Planning activities in Finnish comprehensive school health services

1
Planning activities in Finnish comprehensive
school health services

• Hanne M. Kivimäki, Arja Rimpelä
• Tampere University, School of Public health
• Elise Kosunen
• Tampere University, Medical School
• Kirsi Wiss, Vesa Saaristo, Matti Rimpelä
• Stakes, Promotion of Well-being and Health

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Facts of Finland

• Country with a population of 5 million
• 431 municipalities responsible for primary health
  care
• State-governed health care until 1993
  (centralization)
• 1993 municipality-governed (decentralization)

3
School health services

• Organization by municipal health sectors
• Promote health of schoolchildren and school
  community
• No national responsibility for developing SHS
  since 1993
• Guidance by means of information
• Guidebook (2002, National Research and
  Development Centre for Welfare and Health)
• Quality recommendations (2004, Ministry of Social
  affairs and health The Association of Finnish
  Local and Regional Authorities)

4
Background

• Planning activities have been emphasized since
  1972
• Annual planning and reporting
• binding until 1993
• after 1993 non-binding

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Recommendations for planning of SHS

• Activity plans annually
• Action reports annually
• Content recommendations for documents
• (Quality recommendations 2004)

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The aim is to study

• How common planning activity was in 2005
• Whether information guidance contributed to
  increased planning activities in 1998-2005
• Content of activity plans and reports

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Data
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Surveys

• Health centres
• 2005 (n201, 77)
• Health centres/one province
• 1998 (n110, all responded)
• 2000 (n105, all responded)
• participated in 1998, 2000 and 2005 (N73)

9
Policy documents

• Obtained from health centres
• Activity plans (99)
• Reports (62)

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Results
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1. Planning activity in 2005

• Health centres (N201)
• Action plan 68
• Updated yearly 50
• Annual report 43
• Updated action plan and
• annual report 33
• No plan or report 27

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1. Planning activity in 2005

• Health centres (N201)
• Action plan 68
• Updated yearly 50
• Annual report 43
• Updated action plan and
• annual report 33
• No plan or report 27

13
2. Planning of SHSOne province (N73)

• 1998 2000 2005
• Action plan 64 - 70
• Updated 47 38 45
• Annual report 22 30 40

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3. The contents of plans and reports

• Action plans
• Tasks and goals
• Content and implementation
• Follow-up of health and well-being and working
  conditions
• Resources
• Oral health care
• Co-operation

• Annual reports
• Implementation and results of SHS
• Evaluating activities in relation to goals
• Development of well-being and health
• Oral health care
• Presented to policy makers

Guidebook for SHS 2002
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3. The contents of plans and reports

• Action plans
• Tasks and goals
• Content and implementation
• Follow-up of health and well-being and working
  conditions
• Resources
• Oral health care
• Co-operation

• Annual reports
• Implementation and results of SHS
• Evaluating activities in relation to goals
• Development of well-being and health
• Oral health care
• Presented to policy makers

Guidebook for SHS 2002
16
Analysis of content

• 1998-2005 plans and reports widened
• Followed recommendations almost completely
• 3 action plans
• 1 annual report

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Conclusion
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Summary of results

• 33 of health centres presented annual plan and
  report
• Number of annual activity plans remained
  unchanged and that of reports increased 1998-2005
• Documents rarely contained measurable objectives

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Conclusions

• Great variation between health centres in
  planning activities
• Only few health centres carried out planning
  activity as recommended
• Information guidance has failed to maintain SHS
  planning among the topical issues addressed by
  municipal health care management