‘Gun shop projects’ for suicide prevention in the USA: current state and future directions

2020 ◽  
pp. injuryprev-2020-043648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan Polzer ◽  
Sara Brandspigel ◽  
Timothy Kelly ◽  
Marian Betz
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
Programme Implementation ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesTo describe community-driven suicide prevention partnerships between firearm retailers and public health officials (‘gun shop projects’), including common elements and challenges.MethodsWe conducted qualitative interviews with leaders from state-level and national-level partnerships to determine common features, challenges and strategies used by these groups. Data were coded via theme analysis; two independent coders followed a shared codebook developed in an iterative fashion and with high inter-rater reliability.ResultsAcross 10 interviews, data revealed four main themes: (1) community building was a cornerstone of these efforts; (2) appropriate messaging and language were vital to successes; (3) groups employed various educational and outreach campaigns and (4) groups identified common challenges and obstacles.ConclusionsGun shop project partnerships between firearm retailers and public health officials show promise, with thematic data demonstrating common trends and steps towards successful programme implementation. Evaluative data are needed to determine the impact of these efforts on suicide prevention in local communities.

scholarly journals Evidentiary needs of US public health departments with a mission to advance equity and health: a qualitative analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. e022033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kimberly Danae Cauley Narain ◽  
Frederick J Zimmerman ◽  
Jessica Richards ◽  
Jonathan Fielding ◽  
Brian Cole ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Grant Writing ◽  
Health Departments ◽  
Scientific Content ◽  
Public Health Departments ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Public Health Officials

ObjectivesWe sought the perspectives of lead public health officials working to improve health equity in the USA regarding the drivers of scientific evidence use, the supply of scientific evidence and the gap between their evidentiary needs and the available scientific evidence.DesignWe conducted 25 semistructured qualitative interviews (April 2017 to June 2017) with lead public health officials and their designees. All interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed.SettingPublic health departments from all geographical regions in the USA.ParticipantsParticipants included lead public health officials (20) and their designees (5) from public health departments that were either accredited or part of the Big Cities Health Coalition.ResultsMany respondents were using scientific evidence in the context of grant writing. Professional organisations and government agencies, rather than specific researchers or research journals, were the primary sources of scientific evidence. Respondents wanted to see more locally tailored cost-effectiveness research and often desired to participate in the planning phase of research projects. In addition to the scientific content recommendations, respondents felt the usefulness of scientific evidence could be improved by simplifying it and framing it for diverse audiences including elected officials and community stakeholders.ConclusionsRespondents are eager to use scientific evidence but also need to have it designed and packaged in ways that meet their needs.

scholarly journals Multilevel Integrated Model with a Novel Systems Approach (MIMANSA) for Simulating the Spread of COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpita Welling ◽  
Abhilasha Patel ◽  
Padmaj Kulkarni ◽  
Vinay G. Vaidya
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Infection Rate ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Virus Spread ◽  
Asymptomatic Patients ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
The Impact

AbstractDue to the spread of the coronavirus, public health officials grapple with multiple issues such as recommending a lockdown, contact tracing, promoting the use of masks, social distancing, frequent handwashing, as well as quarantining. It is even more challenging to find the optimal combination of these factors without the use of a suitable mathematical model.In this paper, we discuss a novel systems approach to building a model for simulating the spread of COVID-19. The model, MIMANSA, divides an individual’s in-person social interactions into three areas, namely home, workplace, and public places. The model tracks the in-person interactions and follows the virus spread. When a new silent carrier is created, the model automatically expands and builds a new layer in the network.MIMANSA has four control mechanisms, namely the exposure, infection rate, lockdown, and quarantining. MIMANSA differentiates between virus-infected patients, silent carriers, and healthy carriers. It can consider variations in virus activity levels of asymptomatic patients, varying the exposure to the virus, and varying the infection rate depending on the person’s immunity. MIMANSA can simulate scenarios to study the impact of many different conditions simultaneously. It could assist public health officials in complex decision making, enable scientists in projecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus spread and aid hospital administrators in the management of beds and equipment.MIMANSA is trained and validated using the data from the USA and India. Our results show that MIMANSA forecasts the number of COVID-19 cases in the USA, and India within a 3% margin of error.

