Hospitals: Soft Target for Terrorism?

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harald De Cauwer ◽  
Francis Somville ◽  
Marc Sabbe ◽  
Luc J. Mortelmans
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Terrorist Attack ◽  
Previous History ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Response Planning ◽  
Soft Target

AbstractIn recent years, the world has been rocked repeatedly by terrorist attacks. Arguably, the most remarkable were: the series of four coordinated suicide plane attacks on September 11, 2001 on buildings in New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania, USA; and the recent series of two coordinated attacks in Brussels (Belgium), on March 22, 2016, involving two bombings at the departure hall of Brussels International Airport and a bombing at Maalbeek Metro Station located near the European Commission headquarters in the center of Brussels.This statement paper deals with different aspects of hospital policy and disaster response planning that interface with terrorism. Research shows that the availability of necessary equipment and facilities (eg, personal protective clothing, decontamination rooms, antidotes, and anti-viral drugs) in hospitals clearly is insufficient. Emergency teams are insufficiently prepared: adequate and repetitive training remain necessary.Unfortunately, there are many examples of health care workers and physicians or hospitals being targeted in both political or religious conflicts and wars. Many health workers were kidnapped and/or killed by insurgents of various ideology. Attacks on hospitals also could cause long-term effects: hospital units could be unavailable for a long time and replacing staff could take several months, further compounding hospital operations. Both physical and psychological (eg, posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD]) after-effects of a terrorist attack can be detrimental to health care services. On the other hand, physicians and other hospital employees have shown to be involved in terrorism. As data show that some offenders had a previous history with the location of the terror incident, the possibility of hospitals or other health care services being targeted by insiders is discussed.The purpose of this report was to consider how past terrorist incidents can inform current hospital preparedness and disaster response planning.De CauwerH,SomvilleF,SabbeM,MortelmansLJ.Hospitals: soft target for terrorism?Prehosp Disaster Med.2017;32(1):94–100.

iKure Techsoft: Providing Technology Enabled Affordable Health Care in Rural India

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (02) ◽  
pp. 385-411
Author(s):  
Atanu Chaudhuri ◽  
Venkatramanaiah Saddikutti ◽  
Thim Prætorius
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Care Delivery ◽  
Rural India ◽  
Medical Team ◽  
Hub And Spoke ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Care Delivery Model

iKure Techsoft was established in 2010 with the main objective to provide affordable and high quality primary health care to the rural population in India and to build a sustainable for-profit business model. To that end, iKure’s cloud based, and patent pending, Wireless Health Incident Monitoring System (WHIMS) technology along with their hub-and-spoke operating model are central, but also essential to exploit and explore further if iKure is to scale-up. iKure provides primary health care services through three hub clinics and 28 rural health centres (RHCs). Each hub clinic employs between one and up to six medical teams (each consisting of 1 doctor, 1 nurse, 1 paramedic and 2 health workers stationed at the hub) & 1 mobile medical team (1 doctor, 1 paramedic, 2 health workers) for catering to the RHCs). Each medical team manages six RHCs. Paramount in iKure’s health care delivery model is their self-developed software called WHIMS, which is a cloud-based award-winning application that runs on low internet bandwidths. WHIMS allow for (a) centralized monitoring of key metrics such as doctor’s attendance, treatment prescribed, patient record management, pharmacy stock management, and (b) supports effective communication, integration and contact that connects RHCs with hub clinics, but also city-based multi-specialty hospitals with whom iKure has formal tie-ups. iKure, moreover, also works extensively with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Collaboration with local NGOs in the target areas helps to build trust with the rural villagers and their local knowledge and access helps to assess service demand. NGOs also provide the necessary local logistical support and basic infrastructure in the rural areas where iKure works. Moreover, collaboration, for example, with corporate organizations are central as they contribute with part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to support iKure initiatives. At present, iKure is planning to add diagnostic services to its six hub clinics as well as expand its presence in other parts of West Bengal and other states across India. Expanding rural health care services even with the technology support of WHIMS is challenging because, for example, health is a very local issue (due to, among other things, local customs and languages) and it requires investing significant amount of time and resources to build relationship with the rural people as well as collaborators such as NGOs and corporates. The accompanying case describes iKure’s journey so far in terms of understanding: (a) the state of health care and government health care services provided in rural India, (b) the establishment and evolution of the iKure business and health care model, (c) iKure’s operations and health care delivery model including the WHIMS technology solution and hub-and-spoke set-up of operations, (d) the collaborative model which relies on NGOs and private corporates, and (e) finally iKure’s challenges related to scaling-up.

scholarly journals Video-based telehealth in Australian primary health care: current use and future potential

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Raven ◽  
Caryn Butler ◽  
Petra Bywood
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Geographic Distance ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Video Consultation ◽  
Restricted Mobility

Many Australians have limited access to health-care services due to a range of barriers, including geographic distance and restricted mobility, which telehealth can potentially address. This paper reviews the current and potential use of video consultation in primary health care in Australia, drawing on international literature. There is substantial evidence of high patient satisfaction, but many studies have methodological limitations. Overall, evidence of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness is weak. There is reasonable evidence for diagnosis, home care and specialist consultations by GPs with patients present. Two telehealth initiatives using video consultation are briefly presented. Both provide evidence that video consultation has a valuable role to play, but does not obviate the need for face-to-face consultations. Video consultation challenges traditional professional roles, particularly those of nurses, and can improve health workers’ skills and job satisfaction. More fundamentally, telehealth challenges the traditional distinction between primary and secondary care. This can be a source of resistance but may ultimately be one of its strengths. Appropriately targeted video consultation has much potential to improve the delivery of primary health care in Australia, particularly in rural and remote regions.

