Legal Protections to Promote Response Willingness Among the Local Public Health Workforce

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lainie Rutkow ◽  
Jon S. Vernick ◽  
Carol B. Thompson ◽  
Rachael Piltch-Loeb ◽  
Daniel J. Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Ethical Implications ◽  
Emergency Scenarios

AbstractObjectiveThe legal environment may improve response willingness among local health department (LHD) workers. We examined whether 3 hypothetical legal protections influence LHD workers’ self-reported response willingness for 4 emergency scenarios and whether specific demographic factors are associated with LHD workers’ response willingness given these legal protections.MethodsOur 2011–2012 survey included questions on demographics and about attitudes and beliefs regarding LHD workers’ willingness to respond to 4 emergency scenarios given specific legal protections (i.e., ensuring priority health care for workers’ families, granting workers access to mental health services, and guaranteeing access to personal protective equipment). Data were collected from 1238 LHD workers in 3 states.ResultsAcross scenarios, between 60% and 83% of LHD workers agreed that they would be more willing to respond given the presence of 1 of the 3 hypothetical legal protections. Among the 3 legal protections, a guarantee of personal protective equipment elicited the greatest agreement with improved response willingness.ConclusionsSpecific legal protections augment a majority of LHD workers’ response willingness. Policymakers must, however, balance improved response willingness with other considerations, such as the ethical implications of prioritizing responders over the general public. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:98–102)

scholarly journals Public Health Informatics Workforce Skills and Needs: A Descriptive Analysis using the 2017 PH WINS

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
B E Dixon ◽  
T D McFarlane ◽  
S J Grannis ◽  
P J Gibson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Workforce ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Health Department ◽  
The United States ◽  
Skill Level ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract In 2017, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials fielded the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS), a nationally representative sample of state-level (SHA) and local health department (LHD) public health workers in the United States. The survey was an opportunity to measure the PHI workforce as well as assess the informatics needs of the broader PH workforce. We performed a cross-sectional study using the nationally representative 2017 PH WINS. A total of 17,136 SHA and 26,533 LHD employees participated in the survey. Respondents were asked to rate selected PH competencies with respect to the importance to their day-to-day work (i.e., not important to very important) and their current skill level (e.g., unable to perform, beginner, proficient, expert). We examined skill gaps, defined as discordance between self-reported importance (i.e., need) and skill level, for example, those reporting the competency as “somewhat important” or “very important” and “unable to perform” or “beginner.” Informaticians accounted for 1.1% of SHA respondents and 0.5% of LHD respondents working in a Big City Health Coalition agency, those that serve the top 30 most populous urban areas in the United States. While informaticians generally reported having the skills they needed for their jobs, other PH roles identified gaps. For example, 22.9% of clinical and laboratory workers felt the ability to “identify appropriate sources of data and information to assess the health of a community” was an important skill but they currently possessed low competency. This group similarly identified a gap with respect to collecting ‘valid data for use in decision making.' An informatics-savvy health department requires PHI competencies not just among PHI specialists but also among front line workers, program area managers, and executive leadership. Discordance suggests that agencies should examine ways to enhance training for PHI-related competencies for all PH workers. Key messages The informatics specialists’ role is rare in public health agencies. Significant data and informatics skills gaps persist among the broader public health workforce.

scholarly journals Personal Protective Equipment: Challenges and Strategies to Combat COVID-19 in India: A Narrative Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neeraj Sharma ◽  
Zubeda Hasan ◽  
Anoop Velayudhan ◽  
Emil M. A. ◽  
D. K. Mangal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Healthcare Settings ◽  
Public Health Professionals

The current outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has become a pandemic. All COVID-19-affected countries in the world are implementing containment interventions and trying their best to fight against the disease to halt the further spread of the infection and to reduce mortality. The public health workforce and healthcare staff in clinical settings are playing a crucial role in the early detection of cases, contact tracing and treatment of patients. The availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and their consistent, proper use by healthcare providers and public health professionals is a crucial factor in combating any infectious disease in a crisis. The requirement of PPE has exponentially increased, as more and more countries are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid spread of the pandemic has created a temporary shortage of PPE in many countries, including India. The lack of PPE has affected the morale of healthcare workers (HCWs) and other frontline warriors in fighting the coronavirus disease, as more than 22,000 health workers in 56 countries have suffered from COVID-19. Some of them have succumbed to it across all countries, including India (WHO). We have reviewed the available literature to understand the challenges in ensuring adequate availability and consistent use of PPE and the strategies for the rational use of PPE in India. Our study reveals that India has responded swiftly to enhance the accessibility of PPE and put in place strategies for the judicious use of PPE to reduce the incidence of the COVID-19 infection to a bare minimum in healthcare settings. In the present article, we report the current status of COVID-19 among HCWs. We have reviewed the challenges and the surge strategies adopted by India to produce or procure good-quality PPE and supply it to all service delivery points in adequate quantities.

