Euro Qual

The three keywords, Orthodontics, Europe and Quality represent the important issues in this book, describing the EURO-QUAL, BIOMED 1 Programme. In this Programme, individuals and representatives of institutions have been asked to contribute to the discussion on the development of a quality system for orthodontic care. The philosophy of Total Quality Management was adopted and specific emphasis was given to patient quality. When considering how the structure and quality of European orthodontic care continuously can be improved, there are certain conditions which are difficult to modify. From the start this has been realised and respected and therefore the guidelines for the quality are flexible and can be adapted to different conditions. Available knowledge has been bundled and an attempt has been made to understand the reality of orthodontic care in Europe: the product and the process.

The benefits for the professional working within a quality culture are manifold, but even more important, the patient is the final arbiter of quality care. Therefore patient centred aspects of treatment are focused upon in this manual. A quality manual intended for European use has to respect the national regulations and European diversity, and therefore needs to be flexible. The EOQM has been structured according to the treatment of the individual patient, which is what all professionals have in common, and which also is the most important target for quality improvement in orthodontic practice. The EOQM is primarily designed as a stimulus for the orthodontic professional to assess and improve the quality of orthodontic care. A Quality Improvement System (QIS) provides support for starting and maintaining activities. The manual provides tools to systematically assess and develop quality-related actions at individual (patient) treatment level and practice level. A systematic and comprehensive description of the treatment process is essential in order to provide a basis for establishing a QIS. Implementing a QIS will influence the provision of orthodontic care by: * Demonstrating the potentials for development of the organisational elements of orthodontics. * Planning and integrating systematic activities to monitor and improve treatment at the practice level and the patient-related level. Orthodontic treatment process is the central element in this manual. The route taken by an individual patient is described step by step. * Flowcharts describe the orthodontic treatment of the individual patient step by step. * Guidelines indicate what the professional should do at the various steps in order to follow the generally accepted objectives of orthodontics as described in the policy statements. * Indicators are tools to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of treatment. The indicators provide the professional with facts about own performance. The EOQM, provides the orthodontic professional with a model for incorporating quality improvement into daily practice, which is based on European orthodontic consensus and current principles of quality in health care. It can be incorporated in the quality initiatives that are already being developed nationally and vice versa.

The objective of the EURO-QUAL programme has been to improve the quality of care for the individual patient. At the same time the need for harmonisation of health care in Europe was recognised. This Quality Improvement System (QIS) for orthodontic care in Europe comprises of 'Guidelines for how to implement a QIS' and reference material from the project teams: Financial Resources, Professional Development, Consumer Satisfaction, and Industrial Co-operation. In this respect the following topics are discussed: * The differences and similarities in local (national) quality initiatives. * The use of databases, as a technique to improve quality by comparing one's own performance against that of colleagues. * The influence of the different national systems of funding on both the amount of care provided as well as the quality of care. * The contents and the quality of the educational programmes, at all levels of orthodontic care. * Promotion of patients' rights and responsibilities before, during and after the orthodontic treatment. * A common goal and common language with the industrial partners by which the interaction can be optimised and communication will be enriched. This book provides the background information for the appropriate use of the European Orthodontic Quality Manual (EOQM). Strategies for the implementation of a QIS in orthodontics, taking into account the complex of the outlined aspects, make this book interesting for the orthodontic professional as well as the stakeholders (education, funding, industry, and consumers) in orthodontic care.

All Kelly Smith ever wanted to be was a footballer. Blessed with brilliant talent which she honed with hours of practice, it was soon clear to all who saw her that Kelly was the best women’s footballer that this country had ever produced. Yet for this shy girl from Watford, it would be a long and difficult journey to the pinnacle of the world game, and one which would involve the hardest of challenges. After starting drinking to mask her loneliness thousands of miles from home in the United States, a series of career-threatening injuries led to severe depression and a battle with alcoholism. But with the fighting spirit that was so essential on her path to be Britain’s first women’s professional player, Kelly bounced back to inspire Arsenal to countless trophies and become England’s record goalscorer. Footballer: My Story is the inspirational tale of a woman with a drive to succeed. It is the unique inside story of a star in a sport enjoyed by millions yet often not granted the recognition it deserves. And as she nears the end of a glittering playing career, it is the story of how Kelly Smith became what she always wanted to be. A professional footballer, in a professional league.

This publication includes detailed information on how to analyse the PISA data, enabling researchers to both reproduce the initial results and to undertake further analyses.

Healthcare regulations should guarantee that everybody has access to appropriate healthcare. The main goals for healthcare are: Equal access to health care for everyone; Cost-efficient production of health services and Cost-control of public expenditure for medical services. Especially cost-control seems to be a global problem. One of the key issues in the debate on how to improve healthcare is rationing. It is an important challenge to understand the various methods of rationing in medical care, to analyse the effects of rationing and the ways to harmonize the various rationing cultures in Europe. This publication gives a comprehensive overview of the perception of different population groups in an international context and it shows how the different population and occupational groups estimate the possibilities, forms and also limits rationing in the near future. Patients who are affected by rationing decisions could ask for treatment in foreign European countries. In order to limit social inequities caused by capacity problems in less rationed countries it is important in a first step to demonstrate the differences in rationing procedures between European countries.

Moving The Goalposts is the book for the statistics junkies, tactics lovers and analysis gurus who follow the beautiful game. It's a sideways glance at the world of football which debunks a few long-standing myths, examines the aspects of the game that are often overlooked, ignored and taken for granted, and shows football is a sport which is regular misinterpreted. Taking a look at legends from the past and trends for the future, those who read Moving The Goalposts will never watch the game in the same way again.Key features- Includes investigations into more than 75 football topics, challenging long-standing myths and offering a new light on the beautiful game- Features analysis of a number of on- and off-field aspects of the game from over one-hundred years- Covers World Cups, continental championships, European club competitions and the domestic game- Features the great national and club sides, as well as the legends of the game and their legacies: including Moore, Clough, Shankly, Busby, Pele and Maradona- Examines who really were the greatest teams and players from the past and why- Discovers what really has an impact on a team and what really contributes to winning a game