Dossier n. 206/2011 [Abstract] Contributions for planning and accountability reporting at Health District level

The Social and Healthcare Plan 2008-2010 of Emilia-Romagna Region confirms and reasserts the new role of the Health District as the seat of services planning and the ideal context for the integration between health and social care. In this framework, during 2009 the Regional Healthcare and Social Agency paid special attention to the methods and tools for the planning and the accountability reporting of the Health District. The volume includes two studies on these two decisive and critical phases for the health system government.

The first study presents the empirical evaluation of a methodology for the analysis and interpretation of the relationship between hospital and local health and social care services, using the theory of “communicating vessels”: the assumption of this theory is that manipulating the spending and/or activity of only one of these sides it is possible to influence the other, as if they were interdependent. The results show that this theory does not provide a clear explanation of the dynamics between hospital and local care services, which appear to be influenced by many other factors.

The study was carried out with the participation of the District directors and staff of Bologna Local Health Trust. The paper includes an introduction, a brief description of the demographic, socio-economic and care services profile of each health District of Bologna Local Health Trust and 12 fact sheets on the indicators selected. A conclusion related to the overall experience closes the study.

The second study includes a proposal for a first group of indicators that should be able to represent the activities and results of the Health Districts in the social accountability report, a compulsory (established by Regional Law no. 29/2004), yearly and public document that illustrates the outcomes of actions performed by each Emilia-Romagna Health Trust to its main institutional interlocutors, the Regional Government and Local Authorities. The study provides some elements to the broader debate and largely unexplored issue concerning the accountability reporting of Health District.

It was carried out with the participation of the regional group on the social accountability report. Information is organized in 13 fact sheets on the indicators selected, each consisting of a description of the characteristics of the indicator (e.g. method of calculation, meaning, validity and limits), graphical representations and comments for each figure, observations by the Local Health Trusts. A conclusion related to the overall experience closes the study.

The volume is completed by a summary and an introduction, as well as by a bibliography and an appendix.