scholarly journals CAREGIVING SURVEILLANCE AT THE CDC: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S188-S188
Author(s):  
Valerie J Edwards ◽  
C Grace Whiting

Abstract As the U.S. population ages, caregiving has emerged as an important public health issue affecting an increasing proportion of American families. In 2015, an estimated 17.7 million people provided assistance to family members and friends. Although caregiving can have positive aspects, many studies have found that caregivers report more health difficulties than non-caregivers. The importance of population-based information is central to public health’s ability to respond effectively to this growing public health problem. The Alzheimer’s Disease and Healthy Aging Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has made surveillance of caregivers a priority area. To this end, the development and use of a caregiving module for the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) was undertaken. The BRFSS is one of the largest telephone-based health surveillance system in the world, and collects information from the public across a broad range of health topics. This platform therefore provides a unique opportunity to capture health status data from caregivers as well as the option of comparing caregivers to non-caregivers. The Caregiver Module consists of 9 questions that address the characteristics of care and the type of assistance provided. The objective of this symposium is to describe the development of the current caregiving module (Dr. Bouldin), present relevant findings from the previous three years of surveillance data (Drs. Edwards and Taylor), and to discuss future directions for caregiver surveillance and CDC-developed resources to facilitate date utilization (Dr. McGuire). The discussant will describe the impact and status of national-level surveillance data

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Njeru ◽  
David Kareko ◽  
Ngina Kisangau ◽  
Daniel Langat ◽  
Nzisa Liku ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Infectious diseases remain one of the greatest threats to public health globally. Effective public health surveillance systems are therefore needed to provide timely and accurate information for early detection and response. In 2016, Kenya transitioned its surveillance system from a standalone web-based surveillance system to the more sustainable and integrated District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2). As part of Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) initiatives in Kenya, training on use of the new system was conducted among surveillance officers. We evaluated the surveillance indicators during the transition period in order to assess the impact of this training on surveillance metrics and identify challenges affecting reporting rates. Methods: From February to May 2017, we analysed surveillance data for 13 intervention and 13 comparison counties. An intervention county was defined as one that had received refresher training on DHIS2 while a comparison county was one that had not received training. We evaluated the impact of the training by analysing completeness and timeliness of reporting 15 weeks before and 12 weeks after the training. A chi-square test of independence was used to compare the reporting rates between the two groups. A structured questionnaire was administered to the training participants to assess the challenges affecting surveillance reporting. Results: The completeness of reporting increased significantly after the training by 17 percentage points (from 45% to 62%) for the intervention group compared to 3 percentage points (49% to 52%) for the comparison group. Timeliness of reporting increased significantly by 21 percentage points (from 30% to 51%) for the intervention group compared to 7 percentage points (from 31% to 38%) for the comparison group. Major challenges identified for the low reporting rates included lack of budget support from government, lack of airtime for reporting, health workers strike, health facilities not sending surveillance data, use of wrong denominator to calculate reporting rates and surveillance officers being given other competing tasks. Conclusions: Training plays an important role in improving public health surveillance reporting. However, to improve surveillance reporting rates to the desired national targets, other challenges affecting reporting must be identified and addressed accordingly.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Njeru ◽  
David Kareko ◽  
Ngina Kisangau ◽  
Daniel Langat ◽  
