Impact of Tabletop Exercises on Participants’ Knowledge of and Confidence in Legal Authorities for Infectious Disease Emergencies

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Savoia ◽  
Paul D. Biddinger ◽  
Priscilla Fox ◽  
Donna E. Levin ◽  
Lisa Stone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
The State ◽  
System Level ◽  
Legal Issue ◽  
Fisher Exact Test ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
Policies And Procedures ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTObjective: Legal preparedness is a critical component of comprehensive public health preparedness for public health emergencies. The scope of this study was to assess the usefulness of combining didactic sessions with a tabletop exercise as educational tools in legal preparedness, to assess the impact of the exercise on the participants’ level of confidence about the legal preparedness of a public health system, and to identify legal issue areas in need of further improvement.Methods: The exercise scenario and the pre- and postexercise evaluation were designed to assess knowledge gained and level of confidence in declaration of emergencies, isolation and quarantine, restrictions (including curfew) on the movement of people, closure of public places, and mass prophylaxis, and to identify legal preparedness areas most in need of further improvement at the system level. Fisher exact test and paired t test were performed to compare pre- and postexercise results.Results: Our analysis shows that a combination of didactic teaching and experiential learning through a tabletop exercise regarding legal preparedness for infectious disease emergencies can be effective in both imparting perceived knowledge to participants and gathering information about sufficiency of authorities and existence of gaps.Conclusions: The exercise provided a valuable forum to judge the adequacy of legal authorities, policies, and procedures for dealing with pandemic influenza at the state and local levels in Massachusetts. In general, participants were more confident about the availability and sufficiency of legal authorities than they were about policies and procedures for implementing them. Participants were also more likely to report the need for improvement in authorities, policies, and procedures in the private sector and at the local level than at the state level. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3:104–110)

scholarly journals Addressing Children’s Needs in Disasters: A Regional Pediatric Tabletop Exercise

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 582-586 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarita Chung ◽  
Aaron H. Gardner ◽  
David J. Schonfeld ◽  
Jessica L. Franks ◽  
Marvin So ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergencies ◽  
Emergency Scenario ◽  
Level Of Confidence ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Collaboration Strategies

AbstractObjectivePreparing and responding to the needs of children during public health emergencies continues to be challenging. The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of a tabletop exercise in initiating pediatric preparedness strategies and assessing the impact of the exercise on participants’ understanding of and confidence in their roles during pediatric public health emergencies.MethodsA tabletop exercise was developed to simulate a public health emergency scenario involving smallpox in a child, with subsequent spread to multiple states. During the exercise, participants discussed and developed communication, collaboration, and medical countermeasure strategies to enhance pediatric public health preparedness. Exercise evaluation was designed to assess participants’ knowledge gained and level of confidence surrounding pediatric public health emergencies.ResultsIn total, 22 participants identified over 100 communication and collaboration strategies to promote pediatric public health preparedness during the exercise and found that the most beneficial aspect during the exercise was the partnership between pediatricians and public health officials. Participants’ knowledge and level of confidence surrounding a pediatric public health emergency increased after the exercise.ConclusionThe tabletop exercise was effective in identifying strategies to improve pediatric public health preparedness as well as enhancing participants’ knowledge and confidence surrounding a potential pediatric public health emergency. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:582–586)

scholarly journals Long-term Prescription? Digital Surveillance is Here to Stay

2021 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 105-118
Author(s):  
Žilvinas Švedkauskas ◽  
Ahmed Maati
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The State ◽  
Digital Data ◽  
Stanford University ◽  
Digital Surveillance ◽  
Complex Relationships ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Everyday Communication

An emerging literature has shown concerns about the impact of the pandemic on the proliferation of digital surveillance. Contributing to these debates, in this paper we demonstrate how the pandemic facilitates digital surveillance in three ways: (1) By shifting everyday communication to digital means it contributes to the generation of extensive amounts of data susceptible to surveillance. (2) It motivates the development of new digital surveillance tools. (3) The pandemic serves as a perfect justification for governments to prolong digital surveillance. We provide empirical anecdotes for these three effects by examining reports by the Global Digital Policy Incubator at Stanford University. Building on our argument, we conclude that we might be on the verge of a dangerous normalization of digital surveillance. Thus, we call on scholars to consider the full effects of public health crises on politics and suggest scrutinizing sources of digital data and the complex relationships between the state, corporate actors, and the sub-contractors behind digital surveillance.

scholarly journals Vertical Transmission

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 2
Author(s):  
Dena Lyras
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Vertical Transmission ◽  
Racial Groups ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Local Part ◽  
Rapid Dissemination ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
The Impact

As we begin 2020, Microbiology is dominating the news with the emergence and rapid dissemination of the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The impact of COVID-19 on public health, with significant financial, logistical and social repercussions, has quickly become apparent. As microbiologists we have an important role to play during this time because we can use our knowledge, expertise and experience to educate the community around us, and to reduce the panic that results from fear and misinformation. It is also critical that we ensure that racial groups are not stigmatised because of an infectious disease. A co-ordinated global effort is required to tackle this new infectious threat, and we are an important local part of this effort. It is also important to develop strategies that can be deployed when the next threat emerges, as it surely will.

