This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sibert, J. Articles by Aronson, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sibert, J. Articles by Aronson, S. Related Collections Miscellaneous Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

PEDIATRICS Vol. 112 No. 3 September 2003, pp. 721

Session 3 Introduction: Health Policy in Relation to Improving Equity

Jo Sibert, MD and Susan Aronson, MD, FAAP

We will be addressing health policy issues in this session and move beyond the discussion of medical care to think about health. We need a broad view of health that covers social and emotional as well as physical health. In terms of health policy, we will need to be thinking broadly as well.

The loci of child health activities will be an important part of our discussion. What are the points of access for families to health care? In addition to the home and the clinic, we have child care settings, places where very young children in families have encounters either daily or several times a week. Let us also not forget the spiritual points of access, which for many families are among the most important places they come to be connected with others they trust and who care about them.

If we agree that prevention is a priority in pediatrics, then our health policies must address prevention at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. If we further agree that younger is better, earlier is best, and sooner is better than later, then our discussion of health policy must consider what is the most efficient and effective way to mobilize prevention initiatives.

The articles in this session will address these and other issues. Catherine Law, MD, FRCPCH, FRCP, FFPHM, will describe UK government health policy in relation to inequalities in child health from the perspective of a research epidemiologist, analyzing in particular the extent to which this policy is evidence based. David Gordon, PhD, will discuss the extent to which health policy can reduce the gap in health between rich and poor. Peter C. van Dyck, MD, MPH, FAAP, will describe the US Maternal and Child Health Bureau and its approach to dealing with health disparities and inequities in the United States.

Session Chair: Jo Sibert, MD
Speakers: Catherine Law, MD, FRCPCH, FRCP, FFPHM, David Gordon, PhD, and Peter C. van Dyck, MD, MPH, FAAP

---

PEDIATRICS (ISSN 1098-4275). ©2003 by the American Academy of Pediatrics

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This Article Extract Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sibert, J. Articles by Aronson, S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sibert, J. Articles by Aronson, S. Related Collections Miscellaneous Social Bookmarking                         What's this?