Nzisa Liku ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Effective public health surveillance systems are crucial for early detection and response to outbreaks. In 2016, Kenya transitioned its surveillance system from a standalone web-based surveillance system to the more sustainable and integrated District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2). As part of Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) initiatives in Kenya, training on use of the new system was conducted among surveillance officers. We evaluated the surveillance indicators during the transition period in order to assess the impact of this training on surveillance metrics and identify challenges affecting reporting rates. Methods: From February to May 2017, we analysed surveillance data for 13 intervention and 13 comparison counties. An intervention county was defined as one that had received refresher training on DHIS2 while a comparison county was one that had not received training. We evaluated the impact of the training by analysing completeness and timeliness of reporting 15 weeks before and 12 weeks after the training. A chi-square test of independence was used to compare the reporting rates between the two groups. A structured questionnaire was administered to the training participants to assess the challenges affecting surveillance reporting. Results: The average completeness of reporting for the intervention counties increased from 45% to 62%, i.e. by 17 percentage points (95% CI 16.14 -17.86) compared to an increase from 49% to 52% for the comparison group, i.e. by 3 percentage points (95% CI 2.23 -3.77). The timeliness of reporting increased from 30% to 51%, i.e. by 21 percentage points (95% CI 20.16 - 21.84) for the intervention group, compared to an increase from 31% to 38% for the comparison group, i.e.by 7 percentage points (95% CI 6.27-7.73). Major challenges for the low reporting rates included lack of budget support from government, lack of airtime for reporting, health workers strike, health facilities not sending surveillance data, use of wrong denominator to calculate reporting rates and surveillance officers having other competing tasks. Conclusions: Training plays an important role in improving public health surveillance reporting. However, to improve surveillance reporting rates to the desired national targets, other challenges affecting reporting must be identified and addressed accordingly.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Njeru ◽  
David Kareko ◽  
Ngina Kisangau ◽  
Daniel Langat ◽  
Nzisa Liku ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Effective public health surveillance systems are crucial for early detection and response to outbreaks. In 2016, Kenya transitioned its surveillance system from a standalone web-based surveillance system to the more sustainable and integrated District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2). As part of Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) initiatives in Kenya, training on use of the new system was conducted among surveillance officers. We evaluated the surveillance indicators during the transition period in order to assess the impact of this training on surveillance metrics and identify challenges affecting reporting rates. Methods: From February to May 2017, we analysed surveillance data for 13 intervention and 13 comparison counties. An intervention county was defined as one that had received refresher training on DHIS2 while a comparison county was one that had not received training. We evaluated the impact of the training by analysing completeness and timeliness of reporting 15 weeks before and 12 weeks after the training. A chi-square test of independence was used to compare the reporting rates between the two groups. A structured questionnaire was administered to the training participants to assess the challenges affecting surveillance reporting. Results: The average completeness of reporting for the intervention counties increased from 45% to 62%, i.e. by 17 percentage points (95% CI 16.14 - 17.86) compared to an increase from 49% to 52% for the comparison group, i.e. by 3 percentage points (95% CI 2.23-3.77). The timeliness of reporting increased from 30% to 51%, i.e. by 21 percentage points (95% CI 20.16 - 21.84) for the intervention group, compared to an increase from 31% to 38% for the comparison group, i.e.by 7 percentage points (95% CI 6.27-7.73). Major challenges for the low reporting rates included lack of budget support from government, lack of airtime for reporting, health workers strike, health facilities not sending surveillance data, use of wrong denominator to calculate reporting rates and surveillance officers having other competing tasks. Conclusions: Training plays an important role in improving public health surveillance reporting. However, to improve surveillance reporting rates to the desired national targets, other challenges affecting reporting must be identified and addressed accordingly.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Hadj-Said ◽  
Jean-Hugues Catherine ◽  
Jean-Noel Vergnes ◽  
Cyrille Chossegros ◽  
Fabrice Campana ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Background: Tobacco and alcohol are the main risk factors for oral cancers, whose low survival rate is a public health problem. Health policies on a European scale (prevention campaign, modification of tobacco packaging) have therefore been launched to prevent and dissuade the population from the consequences of their consumption. Due to the increase in smoking among women and changes in sexual practices, the incidence of this disease is still too high. The evaluation of the research data of the population on the internet could make it possible to measure the impact and better guide these preventive measures. OBJECTIVE Objective: The objective of our study was to analyse the data on interest shown in oral cancers from several online databases, and to cross check that with the data on the introduction of public healthcare programmes in the EU. METHODS Methods: Search data collected from