scholarly journals Shooting from the ‘Scrip: Scope of Practice Laws and Access to Immunizations in the Pharmacy Setting

Vaccines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 444
Author(s):  
Charles Stoecker
Keyword(s):  
Positive Impact ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
The United States ◽  
Scope Of Practice ◽  
Patient Specific ◽  
Behavioral Risk ◽  
Influenza Immunization ◽  
Immunization Rates ◽  
The Impact

In the past two decades, most states in the United States have added authorization for pharmacists to administer some vaccinations. Expansions of this authority have also come with prescription requirements or other regulatory burdens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of these expansions on influenza immunization rates in adults age 65 and over. A panel data, differences-in-differences regression framework to control for state-level unobserved confounders and shocks at the national level was used on a combination of a dataset of state-level statute and regulatory changes and influenza immunization data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Giving pharmacists permission to vaccinate had a positive impact on adult influenza immunization rates of 1.4 percentage points for adults age 65 and over. This effect was diminished by the presence of laws requiring pharmacists to obtain patient-specific prescriptions. There was no evidence that allowing pharmacists to administer vaccinations led patients to have fewer annual check-ups with physicians or not have a usual source of health care. Expanding pharmacists’ scope of practice laws to include administering the influenza vaccine had a positive impact on influenza shot uptake. This may have implications for relaxing restrictions on other forms of care that could be provided by pharmacists.

The impact of labor freedom on geographic cost of living differentials

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 385-395
Author(s):  
Richard Cebula ◽  
James E. Payne ◽  
Donnie Horner ◽  
Robert Boylan
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
State Level ◽  
The State ◽  
Annual Data ◽  
Significant Finding ◽  
Cost Of Living ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of labor market freedom on state-level cost of living differentials in the USA using cross-sectional data for 2016 after allowing for the impacts of economic and quality of life factors. Design/methodology/approach The study uses two-stage least squares estimation controlling for factors contributing to cost of living differences across states. Findings The results reveal that an increase in labor market freedom reduces the overall cost of living. Research limitations/implications The study can be extended using panel data and alternative measures of labor market freedom. Practical implications In general, the finding that less intrusive government and greater labor freedom are associated with a reduced cost of living should not be surprising. This is because less government intrusion and greater labor freedom both inherently allow markets to be more efficient in the rationalization of and interplay with forces of supply and demand. Social implications The findings of this and future related studies could prove very useful to policy makers and entrepreneurs, as well as small business owners and public corporations of all sizes – particularly those considering either location in, relocation to, or expansion into other markets within the USA. Furthermore, the potential benefits of the National Right-to-Work Law currently under consideration in Congress could add cost of living reductions to the debate. Originality/value The authors extend the literature on cost of living differentials by investigating whether higher amounts of state-level labor market freedom act to reduce the states’ cost of living using the most recent annual data available (2016). That labor freedom has a systemic efficiency impact on the state-level cost of living is a significant finding. In our opinion, it is likely that labor market freedom is increasing the efficiency of labor market transactions in the production and distribution of goods and services, and acts to reduce the cost of living in states. In addition, unlike previous related studies, the authors investigate the impact of not only overall labor market freedom on the state-level cost of living, but also how the three sub-indices of labor market freedom, as identified and measured by Stansel et al. (2014, 2015), impact the cost of living state by state.

The EU as an “enforcement patchwork”: the impact of national enforcement for compliance with EU water law in Spain and Britain

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mónica García Quesada
Keyword(s):  
Waste Water Treatment ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
Detailed Examination ◽  
Deterrent Effect ◽  
Eu Law ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

AbstractFailures of compliance with European Union (EU) directives have revealed the EU as a political system capable of enacting laws in a wide range of different policy areas, but facing difficulties to ensure their actual implementation. Although the EU relies on national enforcement agencies to ensure compliance with the EU legislation, there is scarce analysis of the differential deterrent effect of national enforcement in EU law compliance. This article examines the enforcement of an EU water directive, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, in Spain and the UK. It focuses on the existing national sanctions for disciplining actors in charge of complying with EU requirements, and on the actual use of punitive sanctions. The analysis shows that a more comprehensive and active disciplinary regime at the national level contributes to explain a higher degree of compliance with EU law. The article calls for a detailed examination of the national administrative and criminal sanction system for a more comprehensive understanding of the incentives and disincentives to comply with EU law at the national state level.