The Impact of a National Earthquake Campaign on Public Preparedness: 2011 Campaign in Israel as a Case Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 138-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilead Shenhar ◽  
Irina Radomislensky ◽  
Michael Rozenfeld ◽  
Kobi Peleg
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Strong Earthquake ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Israeli Population ◽  
Israeli Government ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjectiveThe most effective way to reduce the number of expected victims and amount of damage from earthquakes is by effective preparedness. The Israeli government launched a national campaign to change its citizens’ behavior. This study assessed the effectiveness of the campaign on the Israeli population.MethodsThe survey was conducted 2 weeks after the campaign ended. It was based on a randomly selected representative sample of the adult Israeli population.ResultsOf the 42% of the Israeli public exposed to the campaign, 37% estimated that a strong earthquake might occur in Israel during the coming years. Only 23% of those who were exposed to the campaign (9% of the Israeli public) said that the campaign improved their awareness; 76% reported that after their exposure to the campaign they did nothing to prepare. However, exposure to the campaign significantly increased the knowledge of dealing with earthquakes (30% vs 21% among those not exposed).ConclusionsAlthough the campaign increased knowledge and awareness, it did not achieve the goal of improving public preparedness. The campaign was not effective by itself, and it should be part of a multiyear activity. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2015;9:138-144)

The Potential Impact of Border Security Upon Prevalence of Infectious Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 554-562
Author(s):  
Christiana R. Dallas ◽  
Curtis H. Harris ◽  
Cham E. Dallas
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Migrant Health ◽  
Border Security ◽  
Current Health ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
Health Care Monitoring ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

AbstractIn the U.S., migration has been documented to affect the prevalence of infectious disease. As a mitigation entity, border security has been recorded by numerous scholarly works as being essential to the support of the health of the U.S. population. Consequently, the lack of current health care monitoring of the permeable U.S. border places the U.S. population at risk in the broad sectors of infectious disease and interpersonal violence. Visualizing border security in the context of public health mitigation has significant potential to protect migrant health as well as that of all populations on both sides of the border. Examples of how commonly this philosophy is held can be found in the expansive use of security-focused terms regarding public health. Using tools such as GIS to screen for disease in people before their entrance into a nation would be more efficient and ethical than treating patients once they have entered a population and increased the impact on the healthcare system. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:554–562)

scholarly journals Translation of Obesity Practice Guidelines: Interprofessional Perspectives Regarding the Impact of Public Health Nurse System-Level Intervention

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-42 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen A. Monsen ◽  
Ingrid S. Attleson ◽  
Kristin J. Erickson ◽  
Claire Neely ◽  
Gary Oftedahl ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Practice Guidelines ◽  
Public Health Nurse ◽  
System Level ◽  
Health Nurse ◽  
The Impact

Communicating Public Health Advice After a Chemical Spill: Results From National Surveys in the United Kingdom and Poland

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia M. Pearce ◽  
G. James Rubin ◽  
Richard Amlôt ◽  
Simon Wessely ◽  
M. Brooke Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United Kingdom ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Crisis Communications ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Cost ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to enhance public health preparedness for incidents that involve the large-scale release of a hazardous substance by examining factors likely to influence public responses to official guidance on how to limit their exposure.MethodsAn online demographically representative survey was conducted in the United Kingdom (n = 601) and Poland (n = 602) to test the strength of association of trust in authorities, anxiety, threat, and coping appraisals with the intention to comply with advice to shelter in place following a hypothetical chemical spill. The impact of ease of compliance and style of message presentation were also examined.ResultsParticipants were more likely to comply if at home when the incident happened, but message presentation had little impact. Coping appraisals and trust were key predictors of compliance, but threat appraisals were associated with noncompliance. Anxiety was seen to promote behavioral change. UK participants were more likely to comply than Polish participants.ConclusionsSuccessful crisis communications during an emergency should aim to influence perceptions regarding the efficacy of recommended behaviors, the difficulties people may have in following advice, and perceptions about the cost of following recommended behaviors. Generic principles of crisis communication may need adaptation for national contexts. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:65-74)

scholarly journals Effects of annual rainfall on dengue incidence in the Indian state of Rajasthan

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nasir Salam
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
The State ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cumulative Rainfall ◽  
Dengue Outbreaks ◽  
Indian State ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDengue has become a major public health problem in the last few decades with India contributing significantly to the overall disease burden. Most of the cases of Dengue from India are reported during Monsoon season. The vector population of dengue is affected by seasonal rainfall, temperature and humidity fluctuations. Rajasthan is northwestern state of India, which has shown several dengue outbreaks in the past. In this paper we have tried to analyze the effects of annual cumulative rainfall on Dengue incidence in one of the largest and severely affected states of India. Retrospective data for Dengue incidence and Rainfall for the state of Rajasthan was collected and Pearson’s coefficient correlation was calculated as a measure of association between the variables. Our results indicate that annual cumulative rainfall shows a strong positive correlation with dengue incidence in the state of Rajasthan. Such analyses have the potential to inform public health official about the control and preparedness for vector control during monsoon season. This is the first study from the Indian state of Rajasthan to assess the impact of annual rainfall on dengue incidence, which has seen several dengue outbreaks in the past.

scholarly journals The Impact of Legislative Changes on the Number of Calls to the Romanian Covid 19 Telverde Helpline

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-8
Author(s):  
Mihai Buzatu ◽  
Georgeta Dinculescu ◽  
Florentina Ligia Furtunescu ◽  
Dana Galieta Mincă
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The State ◽  
Green Line ◽  
Ministry Of Health ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Telephone Calls ◽  
Legislative Changes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract On 24th of February 2020, the Ministry of Health in Romania announced the operationalization of the Green Line, known as Telverde, within the National Institute of Public Health, in order to provide citizens with information related to the prevention of Sars-Cov-2 infection. The number of registered calls increased considerably at the time of the declaration of the pandemic, the beginning and the cessation of the state of emergency and during the issuance of military ordinances. Different key periods were studied and compared so that we could determine if the major administrative and legislative events have influenced the number of registered calls. Our findings sustained the supposition that the major events that took place during this period have indeed influenced the number of telephone calls made to TelVerde helpline.

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