Chapter Da Perugia a Genova e poi ancora a Perugia: sui “disegni regolatori” di Galeazzo Alessi

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences

“Con una disinvoltura davvero fantastica”. Sul soffitto cassettonato dello studiolo di Gubbio

Both commissioned by Duke Federico da Montefeltro, the Urbino Studiolo (executed between 1473 and 1476) and the Gubbio Studiolo (executed between 1479 and 1482 and kept in Gallery 501 at the Metropolitan Museum in New York since 1996) are so similar to seem identical, even if only in appearance. By focusing on the decorative apparatus, in fact, the presence of hallmarks is evident. In this sense a decisive role is played by the analysis of the coffered finishing that, being present both in Urbino and Gubbio, reveals substantial differences (mainly due to the variety in the spatial organisation). Although it regards a delimited part, the analysis of the Gubbio Studiolo (from compositional, constructive and material points of view), underlines the integration between scientific aspects (such as the careful geometrical planning) and artistic ones (such as the introduction of illusionistic devices), that perfectly summarise the principles of mathematical humanism advocated by the Montefeltro court

Evaluating Healthcare Performance in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Pilot Study on Selected Settings in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda

The literature reports some experiences regarding the design of integrated healthcare Performance Evaluation Systems (PES) applied in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMIC). This study describes the design of an integrated and bottom-up PES aimed at evaluating healthcare services delivery in rural settings. The analysis involved four hospitals and their relative health districts in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. The evaluation process was undertaken for those indicators that could be evaluated using the same reference standard. The evaluation scores were determined through the international standards identified in the literature or through benchmarking assessment. Both administrative and health data were extracted from the hospitals’ registers and District Health Information Systems (DHIS) from 2017 to 2020. We defined 128 indicators: 88 were calculated at the hospital level and 40 at the health district level. The evaluation process was undertaken for 48 indicators. The evaluated indicators are represented using effective graphical tools. In settings characterised by multiple healthcare providers, this framework may contribute to achieving good governance through performance evaluation, benchmarking, and accountability. It may promote evidence-based decision-making in the planning and allocation of resources, thus ultimately fostering quality improvement processes and practices, both at the hospital and health district level

La rocca Paolina di Perugia. Da baluardo dell’inaccessibilità a landmark dell’accessibilità

[EN] Built in the Perugia acropolis in the mid-sixteenth century as a physical expression of the oppressive reprisal of Pope Paul III against the city’s seigniory of the Baglioni family, the Rocca Paolina has always been hated by the Perugia people who, on several occasions during the nineteenth century, did not hesitate to demolish it. The historical events of this fortified architecture are ambiguously linked with its iconographic value, oscillating around a balance in continuous evolution that sees it on the one hand as a fortress of inaccessibility and on the other hand as a flywheel of accessibility.Belardi, P.; Martini, L.; Menchetelli, V. (2020). La rocca Paolina di Perugia. Da baluardo dell’inaccessibilità a landmark dell’accessibilità. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1053-1060. https://doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2020.2020.114221053106

The impact of new surgical techniques on geographical unwarranted variation: The case of benign hysterectomy

Since the 1980s, the international literature has reported variations for healthcare services,especially for elective ones. Variations are positive if they reflect patient preferences, while ifthey do not, they are unwarranted, and thus avoidable. Benign hysterectomy is among the mostfrequent elective surgical procedures in developed countries, and, in recent years, it has beenincreasingly delivered through minimally invasive surgical techniques, namely laparoscopic orrobotic. The question therefore arises over what the impact of these new surgical techniques onavoidable variation is. In this study we analyze the extent of unwarranted geographical variation oftreatment rates and of the adoption of minimally invasive procedures for benign hysterectomy in anItalian regional healthcare system. We assess the impact of the surgical approach on the provision ofbenign hysterectomy, in terms of efficiency (by measuring the average length of stay) and efficacy (bymeasuring the post-operative complications). Geographical variation was observed among regionalhealth districts for treatment rates and waiting times. At a provider level, we found differences forthe minimally invasive approach. We found a positive and significant association between rates andthe percentage of minimally invasive procedures. Providers that frequently adopt minimally invasiveprocedures have shorter average length of stay, and when they also perform open hysterectomies,fewer complications

An integrated hospital-district performance evaluation for communicable diseases in low and middle-income countries: Evidence from a pilot in three sub-Saharan countries

INTRODUCTION: The last two decades saw an extensive effort to design, develop and implement integrated and multidimensional healthcare evaluation systems in high-income countries. However, in low- and middle-income countries, few experiences of such systems implementation have been reported in the scientific literature. We developed and piloted an innovative evaluation tool to assess the performance of health services provision for communicable diseases in three sub-Saharan African countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 42 indicators, 14 per each communicable disease care pathway, were developed. A sub-set of 23 indicators was included in the evaluation process. The communicable diseases care pathways were developed for Tuberculosis, Gastroenteritis, and HIV/AIDS, including indicators grouped in four care phases: prevention (or screening), diagnosis, treatment, and outcome. All indicators were calculated for the period 2017–2019, while performance evaluation was performed for the year 2019. The analysis involved four health districts and their relative hospitals in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Uganda. RESULTS: Substantial variability was observed over time and across the four different districts. In the Tuberculosis pathway, the majority of indicators scored below the standards and below-average performance was mainly reported for prevention and diagnosis phases. Along the Gastroenteritis pathway, excellent performance was instead evaluated for most indicators and the highest scores were reported in prevention and treatment phases. The HIV/AIDS pathway indicators related to screening and outcome phases were below the average score, while good or excellent performance was registered within the treatment phase. CONCLUSIONS: The bottom-up approach and stakeholders’ engagement increased local ownership of the process and the likelihood that findings will inform health services performance and quality of care. Despite the intrinsic limitations of data sources, this framework may contribute to promoting good governance, performance evaluation, outcomes measurement and accountability in settings characterised by multiple healthcare service providers

Disegnare con...Franco Purini

Franco Purini è un architetto di fama internazionale che, oltre ad avere insegnato in molti atenei italiani (Sapienza Università di Roma, Università Mediterranea di Reggio Calabria, Università degli Studi di Camerino, Università IUAV di Venezia, Università degli Studi di Perugia) e oltre ad avere realizzato molte opere-manifesto disseminate in tutta la penisola (dalle piazze di Gibellina alla casa-cubo di Ravenna fino al grattacielo Eurosky di Roma), si distingue nell’ambito del panorama disiplinare contemporaneo per il contributo fornito alla dimensione teorica e progettuale dell’architettura.DOI: https://doi.org/10.20365/disegnarecon.23.2019.dw</p

From a “Green and Medieval” Image to a More “Authentically Contemporary” Image

Two hundred years after Tommaso Minardi (pupil of Antonio Canova) was appointed director, the Accademia di Belle Arti “Pietro Vannucci” of Perugia (Academy of Fine Arts), in synergy with the Università degli Studi of Perugia, once again had a fundamental role in the creation process of the Umbria brand concept. A concept that once again was the result of a true cultural project, whereby, just as the image of a “green and medieval” Umbria was reinforced by the evocative charge of painting, the image of a more “authentically contemporary” Umbria will be powered by the connotative charge of design