Swedish Institute

About: Swedish Institute is a government organization based out in Stockholm, Sweden. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 1657 authors who have published 2301 publications receiving 103682 citations. The organization is also known as: Svenska Institutet.

Toward a Third Stage in the Measurement of Poverty

Abstract: While there has been considerable development in the concept of poverty during this century, and in particular during the last couple of decades, the method of measurement remains essentially unchanged. On the theoretical side, a relative deprivation concept of poverty has been developed in addition to or as an alternative to the conventional subsistence minimum concept, but on the measurement side, the most important tool is the income poverty line irrespective of what concept is applied, the only difference being at what level the poverty line is set. In distribution research in general, there have long been warnings against using income alone as an indicator of welfare, and methods have been developed for measuring consumption or living conditions directly, but poverty research has continued to use the indirect income method. This paper suggests that there is a need for an alternative method of measuring poverty which corresponds to the 'modern' con ceptualization of the problem and indicates how such ...

Multicentre laboratory validation of the colorimetric redox indicator (CRI) assay for the rapid detection of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Abstract: Conclusions: Results demonstrate that the CRI assay is an accurate method for the rapid detection of XDR Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The CRI assay is faster than the conventional drug susceptibility testing method using solid medium, has the same turnaround time as the BACTEC MGIT 960 system, but is less expensive, and could be an adequate method for low-income countries.

Implementing accountability for reasonableness--the case of pharmaceutical reimbursement in Sweden.

Abstract: This paper aims to describe the priority-setting procedure for new original pharmaceuticals practiced by the Swedish Pharmaceutical Benefits Board (LFN), to analyse the outcome of the procedure in terms of decisions and the relative importance of ethical principles, and to examine the reactions of stakeholders. All the ‘principally important’ decisions made by the LFN during its first 33 months of operation were analysed. The study is theoretically anchored in the theory of fair and legitimate priority-setting procedures by Daniels and Sabin, and is based on public documents, media articles, and semi-structured interviews. Only nine cases resulted in a rejection of a subsidy by the LFN and 15 in a limited or conditional subsidy. Total rejections rather than limitations gave rise to actions by stakeholders. Primarily, the principle of cost-effectiveness was used when limiting/conditioning or totally rejecting a subsidy. This study suggests that implementing a priority-setting process that fulfils the conditions of accountability for reasonableness can result in a priority-setting process which is generally perceived as fair and legitimate by the major stakeholders and may increase social learning in terms of accepting the necessity of priority setting in health care. The principle of cost-effectiveness increased in importance when the demand for openness and transparency increased.

Toward an Equal Level of Educational Attainment Between Deaf and Hearing People in Sweden

Abstract: Various educational reforms in Sweden have resulted in a formally equivalent educational system for deaf and hearing pupils. Has this resulted in equal levels of educational attainment? This article compares 2,144 people born between 1941 and 1980 who attended a special education program for the deaf and 100,000 randomly chosen individuals from the total population born between 1941 and 1980. Data consist of registered information about the individuals in the year 2005. Results demonstrate that the deaf population has a lower level of educational attainment than the reference population. Women have a higher level of educational attainment than men, and younger people have a higher level than older people in each population. Neither sex, age category, nor immigrant background accounts for the variance in the level of educational attainment between the populations. The educational reforms have not been sufficient to reduce the unequal level of educational attainment between deaf and hearing people.