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-----Original Message-----
From: François Briatte [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 05 December 2006 14:56
To: Bagnall, Anne-Marie
Cc: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: How to evaluate whether interventions reduce inequalities?
Dear all,
I would like to react to this bit of Anne-Marie's question:
> Because health inequalities seem to be increasing so it
> would be useful for decision makers to have some idea, not only about
> whether something is effective, but also whether it is in fact likely to
> increase this gap?
If I may, the background assumption that decision makers actually care about
(1) the existence of health inequalities
(2) the existence of means to measure them
(3) the existence of means to reduce them
is valid only in some specific political configurations. It seems
obvious for people who live in the post-1997 UK political climate
where poor health and the gap have been acknowledged at high levels of
government.
However, health inequalities are still stuck at inferior levels of
political awareness, even in the rest of Europe (in France, for
instance, the policy translation of health inequalities is limited to
differential access to health services).
Margaret Whitehead wrote a piece about this in the Milbank Q some time
ago. I can look for the exact reference if needed.
FB
On 04/12/06, Bagnall, Anne-Marie <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
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> Does anyone have any thoughts about how to evaluate whether an intervention reduces inequalities in health?
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> It seems to me that we can evaluate whether an intervention is effective, and we can go some way towards evaluating the reach of an intervention i.e. whether it is used by certain disadvantaged groups, but can we actually assess reliably whether an intervention is likely to reduce or even increase health inequalities? Because health inequalities seem to be increasing so it would be useful for decision makers to have some idea, not only about whether something is effective, but also whether it is in fact likely to increase this gap?
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> I'm sorry if this is a silly question or too simplistic. I've been puzzling over it for a while and thought it was time to ask the experts.
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> Many thanks in advance,
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> Anne-Marie
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> Anne-Marie Bagnall
>
> Senior Research Fellow School of Health & Community Care
> Leeds Metropolitan University
> Calverley Street,
> Leeds LS1 3HE
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>
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> [log in to unmask]
>
> 0113 283 2600 ext. 4337
>
>
>
> To view the terms under which this email is distributed, please go to http://disclaimer.leedsmet.ac.uk/email.htm
--
François Briatte
Social Policy Postgraduate Offices
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University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh EH8 9LW
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