Patrones de comunicación e impacto de la producción científica cubana en salud pública

[EN] Objective: to characterize the Cuban pattern of scientific communication in public health in Scopus database on the basis of the output and collaboration patterns and their influence on the impact of publications.Methods: bibliometric indicators of output, visibility and collaboration taken from SCImago Institutions Rankings and SCImago Journal and Country Rank portals were used, according to Scopus database, in the Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health category in 2003-2011 period.Results: the communication pattern showed an increasing tendency of the scientific output, with great leadership of Cuban authors and poor national and international collaboration. This increase did not have a higher impact on the international community; 7.22 % of documents were published in high impact journals and 2.16 % were among excellence documents. The excellence output with leadership was almost non-existent. Seventy five percent of the output was seen in low impact journals (fourth quartile) and most of it in national journals. The English output accounted for less than 30% of the total amount but had higher impact than the Spanish articles.Conclusions: the pattern of Cuban scientific communication in public health was characterized, in which low number of English publications, of publications in high impact journals and poor national and international collaborations are factors that may influence on the low scientific impact. These results can be used to supplement the assessment of research in public health within the tenth basic function of this specialty.[ES] Objetivo: caracterizar el patrón cubano de comunicación científica en salud pública en la base de datos Scopus a partir de los patrones de producción y colaboración y su influencia en el impacto de las publicaciones.Métodos: se aplicaron indicadores bibliométricos de producción, visibilidad y colaboración extraídos de los portales SCImago Institutions Rankings y SCImago Journal and Country Rank a partir de datos de Scopus, categoría Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, período 2003-2011.Resultados: el patrón de comunicación presentó una tendencia al incremento de la producción científica con un alto liderazgo de autores cubanos y escasa colaboración nacional e internacional. Este incremento no repercutió en un mayor impacto en la comunidad internacional; el 7,22 % de los documentos aparecieron en revistas de alto impacto, y el 2,16 % entre los documentos de excelencia. La producción de excelencia con liderazgo fue casi inexistente. El 75 % de la producción se ubicó en revistas de bajo impacto (cuarto cuartil) y la mayoría en revistas nacionales. La producción en inglés representó menos del 30 % del total y alcanzaron mayor impacto que los artículos en español.Conclusiones: se caracterizó el patrón de comunicación científica cubano en salud pública, donde la poca publicación en inglés, en revistas de alto impacto y la insuficiente colaboración nacional e internacional son factores que pudieran estar influenciando en el bajo impacto científico. Estos resultados pueden utilizarse como complemento de la evaluación de la investigación en salud pública en el marco de su décima función esencial. Palabras clave: salud pública, evaluación de la investigación, funciones esenciales de la salud pública, cienciometría, bases de datos, indicadores bibliométricos, colaboración científica, revistas, SCImago Journal and Country Rank, SCImago Institutions Rankings.Peer reviewe

Bibliometric analysis of regional Latin America's scientific output in Public Health through SCImago Journal & Country Rank

Background: In the greater framework of the essential functions of Public Health, our focus is on a systematic, objective, external evaluation of Latin American scientific output, to compare its publications in the area of Public Health with those of other major geographic zones. We aim to describe the regional distribution of output in Public Health, and the level of visibility and specialization, for Latin America; it can then be characterized and compared in the international context. Methods: The primary source of information was the Scopus database, using the category “Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health”, in the period 1996–2011. Data were obtained through the portal of SCImago Journal and Country Rank. Using a set of qualitative (citation-based), quantitative (document recount) and collaborative (authors from more than one country) indicators, we derived complementary data. The methodology serves as an analytical tool for researchers and scientific policy-makers. Results: The contribution of Latin America to the arsenal of world science lies more or less midway on the international scale in terms of its output and visibility. Revealed as its greatest strengths are the high level of specialization in Public Health and the sustained growth of output. The main limitations identified were a relative decrease in collaboration and low visibility. Conclusions: Collaboration is a key factor behind the development of scientific activity in Latin America. Although this finding can be useful for formulating research policy in Latin American countries, it also underlines the need for further research into patterns of scientific communication in this region, to arrive at more specific recommendations.We acknowledge support of the publication fee by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI)

Benchmarking scientific performance by decomposing leadership of Cuban and Latin American institutions in Public Health