scholarly journals Preparedness and response of a tertiary hospital to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria: challenges, opportunities and lessons

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darlington E Obaseki ◽  
Iriagbonse I Osaigbovo ◽  
Esohe O Ogboghodo ◽  
Omokhoa Adeleye ◽  
Obehi A Akoria ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Tertiary Hospital ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Scientific Journals ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Public Health Agencies ◽  
Health Agencies ◽  
Individual Healthcare

Abstract Africa was the last continent to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Much of the discourse on Africa's response captured in scientific journals revolves around nations, public health agencies and organizations, but little is documented about how individual healthcare facilities have fared. This article reports the challenges faced in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria, including space constraints, diagnostic challenges, shortages in personal protective equipment and health worker infections. The opportunities and strengths that aided the response are also highlighted. The lessons learned will be useful to similar facilities. More information about health facility response at various levels is needed to comprehensively assess Africa's response to the pandemic.

scholarly journals COVID – 19 related knowledge and preventive practices early in the outbreak among health care workers in selected public health facilities of Illu aba Bor and Buno Bedelle zones, Southwest Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dereje Tsegaye ◽  
Muluneh Shuremu ◽  
Dereje Oljira ◽  
Sileshi Dubale ◽  
Getachew Befekadu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Infection Prevention ◽  
Health Facilities ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Southwest Ethiopia ◽  
Preventive Practices ◽  
Care Workers

Abstract Background Novel-coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) disease is currently a worldwide health risk and public health emergency concern. The virus is transmitted from an infected person to another person through close contact and droplets. Frontline health care workers are the most at risk of infection, and so a WHO interim guidance document was issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) which underscores the importance of proper sanitation and waste management practices for COVID- 19 in health-care settings. This study aimed at assessing knowledge and preventive practices towards Covid-19 among health care providers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno Bedele zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to May 2020 among 330 health workers in selected health facilities of Illu Aba Bor and Buno-Bedelle Zones, Southwest Ethiopia. Data were collected using a self-administered structured questionnaire. The collected data were entered into Epidata version 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 23 for analysis. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of preventive practices towards Covid-19. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. Result The majority of respondents (93.3%) demonstrated good knowledge of COVID-19, and the mean (SD) knowledge score was 9.04 ± 1.06. Nearly two-thirds (64.2%) of the study participants had good infection prevention practices. Being male (AOR = 3.65, 95% CI: (1.96, 6.80)), education level (AOR = 1.82, 95% CI (1.02, 3.22)), profession (AOR = 3.17, 95% CI (1.08, 9.33)), service year (5–10 years) (AOR = 2.00 (1.02, 3.92)) and more than 10 years (AOR = 3.14 (1.51, 6.52)), availability of personal protective equipment (AOR = 1.96 (1.06, 3.61)) and Knowledge level (AOR = 2.61 (1.48, 4.62)) were independent predictors of COVID-19 preventive practices. Conclusion The overall level of knowledge of HCWs was good. However, the practice was relatively low. Gender, educational status, profession, year of service, knowledge towards COVID-19, and availability of personal protective equipment were independent predictors of good infection prevention practices. Optimizing the infection prevention and control loop of the health facilities is recommended.

scholarly journals The Road Map to Preparedness: A Competency-Based Approach to All-Hazards Emergency Readiness Training for the Public Health Workforce

2005 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 504-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy L. Parker ◽  
Daniel J. Barnett ◽  
Ayanna L. Fews ◽  
David Blodgett ◽  
Jonathan M. Links
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Public Health Workforce ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Training Tool ◽  
The Road ◽  
Road Map ◽  
Competency Based

Facing limited time and budgetary resources, state and local health departments need a practical, competency-based training approach to meet the all-hazards readiness requirements of their employees. The Road Map to Preparedness is a training tool designed to assist health departments in providing comprehensive, agency-tailored readiness instruction to their employees. This tool uses an incentive-based, game-like, experiential learning approach to meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's nine core competencies for all public health workers while facilitating public health employees' understanding and acceptance of their emergency response roles. A corresponding evaluation tool, the Road Map to Preparedness Evaluation, yields metrically-driven assessments of public health employee readiness competencies. Since its pilot in 2003, the Road Map to Preparedness has met with enthusiastic response from participating health departments in the mid-Atlantic region. In addition to its public health impact, the Road Map offers future promise as a tool to assist organizational emergency response training in private sector and non-public health first-responder agency settings.