Google©, Wikipedia© and Twitter© users relating to oral cancers in the 28 countries of the EU between January 1st, 2004 and September 30th, 2018. Data on articles published in the press and the bibliometric analysis of scientific articles during the same period was analysed. The link between these results and the introduction of public health programmes in the EU over the same period was studied. RESULTS Results: Shock images and health warnings on cigarette packets have led to a significant increase in interest shown in oral cancers on the internet in 7 countries. The European Make Sense Campaign did not have any influence on internet searches, in contrast to campaigns on a national level. There was an asymmetry in the interest shown in oral cancers on the internet between those seeking to raise awareness (press, scientific community) and the general population (Wikipedia©, Twitter©) which was more likely to follow the news than look for precise medical information. CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: Our work highlights 7 areas of work around which oral cancer awareness in Europe should be refocused. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-17243


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Njeru ◽  
David Kareko ◽  
Ngina Kisangau ◽  
Daniel Langat ◽  
Nzisa Liku ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Infectious diseases remain one of the greatest threats to public health globally. Effective public health surveillance systems are therefore needed to provide timely and accurate information for early detection and response. In 2016, Kenya transitioned its surveillance system from a standalone web-based surveillance system to the more sustainable and integrated District Health Information System 2(DHIS2). As part of Global Health Security Agenda(GHSA) initiatives in Kenya, training on use of the new system was conducted among surveillance officers. We evaluated the surveillance indicators during the transition period in order to assess the impact of this training on surveillance metrics and identify challenges affecting reporting rates.Methods From February to May 2017, we analysed surveillance data for 13 intervention and 13 control counties. An intervention county was defined as one that had received a refresher training on DHIS2 while a control county was one that had not received training. We evaluated the impact of the training by analysing completeness and timeliness of reporting 15 weeks before and 12 weeks after the training. A chi-square test was used to compare the reporting rates between the two groups. A structured questionnaire was administered to the training participants to assess the challenges affecting surveillance reporting. A Likert scale was used to grade the challenges.Results The completeness of reporting increased after the training by 17 percentage points (from 45% to 62%) for the intervention group compared to 3 percentage points (49% to 52%) for the control group. Timeliness of reporting increased by 21 percentage points (from 30% to 51%) for the intervention group compared to 7 percentage points (from 31% to 38%) for the control group. Major challenges identified for the low reporting rates included lack of budget support from government, lack of airtime for reporting, health workers strike, health facilities not sending surveillance data, use of wrong denominator to calculate reporting rates and surveillance officers being given other competing tasks.Conclusions Training plays an important role in improving public health surveillance reporting. However, to improve surveillance reporting rates to the desired national targets, other challenges affecting reporting must be identified and addressed accordingly.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Njeru ◽  
David Kareko ◽  
Ngina Kisangau ◽  
Daniel Langat ◽  
Nzisa Liku ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Effective public health surveillance systems are crucial for early detection and response to outbreaks. In 2016, Kenya transitioned its surveillance system from a standalone web-based surveillance system to the more sustainable and integrated District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2). As part of Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) initiatives in Kenya, training on use of the new system was conducted among surveillance officers. We evaluated the surveillance indicators during the transition period in order to assess the impact of this training on surveillance metrics and identify challenges affecting reporting rates. Methods: From February to May 2017, we analysed surveillance data for 13 intervention and 13 comparison counties. An intervention county was defined as one that had received refresher training on DHIS2 while a comparison county was one that had not received training. We evaluated the impact of the training by analysing completeness and timeliness of reporting 15 weeks before and 12 weeks after the training. A chi-square test of independence was used to compare the reporting rates between the two groups. A structured questionnaire was administered to the training participants to assess the challenges affecting surveillance reporting. Results: The average completeness of reporting for the intervention counties increased from 45% to 62%, i.e. by 17 percentage points (95% CI 16.14 -17.86) compared to an increase from 49% to 52% for the comparison group, i.e. by 3 percentage points (95% CI 2.23 -3.77). The timeliness of reporting increased from 30% to 51%, i.e. by 21 percentage points (95% CI 20.16 - 21.84) for the intervention group, compared to an increase from 31% to 38% for the comparison group, i.e.by 7 percentage points (95% CI 6.27-7.73). Major challenges for the low reporting rates included lack of budget support from government, lack of airtime for reporting, health workers strike, health facilities not sending surveillance data, use of wrong denominator to calculate reporting rates and surveillance officers having other competing tasks. Conclusions: Training plays an important role in improving public health surveillance reporting. However, to improve surveillance reporting rates to the desired national targets, other challenges affecting reporting must be identified and addressed accordingly.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara Polen ◽  
Titilope Oduyebo ◽  
Jazmyn Moore ◽  
Sascha Ellinton ◽  
Regina Simeone ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo describe how Zika virus (Zika) surveillance data informs and improves testing guidance, clinical evaluation and management of pregnant women and infants with possible Zika infectionIntroductionLittle was known about the maternal and fetal/infant effects of Zika infection before the 2015 outbreak in the Americas, which made it challenging for public health practitioners and clinicians to care for pregnant women and infants exposed to Zika. In 2016, CDC implemented a rapid surveillance system, the US Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry, to collect information about the impact of Zika infection during pregnancy and inform the CDC response and clinical guidance. In partnership with state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments, CDC disseminated information from this surveillance system, which served as the foundation for educational materials and clinical tools for healthcare providers.MethodsThroughout the Zika response, CDC worked closely with health officers, epidemiologists, and clinical partners to seek expert input on the interpretation of emerging data and the evaluation and management of these vulnerable populations. In response to requests from clinical and public health partners, CDC created targeted educational materials and tools to facilitate the implementation of clinical guidance. These materials equipped healthcare providers with the information needed to care for pregnant women and infants with Zika infection. Examples of products developed included: 1) screening tools to identify pregnant women for whom testing is indicated; 2) an interactive web tool to assist with implementation and interpretation of Zika testing guidance (Pregnancy and Zika Testing Widget); 3) patient counseling scripts; and 4) videos to explain critical clinical concepts (e.g., measurement of infant head circumference). These tools were informally pre-tested with the target audiences prior to dissemination, specifically to assess usefulness in clinical settings. CDC disseminated these tools through the CDC website and through comprehensive outreach (e.g., webinars, calls, email alerts) to various audiences. Additionally, several professional organizations incorporated these tools into regular communication with their membership.ResultsThe US Zika Pregnancy and Infant Registry is currently monitoring infants from approximately 7,300 pregnancies in the US states and territories with laboratory evidence of Zika. Surveillance data provided valuable information, including clues toward the pattern of defects and other neurologic disabilities associated with congenital Zika infection, estimates of the risks associated with congenital infection, and timeframes of greatest risk during pregnancy, to help clinicians counsel pregnant patients with potential Zika exposure. CDC used these data to inform their clinical tools, particularly in pretest counseling materials and educational factsheets for healthcare providers to use with pregnant women with potential Zika exposure.After informal testing among healthcare providers, the tools received positive feedback regarding usefulness and applicability in clinical settings. Collectively, CDC’s Zika clinical tools were downloaded more than 300,000 times from CDC’s website. The Pregnancy and Zika Testing Widget was accessed and followed to an endpoint (e.g., Zika testing recommended) more than 17,000 times, with more than 75% of users self-identifying as clinicians.ConclusionsRapid implementation of Zika surveillance captured evolving data about the impact of Zika on pregnant women and their infants. These data informed the development of clinical tools for healthcare providers caring for and counseling patients with Zika exposure. These tools ensured pregnant women and infants were adequately monitored during the Zika outbreak. Health education materials and clinical tools based on surveillance data should be considered in future emergency responses, particularly when knowledge is rapidly evolving.ReferencesCDC Zika Pregnancy Website: https://www.cdc.gov/pregnancy/zika/materials/index.html 


Author(s):  
Seungwon Lee ◽  
Paul E Ronksley ◽  
Stephanie Garies ◽  
Hude Quan ◽  
Peter Faris ◽  
...  