This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Scientometrics. The final authenticated version is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1831-z”.Comparative benchmarking with bibliometric indicators can be an aid in decision-making with regard to research management. This study aims to characterize scientific performance in a domain (Public Health) by the institutions of a country (Cuba), taking as reference world output and regional output (other Latin American centers) during the period 2003–2012. A new approach is used here to assess to what extent the leadership of a specific institution can change its citation impact. Cuba was found to have a high level of specialization and scientific leadership that does not match the low international visibility of Cuban institutions. This leading output appears mainly in non-collaborative papers, in national journals; publication in English is very scarce and the rate of international collaboration is very low. The Instituto de Medicina Tropical Pedro Kouri stands out, alone, as a national reference. Meanwhile, at the regional level, Latin American institutions deserving mention for their high autonomy in normalized citation would include Universidad de Buenos Aires (ARG), Universidade Federal de Pelotas (BRA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientı´ficas y Te´cnicas (ARG), Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (BRA) and the Centro de Pesquisas Rene Rachou (BRA). We identify a crucial aspect that can give rise to misinterpretations of data: a high share of leadership cannot be considered positive for institutions when it is mainly associated with a high proportion of non-collaborative papers and a very low level of performance. Because leadership might be questionable in some cases, we propose future studies to ensure a better interpretation of findings.This work was made possible through financing by the scholarship funds for international mobility between Andalusian and IberoAmerican Universities and the SCImago GroupPeer reviewe

Producción científica latinoamericana en Salud Pública: Cuba en el contexto regional, Scopus 2003-2011

La investigación en Salud Pública hace una importante contribución a la salud de las poblaciones dado que permite una práctica más efectiva, eficiente y de calidad, en correspondencia con las necesidades crecientes de salud de la población. De hecho, la investigación es reconocida como la función esencial número 10 de la Salud Pública. En los últimos años se han realizado una serie de acciones en Latinoamérica que evidencian un reconocimiento de la importancia de la investigación y el fortalecimiento de los sistemas de investigación en salud, hechos que ponen a la luz la necesidad de la evaluar la actividad científica. El objetivo general de esta investigación es caracterizar la producción científica latinoamericana y cubana en Salud Pública contenida en Scopus, desde la perspectiva cienciométrica, con vistas a ofrecer una herramienta útil para evaluación de la gestión de la investigación en el marco de las funciones esenciales de la Salud Pública.Tesis Univ. Granada. Departamento de Biblioteconomía y DocumentaciónAsociación Universitaria Iberoamericana de Postgrado (AUIP)

Comunicación dialogada en la toma de decisiones informadas en la atención estomatológica Dialogue communication in the informed decision making in dental care

Para alcanzar la calidad en la atención estomatológica, debe lograrse una interrelación entre el profesional y el individuo, en que este último tenga responsabilidad y autonomía en el proceso. Para esto es imprescindible que el estomatólogo desarrolle habilidades en la comunicación. En este trabajo nos proponemos sensibilizar a los estomatólogos sobre la importancia de la comunicación dialogada para la toma de decisiones informadas en la atención estomatológica.<br>To attain quality in dental care, there must be an interrelation between the professional and the individual, in which the latter has responsibility and autonomy in the process. To this end, it is indispensable that the dentist develops communication skills. In this paper, we propose ourselves to sensitize dentists to the importance of the dialogue communication to make informed decisions in dental care

Latin American scientific output in Public Health: combined analysis using bibliometric, socioeconomic and health indicators.

"This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Scientometrics. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-014-1349-9”.This study characterizes the volume and visibility of Latin American scientific output in the area of Public Health, through a combined analysis of bibliometric, socioeconomic and health indicators of the top 10 Latin American producers of documents. The information was obtained from the SCImago Institutions Rankings (SIR) portal, based on Scopus data, in the category Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, of the area Medicine, for the period 2003–2011. Our scientometric analysis involved a set of quantitative indicators (based on document recount), plus performance ones to measure impact and excellence (based on citation recount) and international collaboration. The socioeconomic indicators measured investment in health and in research, and the number of researchers. Basic health indicators were used, along with the inequity indicator known as INIQUIS. The main results reveal that the research systems with the greatest capacity to communicate scientific results are those of Brazil and Mexico, and potentially Colombia and Argentina. The best visibility was demonstrated by Uruguay, Puerto Rico and Peru, countries with high rates of collaboration. No single country stands out as having a perfectly balanced relationship regarding all the dimensions analyzed. A relative balance is achieved by Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, though with different levels of scientific output. The tangible achievements in health attained by Cuba and Chile do not appear to be related with the results of research published in the area of Public Health. There is clearly a need to find methods that would allow us to evaluate the transfer of research knowledge into practice, by means of the scientometric perspective.Peer reviewe

Producción científica latinoamericana en salud pública (Scopus, 1996-2008)

