scholarly journals Tuberculosis at Public Health Unit of Santa Maria da Feira and Arouca (Portugal)

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
D Fernandes ◽  
L Reina
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Incidence Rate ◽  
National Level ◽  
Smear Microscopy ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Notification Rate ◽  
Public Health Unit ◽  
The Public ◽  
Positive Smear ◽  
Santa Maria

Abstract Introduction In the last decade Portugal has seen a decrease of about 40% in the notification and incidence rate of tuberculosis, with incidence values below 20/100,000 inhabitants since 2015. In 2018, a notification rate estimated at a national level was 16,6/100,000 inhabitants and an incidence rate of 16.4/100,000 inhabitants. With this investigation we intend to I) determine the notification and incidence rate of tuberculosis at the Public Health Unit (PHU) of Santa Maria da Feira and Arouca (Portugal); II) analyze the clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Methods The confirmed cases of tuberculosis between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2019 were analyzed. Results 105 cases of tuberculosis were identified, most of them male (67%), aged between the 1 year and 94 years age (median: 52 years). About ⅓ of the patients were retired. Among the co-morbidities that constitute a risk for tuberculosis, we highlight COPD (7.6%), alcohol abuse (5.7%) and HIV (3.8%). The pulmonary location prevailed (81.9%). We emphasize that 52 cases had positive smear microscopy and 42 cases cavitation. From 2017 to 2019 we have a median of 61 days from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis. From 2015 to 2019, 4 cases with poly-resistance to isoniazid and streptomycin were identified. In 2019, the incidence rate tuberculosis was 12.5/100,000 inhabitants and the notification rate of 16.3/100,000 inhabitants. Conclusions The incidence and notification rate like the median between the onset of symptoms and the diagnosis, by the public health unit (PHU), are below the national average. Regarding these results, we recommend that the strategy adopted by the PHU should be maintained. Key messages In the last decade Portugal has seen a decrease of about 40% in the notification and incidence rate of tuberculosis, with incidence values below 20/100,000 inhabitants since 2015. In 2019, the incidence rate tuberculosis at PHU was 12.5/100,000 inhabitants and the notification rate of 16.3/100,000 inhabitants.

scholarly journals Your call is important to us: COVID-19 and trends in Public Health Unit call service utilization

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Zachary B Horn ◽  
Alexandra M Uren ◽  
Megan K Young
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Service Utilization ◽  
De Novo ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Case Definitions ◽  
Public Health Unit ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
The Public ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Phone Service

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Analyze COVID-19 related call data at Metro North Public Health Unit, Brisbane Australia, over the 2020 calendar year to assist surge preparedness. METHODS Call data was retrieved by call category or reference to ‘COVID’ in summaries from the call management system at a large metropolitan public health service. Under a mixed-methods approach, qualitative data (caller, call purpose, and call outcome) was categorized with categories arising de novo. Resulting variables were numerically analyzed to identify trends by categories and time. RESULTS Of the 3,468 calls retrieved, 160 duplicates and 26 irrelevant calls were excluded. Of 3,282 included calls, General Practitioners, followed by the public, contributed the greatest call volumes. Healthcare-related callers and the public made 84.2% of calls. Calls most frequently related to patient testing (40.7%) and isolation/quarantine (23.2%). Education provision accounted for 29.4% of all outcomes. 11.8% of all call outcomes involved applying relevant case definitions. 49.1% of calls were identified as potentially preventable through effective ERC and targeted call-handling. CONCLUSIONS This study identified key drivers of public health unit phone service utilization related to the COVID-19 pandemic throughout 2020. The results highlighted where risk perception influenced call volume and provided important insights for future public health preparedness.

scholarly journals Public health nursing: regulation and public health policies

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Maria dos Santos Lopes Monteiro da Cunha ◽  
Maria Adriana Pereira Henriques ◽  
Andreia Cátia Jorge Silva Costa
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Nursing ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
Public Health Unit ◽  
The Public ◽  
Community And Public Health ◽  
Health Nursing

ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze regulation and public policies related to nursing and the specialist nurse in community and public health nursing. Methods: Analysis of the legal and normative framework of community and public health nursing in Portugal, as well as current public health policies, regarding the competences and intervention of this nurse, articulated with the attributions of the Public Health Unit. Results: The intervention of this nurse deserves a broad reflection, in the sense of maximizing the activities of community and public health, essential for the implementation of public policies and obtaining health gains. Final considerations: This nurse has competences foreseen in the regulations and standards for public health interventions, in line with the attributions of the Public Health Unit, of the National Health Service, in which specialties are identified for their performance in the current structure.

Capacity building in the public health field in the Tunisian medical faculties

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Coman ◽  
O Oltean ◽  
M Palianopoulou ◽  
D Plancikova ◽  
C Zedini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
National Level ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Local Health ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Training ◽  
Medical Faculties ◽  
Health Field

