[Municipal health conferences in North Rhine-westphalia. Experience and perspectives].

Health conferences are established structural elements in the field of health prevention and health-care in North Rhine-Westphalia. This applies to the state level (state health conferences) as well as to the municipal and city levels of government (local health conferences). After being tested in a pilot project in the period 1995-1998, the foundation of local conferences became obligatory in all municipalities when the public health service act of 1998 came into effect.

[Local coordination of health care in North Rhine-Westphalia Interim review of the North Rhine-Westphalian model].

In January 1998, the Public Health Service Act (OGDG) was put into force by North Rhine-Westphalia's state parliament as Article 3 of the Act on the Strengthening of the Efficiency of Districts, Cities and Municipalities. The objective of the Public Health Service Act is the performance of functions through the public health service in a way which corresponds to problems, ambitions and priorities at the local level. The effects of the Act have been documented over a period of 5 years.

[Evaluation of health policy intervention on the community level--the "Neighborhood Coordination of Health and Social Care" Model Project in North Rhine-Westphalia].

Between October 1995 and December 1998 the pilot project 'Local Coordination of Health and Social Care' was conducted in 28 communities of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The project has been evaluated by two university research teams. The aim of the project was basically to establish new structures of health planning and coordination at the community level, in order to improve health reporting and health care as well as health promotion.