From Paris 2005 to Accra 2008: Will Aid Become More Accountable and Effective?

This draft position paper has been prepared by the International CSO1 Steering Group (ISG) coordinating the “CSO Parallel Process to the Ghana High Level Forum Network”. The ISG coordinating CSO Parallel Process to the Ghana High Level Forum network brings together various local, national, regional and international NGOs who are engaged in development issues, particularly the aid architecture and the aid effectiveness agenda. This network is involved in a multi-stakeholder process of engagement leading towards the High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, to be held in Accra, Ghana, in September 2008

Guidelines for the Diagnosis, Treatment and Prevention of Leprosy

The development of these guidelines was coordinated by Laura Gillini, Medical Officer, Global Leprosy Programme (GLP) and supervised by Erwin Cooreman, GLP Team Leader. The GLP would like to thank members of the Guidelines Development Group (GDG), members of the External Review Group (ERG), and World Health Organization (WHO) staff who contributed to the development of these guidelines as part of the Steering Group or as peer reviewers. The GLP appreciates the input provided by the national leprosy programmes of the following countries: Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, India, Morocco and the Philippines. The GLP is particularly grateful to the persons affected by leprosy who participated in focus group discussions in Colombia, Ghana, India and Nepal on diagnosis, treatment and contact screening. The guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of leprosy were developed with full funding support from The Nippon Foundation.Publisher PD

DECIDE-AI: new reporting guidelines to bridge the development-to-implementation gap in clinical artificial intelligence

As an increasing number of clinical decision-support systems driven by artificial intelligence progress from development to implementation, better guidance on the reporting of human factors and early-stage clinical evaluation is needed

Academics for Refugees policy paper: a just and humane approach for refugees

The Policy Paper recommends that Australia end its harmful policies of offshore processing, boat turnbacks and the mandatory detention of people seeking asylum. The Policy Paper sets out practical and sound measures to be considered by the Australian government in order to adopt a just and humane approach towards people seeking asylum in Australia. Such an approach recognises that it is lawful to seek asylum and that people should not be penalised for how the arrive in Australia. We recommend that the Australian government should adopt the following four measures: close immigration detention centres and end mandatory detention; initiate comprehensive law reform to ensure that Australia upholds its international obligations; promote a decent livelihood and thriving communities for people seeking asylum or people who have been granted Australia’s protection; and foster positive and empathetic narratives about people seeking asylum. New regional and global approaches are required. The Policy Paper recommends that Australia should: work with states in the Asia Pacific region to create a regional framework based on equity, capacity and responsibility; and contribute towards making the international system more sustainable, equitable and humane. Finally, the Policy Paper calls on the Australian government to convene a National Policy Summit in 2017. The Summit should bring together asylum seekers, refugees and former refugees; migrant and refugee advocates; policy experts; community representatives; and politicians from all parties. The Summit should result in constructive policy options and solutions for people seeking asylum that: recognise the need for people to seek a life of safety; recognise and facilitate the positive contributions of refugees to Australia’s communities; respect Australia’s international obligations; reflect a respectful relationship between Australia and its regional neighbours; and recognise Australia’s potential for leadership on this issue.&nbsp

What is new within staging of care for people with dementia? The IDEAL schedule and other recent work

Purpose of review This review provides an overview of recent progress within work centred around the ‘International schedule for the integrated assessment and staging of care for dementia’ (IDEAL schedule), and places it within the context of recent work around other staging models for dementia. Recent findings The IDEAL schedule assesses the severity of dementia across seven dimensions. A ‘Menu of care options’ of recommended priorities for interventions accompanies the schedule. A user manual for the schedule has just been published. Other staging models for dementia include those based on biomarkers, such as in the recently published research framework for Alzheimer's disease by the National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer's Association (NIA-AA), or those based on specific aspects of dementia, principally cognitive impairment. Summary The IDEAL schedule is a global staging model to guide the organization of dementia care. The schedule covers a range of domains that extend beyond cognitive functioning and include care needs; it is applicable to all types and stages of dementia; and can be used by any healthcare professional, both within clinical practice and research. The schedule is not in opposition to, or is even complementary to, other stagingmodels for dementia

Development and pilot of clinical performance indicators for English ambulance services

Introduction: There is a compelling need to develop clinical performance indicators for ambulance services in order to move from indicators based primarily on response times and in light of the changing clinical demands on services. We report on progress on the national pilot of clinical performance indicators for English ambulance services. Method: Clinical performance indicators were developed in five clinical areas: acute myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, stroke (including transient ischaemic attack), asthma and hypoglycaemia. These were determined on the basis of common acute conditions presenting to ambulance services and in line with a previously published framework. Indicators were piloted by ambulance services in England and results were presented in tables and graphically using funnel (statistical process control) plots. Results: Progress for developing, agreeing and piloting of indicators has been rapid, from initial agreement in May 2007 to completion of the pilot phase by the end of March 2008. The results of benchmarking of indicators are shown. The pilot has informed services in deciding the focus of their improvement programme in 2008 and 2009 and indicators have been adopted for national performance assessment of standards of prehospital care. Conclusion: The pilot will provide the basis for further development of clinical indicators, benchmarking of performance and implementation of specific evidencebased interventions to improve care in areas identified for improvement. A national performance improvement registry will enable evaluation and sharing of effective improvement methods as well as increasing stakeholder and public access to information on the quality of care provided by ambulance services