scholarly journals CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH SPECIAL HEALTHCARE NEEDS: (DIS) CONTINUITY OF CARE

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariane Caetano Sulino ◽  
Aline Cristiane Cavicchioli Okido ◽  
Eliane Tatsch Neves ◽  
Edmara Bazoni Soares Maia ◽  
Regina Aparecida Garcia de Lima
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Healthcare Needs ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Services

ABSTRACT Objective to investigate the follow-up and characteristics of children and youth with special healthcare needs within Primary Health Care services located in a city in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Method this qualitative study was supported by the Primary Health Care framework, and interviews were held with 37 health workers from the primary health care units located in the interior of São Paulo. Data were collected from May to December 2018 and treated with inductive thematic analysis. Results from the perspective of the health workers, the characteristics of these children and youth are centered on the dependence of specific care such as to promote psychomotor development, and dependence on technology and pharmacological treatments. They reported the difficulty to access health services while the primary health care services do not implement systematic follow-up. Conclusion these children and youth demand continuous and longitudinal care, which, however, is not provided by primary health care services, considering the discontinuity of care and a lack of networked follow-up. Therefore, health services need to be reorganized to keep up with changes in the child and youth morbidity and mortality to ensure continuous, integral, and networked follow-up to this population.

scholarly journals Sharp Object Injuries of Family Health Workers Working in Primary Health Care Services and Related Factors

2021 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 324-333
Author(s):  
Aynur Uysal Toraman ◽  
◽  
Safak Daghan ◽  
Ebru Konal Korkmaz ◽  
Esin Ates ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Family Health ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Sharp Object ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Services

scholarly journals The role of health services in encouraging disclosure of violence against women

2017 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 220-226
Author(s):  
Vesna Leskošek ◽  
Miha Lučovnik ◽  
Lucija Pavše ◽  
Tanja Premru Sršen ◽  
Megie Krajnc ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Health Care Service ◽  
Care Staff ◽  
Health Care Staff ◽  
Care Services

Abstract Introduction The aim of the survey was to assess the differences in disclosure by the type of violence to better plan the role of health services in identifying and disclosing violence. Methods A validated, anonymous screening questionnaire (NorAQ) for the identification of female victims of violence was offered to all postpartum women at a single maternity unit over a three-month period in 2014. Response rate was 80% (1018 respondents). Chi square test was used for statistical analysis (p<0.05 significant). Results There are differences in disclosure by type of violence. Nearly half (41.5%) of violence by health care services was not reported, compared to 33.7% physical, 23.4% psychological, and 32.5% sexual that was reported. The percentage of violence in intimate partnership reported to health care staff is low (9.3% to 20.8%), but almost half of the violence experienced by heath care services (44%) is reported. Intimate partnership violence is more often reported to the physician than to the psychologist or social worker. Violence in health care service is reported also to nurses. Conclusions Disclosure enables various institutions to start with the procedures aimed at protecting victims against violence. Health workers should continuously encourage women to speak about violence rather than asking about it only once. It is also important that such inquiries are made on different levels of health care system and by different health care professions, since there are differences to whom women are willing to disclose violence.

scholarly journals Economic Analysis of Delivering Primary Health Care Services through Community Health Workers in 3 North Indian States

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. e91781 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shankar Prinja ◽  
Gursimer Jeet ◽  
Ramesh Verma ◽  
Dinesh Kumar ◽  
Pankaj Bahuguna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Economic Analysis ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Indian States ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Services

Importance of community engagement in primary health care: the case of Afghan refugees

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 262 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-Hao Cheng ◽  
Sayed Wahidi ◽  
Shiva Vasi ◽  
Sophia Samuel
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Community Engagement ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Services ◽  
The Impact

Refugees can experience problems accessing and utilising Australian primary health care services, resulting in suboptimal health outcomes. Little is known about the impact of their pre-migration health care experiences. This paper demonstrates how the Afghan pre-migration experiences of primary health care can affect engagement with Australian primary care services. It considers the implications for Australian primary health care policy, planning and delivery. This paper is based on the international experiences, insights and expert opinions of the authors, and is underpinned by literature on Afghan health-seeking behaviour. Importantly, Afghanistan and Australia have different primary health care strategies. In Afghanistan, health care is predominantly provided through a community-based outreach approach, namely through community health workers residing in the local community. In contrast, the Australian health care system requires client attendance at formal health service facilities. This difference contributes to service access and utilisation problems. Community engagement is essential to bridge the gap between the Afghan community and Australian primary health care services. This can be achieved through the health sector working to strengthen partnerships between Afghan individuals, communities and health services. Enhanced community engagement has the potential to improve the delivery of primary health care to the Afghan community in Australia.

scholarly journals Development of Vietnamese Medical Staff in the Period of Accelerated Industrialization and Modernization of the Country and International Integration

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 39
Author(s):  
Do Thi Nhuong ◽  
Chu Tuan Anh
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Quality Of Health Care ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Continuous Growth ◽  
Remote Areas ◽  
Care Services ◽  
The Right

Medical staff holds a pivotal role in the Vietnamese health system, and is crucial to the efficiency and quality of health care services in Vietnam. It is their professional and dedicated work that is a permanent basis to guarantee protection of and care for people’s health in the provision of health care services to people in all regions, including remote areas, borders and islands. The continuous growth in the quantity and quality of health workers in Vietnam has affirmed the right leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam in building this health workforce over the years.

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