Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005

We are pleased to present the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. This document is intended to be a primary source of dietary health information for policymakers, nutrition educators, and health providers. Based on the latest scientific evidence, the 2005 Dietary Guidelinesprovides information and advice for choosing a nutritious diet, maintaining a healthy weight, achieving adequate exercise, and “keeping foods safe” to avoid foodborne illness. This document is based on the recommendations put forward by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. The Committee was composed of scientific experts who were responsible for reviewing and analyzing the most current dietary and nutritional information and incorporating this into a scientific evidence-based report. We want to thank them and the other public and private professionals who assisted in developing this document for their hard work and dedication

CULTURAL COMPETENCE WORKS: Using Cultural Competence To Improve the Quality of Health Care for Diverse Populations and Add Value to Managed Care Arrangements

As the United States grows in diversity, health care providers are increasingly challenged to understand and address the linguistic and cultural needs of a diverse clientele. The Health Resources and Services Administration [HRSA] has had a long-standing and particular interest in cultural competence because so many of its grantees provide care to traditionally underserved populations that include culturally and linguistically diverse communities. The following is a useful definition of cultural and linguistic competence: Cultural and linguistic competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among professionals that enables effective work in cross-cultural situations. Many health care providers, and especially HRSA grantees, have developed creative and successful programs to address the needs of underserved, culturally diverse communities, including interpreter services, cultural competence training for staff, targeted outreach programs, and other culturally appropriate interventions. As more underserved populations are incorporated into managed care arrangements, these culturally competent practices may make HRSA grantees attractive partners to managed care organizations

ORI 2015 Annual Report

Office of Research Integrity Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service Institutional Assurance and Annual Report on Possible Research Misconduct for the period January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015. Each institution which receives or applies for a PHS research, research-training or research-related grant or cooperative agreement must have established an administrative policy for responding to allegations of research misconduct that complies with the PHS regulation (42 CFR Part 93) and certify that it will comply with that policy. This regulation does not cover regulated research under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

ORI 2014 Annual Report

Office of Research Integrity Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service Institutional Assurance and Annual Report on Possible Research Misconduct for the period January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014. Each institution which receives or applies for a PHS research, research-training or research-related grant or cooperative agreement must have established an administrative policy for responding to allegations of research misconduct that complies with the PHS regulation (42 CFR Part 93) and certify that it will comply with that policy. This regulation does not cover regulated research under the jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Health literacy and libraries: a literature review

Purpose The aim of this article is to assess the involvement of libraries in health literacy programs and initiatives based on a review of the literature.  Methodology Four databases were searched for articles that described health literacy programs and initiatives within libraries.  Findings Several themes of health literacy programs in libraries emerged: health literacy for older adults, underserved populations, the general public, healthcare professionals and medical students, and patients. Collaborations between libraries and community organizations were frequently utilized.  Practical implications Librarians may use this review to understand the history of health literacy efforts and libraries in order to inform future programming. This review will contextualize current research on health literacy and libraries.  Originality/value Despite the currency and relevance of this topic, there are no literature reviews on health literacy and librarianship

‘I wouldn't push that further because I don't want to lose her’: a multiperspective qualitative study of behaviour change for long-term conditions in primary care

Background: Health outcomes for long-term conditions (LTCs) can be improved by lifestyle, dietary and condition management-related behaviour change. Primary care is an important setting for behaviour change work. Practitioners have identified barriers to this work, but there is little evidence examining practices of behaviour change in primary care consultations and how patients and practitioners perceive these practices. Objective: To examine how behaviour change is engaged with in primary care consultations for LTCs and investigate how behaviour change is perceived by patients and practitioners. Design: Multiperspective, longitudinal qualitative research involving six primary health-care practices in England. Consultations between patients with LTCs and health-care practitioners were audio-recorded. Semi-structured interviews were completed with patients and practitioners, using stimulated recall. Patients were re-interviewed 3 months later. Framework analysis was applied to all data. Participants: Thirty-two people with at least one LTC (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, asthma and coronary heart disease) and 10 practitioners. Results: Behaviour change talk in consultations was rare and, when it occurred, was characterized by deflection and diffidence on the part of practitioners. Patient motivation tended to be unaddressed. While practitioners positioned behaviour change work as outside their remit, patients felt uncertain about, yet responsible for, this work. Practitioners raised concerns that this work could damage other aspects of care, particularly the patient–practitioner relationship. Conclusion: Behaviour change work is often deflected or deferred by practitioners in consultations, who nevertheless vocalize support for its importance in interviews. This discrepancy between practitioners’ accounts and behaviours needs to be addressed within primary health-care organizations

Evolution of Self-Care Education

During the past 15 years, the curriculum content for nonprescription medication and self-care therapeutics has expanded significantly. Self-care courses ranging from stand-alone, required courses to therapeutic content and skills laboratories, have evolved in colleges and schools of pharmacy to accommodate rapid changes related to nonprescription medications and to meet the needs of students. The design of and content delivery methods used in self-care courses vary among institutions. Teaching innovations such as team-based learning, role playing/vignettes, videos, and social media, as well as interdisciplinary learning have enhanced delivery of this content. Given that faculty members train future pharmacists, they should be familiar with the new paradigms of Nonprescription Safe Use Regulatory Expansion (NSURE) Initiative, nonprescription medications for chronic diseases, and the growing trends of health and wellness in advancing patient-care initiatives. This paper reviews the significant changes that may be impacting self-care curriculums in the United States

Users' reactions to the primer on tree registration policies: Lessons for designing extension materials and improving information flow

In the Philippines, only a few farmers and plantation owners register their tree farms with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the office in charge of tree registration. One of the major reasons is their lack of knowledge of government policy on tree registration. To help improve the flow of information and understanding of tree registration policies among smallholder tree farmers and other stakeholders, a Primer on Tree Registration, Harvesting, Transport and Marketing Policies on Private Land was developed. Produced through the participation of stakeholders, including tree farmers, the DENR and local government officers, police and timber dealers, the Primer is highly visual and has been released in English as well as Waray-Waray and Cebuano dialects. This paper reports findings of focus group discussions conducted to gauge user reactions to the Primer. The Primer was considered as a valuable source of information about tree registration policies. Aside from being comprehensible, FDG participants found it attractive, and perceived it to be intended for them and free from content that confused them. However, farmers suggested that illustrations need to be improved by making the persons portrayed more presentable and reflective of their actual tree farm operations. Participants said that aside from the Primer, the flow of information on tree registration policies could be improved through the use of multi-media including posters, radio broadcasts, and presentation of seminars for farmers