Challenges of Designing and Implementing High Consequence Infectious Disease Response

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 563-566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joan M. King ◽  
Chetan Tiwari ◽  
Armin R. Mikler ◽  
Martin O’Neill
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Disease Response ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
State And Local

AbstractEbola is a high consequence infectious disease—a disease with the potential to cause outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics with deadly possibilities, highly infectious, pathogenic, and virulent. Ebola’s first reported cases in the United States in September 2014 led to the development of preparedness capabilities for the mitigation of possible rapid outbreaks, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) providing guidelines to assist public health officials in infectious disease response planning. These guidelines include broad goals for state and local agencies and detailed information concerning the types of resources needed at health care facilities. However, the spatial configuration of populations and existing health care facilities is neglected. An incomplete understanding of the demand landscape may result in an inefficient and inequitable allocation of resources to populations. Hence, this paper examines challenges in implementing CDC’s guidance for Ebola preparedness and mitigation in the context of geospatial allocation of health resources and discusses possible strategies for addressing such challenges. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:563–566)

Interdisciplinary Information for Infectious Disease Response: Exercising for Improved Medical/Public Health Communication and Collaboration

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Saskia Popescu ◽  
Nathan Myers
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Information Sharing ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Disease Response ◽  
Train The Trainer

Abstract Infectious disease threats like the novel coronavirus that emerged in late 2019 continue to demand an increase in preparedness and response capabilities. One capability that is both essential and consistently challenging is information sharing between responding organizations, particularly between public health agencies and health care providers. This policy analysis reviews the threat that infectious diseases continue to pose to the United States, and the role that the Hospital Preparedness Program can play in countering such threats. Current strategies for preparing for, and responding to, infectious disease outbreaks are also reviewed, noting some gaps that need to be addressed. Particular attention is given to challenges in information sharing that continue to hinder effective surveillance and response, despite advances in technology. The study looks at recommendations from biodefense organizations and experts in the field. It concludes with our recommendation that regulatory requirements and funding opportunities for health care institutions emphasize the importance of communication and training in relation to high consequence pathogens. We further recommend that providers in Ebola treatment hospitals be employed to train and educate providers in frontline hospitals in a ‘train-the-trainer’ model.

scholarly journals Characterizing the Rural Opioid Use Environment in Kentucky Using Google Earth: Virtual Audit

10.2196/14923 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. e14923 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Danielle Crawford ◽  
Regine Haardöerfer ◽  
Hannah Cooper ◽  
Izraelle McKinnon ◽  
Carla Jones-Harrell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Physical Environment ◽  
The United States ◽  
Google Earth ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Opioid Epidemic ◽  
Care Facilities

Background The opioid epidemic has ravaged rural communities in the United States. Despite extensive literature relating the physical environment to substance use in urban areas, little is known about the role of physical environment on the opioid epidemic in rural areas. Objective This study aimed to examine the reliability of Google Earth to collect data on the physical environment related to substance use in rural areas. Methods Systematic virtual audits were performed in 5 rural Kentucky counties using Google Earth between 2017 and 2018 to capture land use, health care facilities, entertainment venues, and businesses. In-person audits were performed for a subset of the census blocks. Results We captured 533 features, most of which were images taken before 2015 (71.8%, 383/533). Reliability between the virtual audits and the gold standard was high for health care facilities (>83%), entertainment venues (>95%), and businesses (>61%) but was poor for land use features (>18%). Reliability between the virtual audit and in-person audit was high for health care facilities (83%) and entertainment venues (62%) but was poor for land use (0%) and businesses (12.5%). Conclusions Poor reliability for land use features may reflect difficulty characterizing features that require judgment or natural changes in the environment that are not reflective of the Google Earth imagery because it was captured several years before the audit was performed. Virtual Google Earth audits were an efficient way to collect rich neighborhood data that are generally not available from other sources. However, these audits should use caution when the images in the observation area are dated.

