scholarly journals COVID-19, promotion and provision of palliative care: reaching out, accounting for linguistic diversity

2021 ◽  
pp. 175797592198999
Author(s):  
Bilkis Vissandjée ◽  
Isabel Fernandez ◽  
Patrick Durivage ◽  
Zelda Freitas ◽  
Paule Savignac ◽  
...  

The combined forces of economic globalization and international migration have resulted in specific challenges to palliative care systems. The COVID-19 pandemic has and is still greatly affecting elder populations as well as those across the age continuum living with long-standing chronic conditions or with pre-existing diverse unmet needs. While health promotion and palliative care may appear to be conceptually opposing fields, we argue that palliative care can and should fit under the umbrella of the health promotion continuum. This commentary seeks to discuss the importance of linguistic literacy and communication imperatives in the context of access to palliative care, given the broad, diversified and sensitive scope of care. While the pandemic has demonstrated that the public health responses of migrant host societies are deeply intertwined with policies as well as local rules and constraints, the promotion and provision of safe, timely and appropriate palliative care can be achieved through a sensitive assessment of differential contexts of diversity. The pandemic has painfully illustrated the need for a strong, respectful and equitable working partnership within the professions as well as with the civic society in order for the palliative needs of those exposed to a sustained risk not to be forgotten.

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles T. Kozel ◽  
Anne P. Hubbell ◽  
James Dearing ◽  
William M. Kane ◽  
Sharon Thompson ◽  
...  

Policy makers take action largely on issues that attain the pinnacle of the policy agenda (Pertschuck, 2001). As a result, how decision makers choose which issues are important has been the subject of much research. Agenda-setting conceptualizes the process of how issues move from relative unimportance to the forefront of policymakers’ thoughts (Dearing & Rogers, 1996). An area within agenda-setting research, Health Promotion Agenda-Setting, provides Health Promotion practitioners with an innovative framework and strategy to set agendas for sustained courses of action (Kozel, Kane, Rogers, & Hammes, 1995). In this interdisciplinary and bi-national exploratory study, funded by the Center for Border Health Research of the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, we examine agenda-setting processes in the Paso del Norte Region and evaluates how the public health agenda is determined within the U.S.-Mexico border population. Integrating both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods, the current research is focused on identifying deficiencies in the public health infrastructure in the U.S.-Mexico border area, and identifying channels that exist for working toward the bi-national goals presented in Healthy Border 2010 (U.S.-Mexico Border Health Commission, 2003). Research directions, design, and methodologies for exploring health promotion agenda-setting in applied settings, such as Healthy Border 2010, provide health practitioners and policy makers the potential to improve public health leadership by influencing the public health and policy agendas.


Author(s):  
Aliki Karapliagou ◽  
Allan Kellehear ◽  
Klaus Wegleitner

This chapter briefly outlines the history, key concepts, and main practice methods from public health approaches to end-of-life care. Although linked to psychosocial care approaches, its main methods draw not from psychology or health services inspired approaches but rather from health promotion, community development, and civic engagement. Key methods covered include community volunteering, social networking, community engagement, and compassionate communities and cities. The aim of these kinds of approaches is to embed palliative care practice as a social and civic practice in all sectors of society and to ensure that palliative care as a policy is represented in all civic policies (e.g. schools, workplaces, faith groups, and cultural activities) and not solely in health care.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 295-309
Author(s):  
Joyce Cheah Lynn-Sze ◽  
◽  
Azlina Kamaruddin ◽  