The aim of this study is to characterize the development, visibility and impact of Latin American scientific production in the area of public health and patterns of international collaboration. Bibliometric study was conducted in the Scopus database, with data available on the site SCImago Journal & Country Rank and SCImago Institutions Rankings during the period between 1996 and 2008. Specifically, we took the data of the category "Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health" (Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health) of the area of medicine. Indicators were analyzed in the dimensions quantitative, qualitative, and Latin American collaboration in the domain and the 10 most producers in the region. As most remarkable results we can say that Latin America produces 6.21% of total scientific output in public health. Publication in the region has experienced an increase of more than 50% in the last 4 years. Brazil is the largest producer in the region, followed by Mexico and Cuba. The prevailing type of document is the original article and English is the language most commonly used. The most productive Latin American countries have less visibility. The impact is below the world average in most countries. The collaboration has declined over the last 2 or 3 years. In conclusion we can say that Latin American scientific production has gained in volume and pattern of similar impact to the world. It is necessary to implement policies that respond to good publishing practices and collaboration to enhance the international prestige

Estimación del esfuerzo del desarrollo del sistema para las maestrías del Instituto Pedro Kourí. (Original)

Use Case Points is a very effective method to estimate the effort required in the development of a system. It permits to estimate the effort to develop the Management System for Pedro Kourí Institute Master's Programs. The using of the Use case Points method is a very effective one for estimating software development effort, which uses the identified actors and use cases for the calculation. The results associated with each stage proposed by the Use Case Point estimation method were obtained. The estimate made in the Project Management System for Master's Programs of Pedro Kourí Institute established an effort for software development of approximately one year and one month. It constitutes a necessary and appropriate estimation tool that can be used by managers to make decisions related to the management of teaching processes and their computerization. The estimation method by using&nbsp; cases allowed&nbsp; the satisfactory obtaining of the System for Master's Programs of&nbsp; Pedro Kourí Institute, as well as solving the information management problem related to the institute's master's programs and greater dynamism in the answer to any request for information.Puntos de Caso de Uso constituye un método muy efectivo para estimar el esfuerzo requerido en el desarrollo de un sistema. Este permite estimar el esfuerzo del desarrollo del sistema de gestión para los Programas de maestrías del Instituto Pedro Kourí, objetivo que persigue este artículo. Es un método efectivo para la estimación del esfuerzo del desarrollo de un software. Se emplea para el cálculo de los actores y los casos de uso identificados. Con su aplicación se obtuvieron los resultados asociados a cada etapa que propone el método. La estimación realizada en el proyecto Sistema de gestión para los Programas de maestrías del Instituto Pedro Kourí estableció un esfuerzo para el desarrollo del software aproximadamente de un año y un mes. El software constituye una herramienta de estimación necesaria y oportuna que puede ser utilizada por los directivos para la toma de decisiones relacionadas con la gestión de los procesos docentes y su informatización. El método permitió la obtención satisfactoria del Sistema para los Programas de maestrías del Instituto Pedro Kourí, así como, resolver el problema de gestión de la información relacionada con los programas de maestrías del instituto y un mayor dinamismo en la respuesta a cualquier solicitud de información

Medical scientific output and specialization in Latin American countries

"This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Scientometrics. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-018-2717-7".‘‘Smart specialization’’ allows one to identify national strengths and weaknesses within research fields and establish priorities accordingly. It may be a useful strategy for building scientific capacity in developing and peripheral countries. The objective of this paper is to characterize the scientific output and specialization of the most productive Latin American countries with a focus on international collaboration and impact. We conducted a descriptive study based on the SCImago Institutions Ranking (SIR) portal, in the field of Medicine, for the period 2003–2013. The set of indicators applied was based on documents, citation, and collaboration. The results show that at the global level, Surgery, Cardiology, Oncology, Neurology, and Public Health are the most productive subjects in Medicine; in Latin America, the most productive topics are Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Surgery, Neurology, and Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine. The most prolific countries are Brazil, Mexico, and Argentina, though the ones having greater impact and more collaboration are Peru, Puerto Rico, and Argentina. The most productive and visible fields, such as Oncology, Cardiology, and Infectious Diseases, are related to major global health problems involving chronic and emerging diseases. This information could be useful to design pragmatic policies, to encourage research in key fields in order to respond better to the health needs of a given population.Peer reviewe

Performance indicators used to assess the quality of primary dental care

An appropriate quality of medical care including dental care should be an objective of every government that aims to improve the oral health of its population. OBJECTIVES: To determine performance indicators that could be used to assess the quality of primary dental care at different levels of a health care system, the sources for data collection and finally, the dimensions of quality measured by these indicators. METHOD: An explorative study of the international literature was conducted using medical databases, journals and books, and official websites of organisations and associations. RESULTS: This resulted in a set of 57 indicators, which were classified into the following dimensions for each intended user group: For patients: health outcomes and subjective indicators; for professionals: their performance and the rates of success, failure and complications; for health care system managers and policymakers: their resources, finances and health care utilisation. CONCLUSION: A set of 57 performance indicators were identified to assess the quality of primary dental care at the levels of patients, professionals and the health care system. These indicators could be used by managers and decision-makers at any level of the health care system according to the characteristics of the service