Spatial distribution of public health care facilities in rural areas of Nalanda district, Bihar

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 387-399
Author(s):  
Anand Kumar ◽  
◽  
Dhiraj Kumar Sharma ◽  
Satya Prakash ◽  
Ram Sakal Yadava ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Community Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Graphical Representation ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Location Quotient ◽  
Care Facilities

At this critical juncture of time when the whole world is facing a health care emergency due to the occurrence of (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic. It becomes necessary to critically evaluate public health care facilities and their availability to common people to tackle the ongoing crisis rationally. In this regard, this paper tries to study the spatial distribution of public health care facilities and their availability in rural areas of Nalanda district. Location quotient, Lorenz curve and Gini's coefficient have been worked out to find unequal concentration, availability and distribution of public health care facilities across the study area. To show the concentration and distribution of health care facilities over space maps have been drawn on ArcGIS. MS Excel and Word have been used for showing the availability of health care facilities through graphical representation and for tabulation purposes. This paper concludes that community development blocks surrounding district headquarter have a higher concentration and larger availability of rural public health care facilities in comparison to peripheral community development blocks of the study area.

Confidentiality and security of information in the public health-care facilities to curb HIV/AIDS trauma among patients in Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ngoako Solomon Marutha ◽  
Olefhile Mosweu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Chronic Patients ◽  
Aids Patients ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Care Facilities ◽  
Hiv Aids

Purpose This study sought to investigate a framework for ensuring the confidentiality and security of information at the public health-care facilities to curb HIV/AIDS trauma among patients in Africa. In most instances, trauma to HIV/AIDS patients accelerate because of their personal information relating to the state of illness leaks to public people. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used literature to study confidentiality and security of information at the public health-care facilities to curb HIV/AIDS trauma among patients in Africa. Findings The study revealed that confidentiality and security of information has been neglected, in most instances, at the health-care facilities, and this has, to some extent, affected HIV/AIDS patients negatively, leading to trauma, stigma and skipping of treatment by patients resulting in accelerated mortality among chronic patients. The study recommends that patients’ information be always strictly controlled and kept confidential and secured at all the times, especially that of HIV/AIDS patients. Practical implications The proposed framework can be used by health-care facilities to guide the management and promotion of the confidentiality and security of information in the public health-care facilities to curb additional trauma to HIV/AIDS patients in the context of Africa, and even beyond. Originality/value The study provides a framework to ensure the confidentiality and security of information at the public health-care facilities to curb additional trauma to HIV/AIDS patients.

scholarly journals Patient costs of hypertension care in public health care facilities in Kenya

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robinson Oyando ◽  
Martin Njoroge ◽  
Peter Nguhiu ◽  
Fredrick Kirui ◽  
Jane Mbui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Public Health Care ◽  
Patient Costs ◽  
Care Facilities

scholarly journals A Public Health Systems View of Risk Communication About Zika

2020 ◽  
Vol 135 (3) ◽  
pp. 343-353
Author(s):  
Tara Kirk Sell ◽  
Sanjana J. Ravi ◽  
Crystal Watson ◽  
Diane Meyer ◽  
Laura E. Pechta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Risk Communication ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Public Information ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
The United States ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Disease Response

Objectives The spread of Zika virus throughout Latin America and parts of the United States in 2016 and 2017 presented a challenge to public health communicators. The objective of our study was to describe emergency risk communication practices during the 2016-2017 Zika outbreak to inform future infectious disease communication efforts. Methods We conducted semi-structured telephone interviews with 13 public health policy makers and practitioners, 10 public information officers, and 5 vector-control officials from May through August 2017. Results Within the public health macro-environment, extended outbreak timeframe, government trust, US residence status, and economic insecurity set the backdrop for Zika communication efforts. Limited resources, staffing, and partnerships negatively affected public health structural capacity for communication efforts. Public health communicators and practitioners used a range of processes and practices to engage in education and outreach, including fieldwork, community meetings, and contact with health care providers. Overall, public health agencies’ primary goals were to prevent Zika infection, reduce transmission, and prevent adverse birth outcomes. Conclusions Lessons learned from this disease response included understanding the macro-environment, developing partnerships across agencies and the community, and valuing diverse message platforms. These lessons can be used to improve communication approaches for health officials at the local, state, and federal levels during future infectious disease outbreaks.

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