Introduction
Dunet et al article “Using the state plan index to evaluate the quality of state plans to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases” presents an argument on the importance of planning in developing strategies for preventing chronicle diseases. The article discusses the results of the research conducted by a variety of specialists in the area of public health service including medical doctors, academic specialists, and theorists. The results of this research prove that planning is an essential part of developing preventive strategies in public health services.
Main body
In his article, Dunet resorts to the use of the observational study design. The findings of the article are based on the results received during researches conducted in varied medical and educational establishments. The observed patients and doctors cooperating with the theorists working in educational establishments were regularly interrogated in order to see the dependence between the results of preventive measures in public health service and planning strategies applied in it.
The authors of the article applied a number of research methods. They cooperated with numerous specialists in the area of public health in medical, academic, and federal settings. In close cooperation, these specialists created the State Plan Index consisting of 55 items aimed to show the plan’s quality. Because of such cooperation and such rigorous approach to the evaluation of the plan’s quality the results of researches conducted by the authors of the article along with their team of co-workers appeared to be eloquent and powerful. It became clear that planning is an effective strategy not only for the area of economics for example but for the area of public health as well.
The results of the researches described in the article can be interpreted as highly convincing. Planning in the area of preventing chronicle diseases is as efficient as in the area of financial allocation. According to Dunnet, Butterfoss, Hamre, and Kuester (2005, p.1),
The component of the State Plan Index with the highest mean component score (3.3) was Presentation of Epidemiologic Data on Disease Burden. The components with the lowest component scores were Resources for Plan Implementation (0.7); Integration of Obesity Efforts with Other Chronic Disease Efforts (1.7); and Program Evaluation (2.0). Plan quality was rated higher when based on the single overall plan quality score assigned by raters.
These numbers can be evaluated as reliable facts proving that planning in the area of developing preventive strategies is highly effective. By all means, it should be applied to guarantee better use of federal recourses along with making the work of a specialist in the area of public health elaborated and well-driven. The results of investigations in the area of controlling diseases connected to the problem of over-weight showed that in case the set standards developed on a federal level are offered to medical specialists on different levels their work will become more successful as they will have to put more effort in order to meet the state’s requirements (Isaacs, & Knickman, 2004).
Conclusion
As a final point, Dunet’s et all article “Using the state plan index to evaluate the quality of state plans to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases” presents a well-thought-of argument on the importance of planning during developing preventive strategies for chronic diseases. The findings of the article’s research present reliable facts supporting the value of planning in medical establishments.
References
Dunet, D.O., Butterfoss, F.D., Hamre, R., and Kuester, S. (2005.) Using the state plan index to evaluate the quality of state plans to prevent obesity and other chronic diseases. Preventing Chronic Disease 2(2): 1-10.
Isaacs, S. L. & Knickman, J. R. (Eds.). (2004). Generalist Medicine and the U.S. Health Care System. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Web.