IntroductionAntimicrobial resistance (AMR) is an emerging phenomenon where microorganisms develop resistance against treatment antimicrobials, resulting in ineffective clinical interventions. The recent development of AMR surveillance systems at global and national stages highlights the growing importance of this topic from a public health perspective. Objectives and ApproachThe objective was to link standardized population-based hospital AMR surveillance data with hospitalizationrecords to inform patient safety practices in Alberta, Canada. Incident inpatient cases of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA),identified by Alberta Health Services Provincial Infection Prevention and Control(IPC) Surveillance from five acute care facilities in the Calgary zone (April 2011 to March 2016),were deterministically linked to the Discharge Abstract Database using Provincial Healthcare Number and gender. The incident cohort was stratified into hospital-acquired (HA-MRSA) and community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) cases. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the patient outcomes and facility characteristics of these two groups. ResultsA total of 2550 unique patients, representing 93.5% of the surveillance cohort, were successfully linked to hospitalization records. A total of 1259 patients belonged to HA-MRSA categories and 1291 patients belonged to CA-MRSA categories. Patients with HA-MRSA had longer hospital stays, were older, were more likely to have prior hospitalizations, had higher Charlson Comorbidity Scores, and were more likely to die in hospital when compared to patients with CA-MRSA. HA-MRSA results emphasized the important roles of in-hospital patient safety practices whereas CA-MRSA results alluded to the impact of community public health and primary care services onthe risk of hospitalization, although detected CA-MRSA numbers were likely underestimated due to selection bias within our linked cohort. Conclusion/ImplicationsThis is first Canadian study describing HA-MRSA and CA-MRSA using linked population databases. It offers a glimpse into the intricate relationship between patient health and our healthcare system. This knowledge represents an important step forwarding building IPC strategies for managing AMR and improving outcomes in Alberta and in Canada.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi Hadj-Said ◽  
Jean-Hugues Catherine ◽  
Cyrille Chossegros ◽  
Fabrice Campana ◽  
Jean-Noel Vergnes ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Tobacco and alcohol are the main risk factors for oral cancers, whose low survival rate is a public health problem. Health policies on a European scale (prevention campaign, modification of tobacco packaging) have therefore been launched to prevent and dissuade the population from the consequences of their consumption. Due to the increase in smoking among women and changes in sexual practices, the incidence of this disease is still too high. The evaluation of the research data of the population on the internet could make it possible to measure the impact and better guide these preventive measures. OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to analyse the data on interest shown in oral cancers from several online databases, and to cross check that with the data on the introduction of public healthcare programmes in the EU. METHODS Search data collected from Google©, Wikipedia© and Twitter© users relating to oral cancers in the 28 countries of the EU between January 1st, 2004 and September 30th, 2018. Data on articles published in the press and the bibliometric analysis of scientific articles during the same period was analysed. The link between these results and the introduction of public health programmes in the EU over the same period was studied. RESULTS Shock images and health warnings on cigarette packets have led to a significant increase in interest shown in oral cancers on the internet in 7 countries. The European Make Sense Campaign did not have any influence on internet searches, in contrast to campaigns on a national level. There was an asymmetry in the interest shown in oral cancers on the internet between those seeking to raise awareness (press, scientific community) and the general population (Wikipedia©, Twitter©) which was more likely to follow the news than look for precise medical information. CONCLUSIONS Our work highlights 7 areas of work around which oral cancer awareness in Europe should be refocused.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 54-58
Author(s):  
AKM Farhad Hossain ◽  
Md Mahmudur Rahman Siddiqui ◽  
Sayada Fatema Khatun

Background: Thyroid cancer is the most common malignant disease in endocrine system. It is an emerging public health issue associated with burden on the family, community and the nation. The aim of this study is to determine the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patient with thyroid cancer attending in tertiary hospital. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted among 246 thyroid cancer patients in two tertiary hospitals of Dhaka city from 01 July 2018 to 30 June 2019. The subjects were selected purposively following specific selection criteria and maintaining ethical issues. Data were collected by face to face interview using a semi-structured questionnaire and checklist. Data were analyzed by the statistical package for the social science (SPSS) version 23. Results: This study revealed that majority (74.4%) of respondents was female, married (72%), housewife (61.4%), rural respondent (41.1%) and had primary education (69%). Mean (± SD) age of the respondent was 37.85(±12.20) years (Range 14-70 years) and mean (± SD) monthly family income was Tk. 17681(±10602). Out of 246 cases, 204 (82.9%) was papillary and 42 (17.1%) was follicular carcinoma. Various clinical presentations included visible neck swelling in 225 (91.5%), swollen lymph node in 103 (41.9%), pain 90 (36.6%), Difficulties in swallowing 87 (35.4%), Hoarseness of voice in 141 (57.3%), cough along with swelling 47(19.1%), Difficulties in breathing due to swelling in 13(5.3%) of the patients. Conclusion: Incidence of thyroid cancer has increased worldwide specially in female patients in 3rd and 4th decades of life. As thyroid cancer is a growing public health problem in Bangladesh, proper screening and early diagnostic facilities at all level should be available to measure its actual burden in the country. Anwer Khan Modern Medical College Journal Vol. 11, No. 1: Jan 2020, P 54-58


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