scholarly journals Retrospective Study on Personal Protective Equipment During Pandemic Link to Outbreak of Carbpenem-Resistant Enterobacteriace

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (S1) ◽  
pp. s9-s10
Author(s):  
Kenisha Evans ◽  
Jennifer LeRose ◽  
Angela Beatriz Cruz ◽  
Lavina Jabbo ◽  
Teena Chopra
Keyword(s):  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Infection Control ◽  
Personal Protective Equipment ◽  
Horizontal Transmission ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Protective Equipment ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Infection Rates ◽  
Infection Control Measures ◽  
The Impact

Background: In 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), had cost the lives of >35,000 patients, particularly the most virulent plasmid-mediated New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM). Although healthcare systems normally have strict surveillance and infection control measures for CRE, the rapid emergence of novel SAR-CoV-2 and COVID-19 led to a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies. As a result, routine infection practices, such as contact precautions, were violated. Studies have shown this depletion and shift in resources compromised the control of infections such CRE leading to rising horizontal transmission. Method: A retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary healthcare system in Detroit, Michigan, to determine the impact of PPE shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic on NDM infection rates. The following periods were established during 2020 based on PPE availability: (1) pre-PPE shortage (January–June), (2) PPE shortage (July–October), and (3) post-PPE shortage (November–December). Rates of NDM per 10,000 patient days were compared between periods using the Wilcoxon signed rank-sum test. Isolates were confirmed resistant by NDM by molecular typing performed by the Michigan State Health Department. Patient characteristics were gathered by medical chart review and patient interviews by telephone. Results: Overall, the average rate of NDM infections was 1.82 ±1.5 per 10,000 patient days. Rates during the PPE shortage were significantly higher, averaging 3.6 ±1.1 cases per 10,000 patient days (P = .02). During this time, several infections occurred within patients on the same unit and/or patients with same treating team, suggesting possible horizontal transmission. Once PPE stock was replenished and isolation practices were reinstated, NDM infection rates decreased to 0.77 ±1.1 per 10,000 patient days. Conclusion: Control of CRE requires strategic planning with active surveillance, antimicrobial constructs, and infection control measures. The study illustrates that in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the burden of effective infection control requires much more multidisciplinary efforts to prevent unintentional lapses in patient safety. A swift response by the state and local health departments at a tertiary-care healthcare center conveyed a positive mitigation of the highest clinical threats and decreased horizontal transmission of disease.Funding: NoDisclosures: None

The Role of EMS Systems in Public Health Emergencies

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara A. McIntosh ◽  
Patricia Hinds ◽  
Lorraine M. Giordano
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Definitive Treatment ◽  
Local Health ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Pneumonic Plague ◽  
Notification System ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Isolation Facilities

AbstractIntroduction:Until now, the public health response to the threat of an epidemic has involved coordination of efforts between federal agencies, local health departments, and individual hospitals, with no defined role for prehospital emergency medical services (EMS) providers.Methods:Representatives from the local health department, hospital consortium, and prehospital EMS providers developed an interim plan for dealing with an epidemic alert. The plan allowed for the prehospital use of appropriate isolation procedures, prophylaxis of personnel, and predesignation of receiving hospitals for patients suspected of having infection. Additionally, a dual notification system utilizing an EMS physician and a representative from the Office of Infectious Diseases from the hospital group was implemented to ensure that all potential cases were captured. Initially, the plan was employed only for those cases arising from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCJ/Public Health Service (PHS) quarantine unit at the airport, but its use later was expanded to include all potential cases within the 9–1–1 system.Results:In the two test situations in which it was employed, the plan incorporating the prehospital EMS sector worked well and extended the “surveillance net” further into the community. During the Pneumonic Plague alert, EMS responded to the quarantine facilities at the airport five times and transported two patients to isolation facilities. Two additional patients were identified and transported to isolation facilities from calls within the 9–1–1 system. In all four isolated cases, Pneumonic Plague was ruled out. During the Ebola alert, no potential cases were identified.Conclusion:The incorporation of the prehospital sector into an already existing framework for public health emergencies (i.e., epidemics), enhances the reach of the public safety surveillance net and ensure that proper isolation is continued from identification of a possible case to arrival at a definitive treatment facility.

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