Health opinion leaders have widely embraced social media for health promotion and public health communication which can make a strong influence on the public decision making. However, despite the growing relevance of public health threats such as infectious diseases, pandemic influenza and natural disasters, research has paid little attention to the qualities of opinion leaders. Moreover, there is limited evidence that public health organisations use social media appropriately to engage in meaningful conversations with audiences. Thus, the aims of the study are to describe principles of communication practised by online opinion leaders to promote health issues, to discuss the strategies of social media used, to explain the opinion leaders’ influence attributes in health decision making and finally to develop a model of online opinion leader in the contemporary health promotion era. Content analysis was conducted on Facebook postings of five selected health opinion leaders. In addition, semi-structured interviews with 10 followers were conducted. The findings of the study revealed that there are three principles of communication practised by online opinion leaders, which are language, interaction and themes. There are three strategies opinion leaders use to influence the public: social connectivity, social support and social consultation. Furthermore, there are five opinion leaders’ attributes that influence the public’s decision making, namely personality, authenticity, trust/credibility, professional knowledge and social position. The model would be beneficial in educating and guiding the current public health opinion leaders in order to establish health and social well-being. Keywords: Online opinion leader, online health communication, public health, two-step flow theory, decision making.


Author(s):  
Thérèse McDonnell ◽  
Emma Nicholson ◽  
Ciara Conlon ◽  
Michael Barrett ◽  
Fergal Cummins ◽  
...  

This study outlines the impact of COVID-19 on paediatric emergency department (ED) utilisation and assesses the extent of healthcare avoidance during each stage of the public health response strategy. Records from five EDs and one urgent care centre in Ireland, representing approximately 48% of national annual public paediatric ED attendances, are analysed to determine changes in characteristics of attendance during the three month period following the first reported COVID-19 case in Ireland, with reference to specific national public health stages. ED attendance reduced by 27–62% across all categories of diagnosis in the Delay phase and remained significantly below prior year levels as the country began Phase One of Reopening, with an incident rate ratio (IRR) of 0.58. The decrease was predominantly attributable to reduced attendance for injury and viral/viral induced conditions resulting from changed living conditions imposed by the public health response. However, attendance for complex chronic conditions also reduced and had yet to return to pre-COVID levels as reopening began. Attendances referred by general practitioners (GPs) dropped by 13 percentage points in the Delay phase and remained at that level. While changes in living conditions explain much of the decrease in overall attendance and in GP referrals, reduced attendance for complex chronic conditions may indicate avoidance behaviour and continued surveillance is necessary.


2007 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 486-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Stjernswärd ◽  
Kathleen M. Foley ◽  
Frank D. Ferris

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 386-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia Fazal ◽  
Suzanne F. Jackson ◽  
Katy Wong ◽  
Jennifer Yessis ◽  
Nina Jetha

Introduction In health promotion and chronic disease prevention, both best and promising practices can provide critical insights into what works for enhancing the healthrelated outcomes of individuals and communities, and how/why these practices work in different situations and contexts. Methods The promising practices criteria were developed using the Public Health Agency of Canada’s (PHAC’s) existing best practices criteria as the foundation. They were modified and pilot tested (three rounds) using published interventions. Theoretical and methodological issues and challenges were resolved via consultation and in-depth discussions with a working group. Results The team established a set of promising practices criteria, which differentiated from the best practices criteria via six specific measures. Conclusion While a number of complex challenges emerged in the development of these criteria, they were thoroughly discussed, debated and resolved. The Canadian Best Practices Portal’s screening criteria allow one to screen for both best and promising practices in the fields of public health, health promotion, chronic disease prevention, and potentially beyond.


Author(s):  
Genevieve Thompson ◽  
Carla Ens ◽  
Harvey Chochinov

Chapter 14 expands on the role of palliative care within the framework of cancer control. In addition, the public health approach outlined by the WHO, including appropriate policy, adequate drug availability, education, and palliative care delivery at all levels of health care, will be discussed. Finally, the challenges in adapting these principles into high and low resource settings will be described.


2020 ◽  
pp. 155982762095727
Author(s):  
Susan M. Friedman ◽  
Carol Hee Barnett ◽  
Ted D. Barnett

Patients with chronic conditions are at higher risk of complications and mortality if they get COVID-19. Approximately half of American adults have at least 1 condition that increases their risk of complications if they become infected. The medical and public health communities need to send a clear message about the impact of lifestyle on health, particularly in the time of this pandemic. We need to communicate with patients and the public, to let them know how rapidly major lifestyle changes can improve health. This communication is urgent; the timeline for self-care and lifestyle medicine interventions has been telescoped, so that chronic diseases are now acute risk factors.


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