The EVALI outbreak and tobacco sales in the USA, 2014–2020

2021 ◽  
pp. tobaccocontrol-2021-056807
Author(s):  
Alex C Liber ◽  
Zachary Cahn ◽  
Megan C Diaz ◽  
Emily Donovan ◽  
Donna Vallone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Cigarettes ◽  
State Level ◽  
Product Distribution ◽  
Us States ◽  
Regulatory Policies ◽  
Tobacco Sales ◽  
Panel Regressions ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Total Sales

BackgroundThe E-cigarette, or Vaping Product-Use Associated Lung Injury (EVALI) Outbreak of 2019 hospitalised thousands and killed dozens of people in the USA and raised perceptions of the dangers posed to health by electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). These illnesses along with continued increases in youth vaping rates lead to the passage of many state and federal laws intended to curtail the sale of flavoured e-cigarettes. Little is known about the impact of these events on US e-cigarette and cigarette retail sales.MethodsUsing Nielsen Scantrack sales data from January 2014 to January 2020 for 23 US states, we evaluate the effect of the EVALI outbreak. First-differenced state-panel regressions tracking unit sales of total-level and category-level e-cigarettes and cigarette sales controlling for price, Tobacco 21 policy coverage, product distribution, seasonality, EVALI-attributable deaths, and state-level e-cigarette policies affecting the availability of e-cigarettes (non-tobacco flavoured and total) were employed.ResultsDollar sales of e-cigarettes declined 29% from their pre-EVALI peak by January 2020. Total sales of e-cigarettes declined in response to EVALI deaths and the total e-cigarette sales ban put in place in Massachusetts adopted in its wake. Cigarette sales were largely unchanged by either the direct or indirect policy effects of the EVALI outbreak, except for in Massachusetts, where cigarette sales—particularly those smoked by young people—rose temporarily after a total ban on e-cigarette sales.ConclusionSales of e-cigarettes declined in response to the EVALI outbreak and from the most restrictive regulatory policies that were adopted in response, while sales of cigarettes were affected less.

scholarly journals The Impact of a Massachusetts State-Sponsored Educational Program on Antimicrobial Stewardship in Acute Care Hospitals

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 437-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Weston ◽  
Lauren Epstein ◽  
Lisa E. Davidson ◽  
Alfred DeMaria ◽  
Shira Doron
Keyword(s):  
Acute Care ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Business Models ◽  
National Level ◽  
State Level ◽  
Acute Care Hospitals ◽  
The State ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
The Impact

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are critically important for combating the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. Despite this, there are no regulatory requirements at a national level, which makes initiatives at the state level critical. The objectives of this study were to identify existing antimicrobial stewardship practices, characterize barriers to antimicrobial stewardship implementation in acute care hospitals throughout Massachusetts, and evaluate the impact on these hospitals of a state-sponsored educational conference on antimicrobial stewardship.In September 2011, a state-sponsored educational program entitled “Building Stewardship: A Team Approach Enhancing Antibiotic Stewardship in Acute Care Hospitals” was offered to interested practitioners from throughout the state. The program consisted of 2 audio conferences, reading materials, and a 1-day conference consisting of lectures focusing on the importance of ASPs, strategies for implementation, improvement strategies for existing programs, and panel discussions highlighting successful practices. Smaller breakout sessions focused on operational issues, including understanding of pharmacodynamics, business models, and electronic surveillance.

Altered Standards of Care During an Influenza Pandemic: Identifying Ethical, Legal, and Practical Principles to Guide Decision Making

2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (S2) ◽  
pp. S132-S140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donna Levin ◽  
Rebecca Orfaly Cadigan ◽  
Paul D. Biddinger ◽  
Suzanne Condon ◽  
Howard K. Koh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
State Level ◽  
Mass Casualty ◽  
Standards Of Care ◽  
Public Health Preparedness ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Mass Casualty Events ◽  
Public Health Officials

