vetor de crescimento na última década. Entretanto, embora seu acervo indique robustez, constata-se o escasso monitoramento da produção científica nacional. Devido à falta de apropriação de indicadores de desenvolvimento e aos entraves na identificação de lacunas de conhecimento dos estudos já realizados, observa-se ausência de diretrizes que condicionem novas investigações. Nesse âmbito, o presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar a produção científica brasileira sobre BIM no país. Trata-se de uma pesquisa exploratória de caráter bibliográfico que apresenta o levantamento da produção científica brasileira em um intervalo temporal definido entre 2000 e 2015. Por meio do uso de indicadores bibliométricos e cientométricos, as contribuições geradas destacam (i) a evolução temporal da produção bibliográfica e de formação de recursos humanos; (ii) os níveis de produção bibliográfica por pesquisador e produção de formação de pesquisadores por região e instituição; (iii) as palavras-chave mais utilizadas; e (iv) os métodos científicos empregados em dissertações e teses. Analisa-se, dessa forma, o perfil evolutivo da produção científica no Brasil