Abstract Over the past years, Tunisia has experienced important reforms in the field of public health. The Tunisian medical faculties (Universities of Sfax, Tunis el Manar, Sousse and Monastir) play a key role in this endeavor by training public health professionals who can contribute to the modernization of the health system. Funded by the EC through Erasmus+ programme, the CONFIDE project (coordinated by Babes-Bolyai University, having as EU partners the Universities of Southern Denmark and Trnava, and the above mentioned Tunisian universities) has established the Research into Policy training programme by strengthening their capacity to provide public health training. The Research into Policy training programme has been delivered by the Centres for Evidence into Health Policy (C4EHPs) established within the Tunisian partner universities for the needs of CONFIDE. The training programme was implemented in four steps: (1) train the trainer sessions - the European experts trained 18 Tunisian trainers; (2) shadowing sessions - the trainers participated in shadowing sessions in the European partner institutions; (3) training delivery - the CONFIDE trainers, assisted by the European experts, delivered the training to an interdisciplinary group of 25 students and professionals; (4) internships - the students participated in internships in local health institutions. Three modules have been built within the Research into Policy training programme: Public health research, Health promotion policies and Evidence based public health policy. They contributed to increasing the public health knowledge and skills of the professionals trained. The training programme was well received by the Tunisian universities and the material developed so far during the project was adapted to the Tunisian context in the third step of implementation. On the long term, the project is expected to have an impact at the national level and produce updates at curricula level in the Tunisian medical faculties. Key messages Research into Policy training programme developed by the EC partners and culturally adapted by the Tunisian partners to the Tunisian public health context. Research into Policy training is a well-received tool for the high quality learning process in the public health field in Tunisian medical faculties.

scholarly journals Study of digoxin use in a public health unit

2015 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 1033-1040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felipe C. Souza ◽  
Emiliana B. Marques ◽  
Rogério B.M. Scaramello ◽  
B.V. Christianne
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Heart Failure ◽  
Therapeutic Range ◽  
Systolic Dysfunction ◽  
Functional Class ◽  
Ventricular Rate ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Class Iii ◽  
Plasma Digoxin ◽  
Public Health Unit

Digoxin is used for heart failure associated to systolic dysfunction and high ventricular rate. It has a narrow therapeutic range and intoxication may occur due to drug interactions or comorbidities. The aim of this work was to study digoxin use in a public health unit delineating the profile of patients susceptible to digitalis intoxication. Medical records belonging to patients admitted to the cardiomyopathy ward of the health unit (2009-2010) and in use of digoxin were analyzed. Among 647 patients admitted, 185 individuals using digoxin and possessed records available. The registration of plasma digoxin concentration was found in 80 records and it was out of the therapeutic range in 42 patients (52.5%). This group of individuals was constituted mainly by males patients (79%), functional class III of heart failure (65%), exhibiting renal failure (33%). The evaluated sample reflects the epidemiology of heart failure in Brazil and, although pharmacotherapy had been according to Brazilian Guidelines, apparently the monitoring was not performed as recommended. This work highlighs the necessity of plasma digoxin constant monitoring during pharmacotherapy and the development of protocols that enable a safer use, especially in male patients, functional class III and with renal dysfunction.

Towards European Modern Societies with Health Systems That Are Able to Add More Years to Life, But Also to Add More Life to Years

2016 ◽  
pp. 228-255
Author(s):  
Androutsou Lorena ◽  
Androutsou Foulvia
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Healthcare Access ◽  
National Level ◽  
World Population ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Public Health Policies ◽  
The Public ◽  
European Public

The political context in Europe is changing including health. Among the priorities in seeking to influence the future of healthcare is a renewed attachment to health for all, health in all policies and a better coordination between social and health policy. Health issues are by definition international, and Europe has a duty to extend solidarity to the wider world population, in strategy and in delivery. Ensuring equitable access to high-quality healthcare constitutes a key challenge for health systems throughout Europe. The chapter will emphasise the importance of European public health policies. The chapter will offer a real opportunity to address public health areas and values such as right to access to healthcare into the detailed mechanisms of European policy. The chapter will form a tool for health leaders, to enrich their knowledge in the public health spectrum from a European perspective, to support, promote and improve healthcare access at a national level.

Xenotransplantation: the potential and the challenges

1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
ET Bloom ◽  
AD Moulton ◽  
J McCoy ◽  
LE Chapman ◽  
AP Patterson
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
National Level ◽  
Clinical Use ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Human Organs ◽  
Seriously Ill Patients ◽  
Seriously Ill

Clinical use of xenotransplants is a potential way to provide care for a population of seriously ill patients and alleviate the demand for human organs. However, xenotransplantation also presents a spectrum of concerns, not only for individual patients but also for the public health, that must be discussed and dealt with in a science-based and public manner. Such discussions should take place on a national level and should include scientists, physicians, and policy makers from all countries in which the clinical use of xenografts is being considered.

scholarly journals Assessing Community Empowerment for an Innovative Epidemiologic Approach

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro Melo ◽  
João Neves-Amado ◽  
Alexandra Pereira ◽  
Cândida Maciel ◽  
Tiago Vieira Pinto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Community Empowerment ◽  
Epidemiological Surveillance ◽  
Health State ◽  
Health Unit ◽  
Public Health Unit ◽  
Nursing Leaders ◽  
Nursing Diagnosis ◽  
Nursing Diagnoses

Community empowerment can be a process, but also the result of nursing care. To analyze it as a result there is an instrument that allows to quantify its level in nine domains. According to Melo (2020), health centers can be considered communities, becoming the potential target of community and public health nurses care, especially in the public health unit. One of the main functions of a public health unit is the epidemiological surveillance of the population’s health state. However, traditional epidemiological surveillance is focused on diseases and Melo (2020) proposes a new approach for epidemiology focused on people in what concerns nursing diagnosis. The aim of this research is to identify the level of empowerment of four Portuguese primary healthcare structures, named as ACeS, so as to improve the epidemiological surveillance of nursing diagnoses. As methodology, we developed four focus group with all nursing leaders from all primary care units of the four ACeS, using the Portuguese version of the empowerment assessment rating scale. The results present the level of community empowerment of each ACeS according to the nine domains of the scale. The needs of intervention to improve the ACeS empowerment were also identified in order to develop the epidemiological surveillance of nursing diagnoses.

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