The Public Health Portal of the European Union

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Is the EU Closing the Gap on Health Inequities?

1. The World Health Organization and European Union (EU) DETERMINE Consortium has acknowledged gaps in health equities within and between member countries. A variety of efforts are underway to help close those gaps.

To prepare for this Discussion, review your Learning Resources, particularly the readings from the DETERMINE Consortium and European Commission and the National Social Marketing Centre video programs. Select two EU countries to focus on. Look at efforts in those countries designed to reduce health inequities and inequality and examine appropriate outcomes for those efforts. Evaluate the performance of the health systems in those countries as reflected in population health data for each of the countries. Be sure to access the CIA country profiles and WHO websites provided earlier for the most current resources.

By Day 4, post a brief comparison of the health status of the two EU countries you selected with that of the U.S. Then, describe two efforts in those EU countries to reduce health inequities, the outcome measures used to evaluate those efforts, and how those efforts embody the EU’s fundamental principles for action on health disparities. Finally, explain what lessons can be learned from the EU efforts you selected that can be implemented in the U.S. nationally or by individual states.

Use APA formatting for your discussion and to cite your resources.

NOTE: THE FIRST PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT (DISCUSSION) IS DUE TOMORROW. THE SECOND PART (Journal Article Critique) is due Sunday.

2. Journal Article Critique

Critiquing scholarly research is an important skill for a scholar-practitioner. This week, you find an article related to health equity in one or more countries of the European Union.

To prepare for this Application Assignment, select a scholarly article related to this week’s topic (Is the EU Closing the Gap on Health Inequities?)

To complete this Application Assignment, write a 1- to 2-page critique of the article you selected. The first section will draw attention to substantive issues of the work. Subsequent sections should provide an in-depth critique of the methodological considerations of the journal article. This should not be a simple overview of the article, but a thoughtful analysis of the scholarly work and how it relates to the overall course or the specific weekly topic.

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.

Resources: Additional case studies of social determinants are available at http://www.nsmcentre.org.uk/content/health-equity-social-determinants/Casestudies

Readings:

•Article: Commission of the European Communities. (2007). Together for health: A strategic approach for the EU 2008-2013 [White paper]. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/doc/whitepaper_en.pdf

Together For Health: A Strategic Approach For The EU 2008-2013: White Paper by Commission of the European Communities. Copyright 2007 by European Union. Reprinted by permission of European Union.

•Article: European Commission. (2003). Tackling health inequalities in the EU: The contributions of Various EU-level actors. Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_projects/2003/action3/docs/2003_3_15_rep2_en.pdf

European Commission. (2003). Tackling Health Inequalities in the EU: The Contributions of Various EU-level Actors. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from http://ec.europa.eu/health/ph_projects/2003/action3/docs/2003_3_15_rep2_en.pdf.

Read pages 1–17.

•Article: Gele, A., & Harsløf, I. (2010). Types of social capital resources and self-rated health among the Norwegian adult population. International Journal for Equity in Health, 9, 8.

Retrieved from the Walden Library using the PubMed Central database.

•Article: Stegeman, I., Costongs, C., Needle C., & DETERMINE Consortium. (2010). The story of DETERMINE: Mobilising action for health equity in the EU—F inal report of the DETERMINE consortium. Brussels: EuroHealthNet. Retrieved from http://www.iuhpe.org/upload/determine.pdf

•Web Resource: DETERMINE. (2010). National level policies. Retrieved from http://eurohealthnet.eu/policy/health-policies-eu

Websites

•DETERMINE. (2011). European portal for action on health equity. Retrieved from http://www.wellesleyinstitute.com/news/the_european_portal_for_action_on_health_equity/

•Health-EU: The Public Health Portal of the European Union. (2010). Retrieved from http://ec.europa.eu/health-eu/index_en.htm

•Equity Channel. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.equitychannel.net/