ABSTRACTAlthough widespread support favors prospective planning for altered standards of care during mass casualty events, the literature includes few, if any, accounts of groups that have formally addressed the overarching policy considerations at the state level. We describe the planning process undertaken by public health officials in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, along with community and academic partners, to explore the issues surrounding altered standards of care in the event of pandemic influenza. Throughout 2006, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Harvard School of Public Health Center for Public Health Preparedness jointly convened a working group comprising ethicists, lawyers, clinicians, and local and state public health officials to consider issues such as allocation of antiviral medications, prioritization of critical care, and state seizure of private assets. Community stakeholders were also engaged in the process through facilitated discussion of case scenarios focused on these and other issues. The objective of this initiative was to establish a framework and some fundamental principles that would subsequently guide the process of establishing specific altered standards of care protocols. The group collectively identified 4 goals and 7 principles to guide the equitable allocation of limited resources and establishment of altered standards of care protocols. Reviewing and analyzing this process to date may serve as a resource for other states. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2009;3(Suppl 2):S132–S140)

scholarly journals The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Antibiotic Prescribing Trends in Outpatient Care: A Nationwide, Quasi-Experimental Approach

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 1040
Author(s):  
Tânia Magalhães Silva ◽  
Marta Estrela ◽  
Eva Rebelo Gomes ◽  
Maria Piñeiro-Lamas ◽  
Adolfo Figueiras ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Outpatient Care ◽  
Experimental Approach ◽  
National Level ◽  
Series Data ◽  
Antibiotic Prescribing ◽  
Prescribing Trends ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has spread globally and is currently having a damaging impact on nearly all countries in the world. The implementation of stringent measures to stop COVID-19 dissemination had an influence on healthcare services and associated procedures, possibly causing antibiotic consumption fluctuations. This paper aims to evaluate the immediate and long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic prescribing trends in outpatient care of the Portuguese public health sector, including in primary healthcare centers and hospitals, as well as on specific antibiotic groups known to be closely associated with increased resistance. Segmented regression analysis with interrupted time series data was used to analyze whether the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact in antibiotic prescribing tendencies at a national level. The outcomes from this quasi-experimental approach demonstrate that, at the beginning of the pandemic, a significant, immediate decrease in the overall antibiotic prescribing trends was noticed in the context of outpatient care in Portugal, followed by a statistically non-significant fall over the long term. The data also showed a significant reduction in the prescription of particular antibiotic classes (antibiotics from the Watch group, 3rd-generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, and clarithromycin) upon COVID-19 emergence. These findings revealed an important disruption in antibiotics prescribing caused by the current public health emergency.

scholarly journals Evaluation of whole genome sequencing for the identification and typing of Vibrio cholerae

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Greig ◽  
Ulf Schafer ◽  
Sophie Octavia ◽  
Ebony Hunter ◽  
Marie A. Chattaway ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing ◽  
Vibrio Cholerae ◽  
Species Identification ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
National Level ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
El Tor ◽  
The Impact

AbstractEpidemiological and microbiological data on Vibrio cholerae isolated between 2004 and 2017 (n=836) and held in the Public Health England culture archive were reviewed. The traditional biochemical species identification and serological typing results were compared with the genome derived species identification and serotype for a sub-set of isolates (n=152). Of the 836 isolates, 750 (89.7%) were from faecal specimens, 206 (24.6%) belonged to serogroup O1 and seven (0.8%) were serogroup O139, and 792 (94.7%) isolates from patients reporting recent travel abroad, most commonly to India (n=209) and Pakistan (n=104). Of the 152 isolates of V. cholerae speciated by kmer identification, 149 (98.1%) were concordant with the traditional biochemical approach. Traditional serotyping results were 100% concordant with the whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis for identification of serogroups O1 and O139 and Classical and El Tor biotypes. ctxA was detected in all isolates of V. cholerae O1 El Tor and O139 belonging to sequence type (ST) 69, and in V. cholerae O1 Classical variants belonging to ST73. A phylogeny of isolates belonging to ST69 from UK travellers clustered geographically, with isolates from India and Pakistan located on separate branches. Moving forward, WGS data from UK travellers will contribute to global surveillance programs, and the monitoring of emerging threats to public health and the global dissemination of pathogenic lineages. At the national level, these WGS data will inform the timely reinforcement of direct public health messaging to travellers and mitigate the impact of imported infections and the associated risks to public health.

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