scholarly journals The case for tracking misinformation the way we track disease

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 205395172110138
Author(s):  
Erika Bonnevie ◽  
Jennifer Sittig ◽  
Joe Smyser
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
The Public ◽  
Monitoring Tools ◽  
Core Function ◽  
Public Health Organizations ◽  
Front Line Workers ◽  
Media Data

While public health organizations can detect disease spread, few can monitor and respond to real-time misinformation. Misinformation risks the public’s health, the credibility of institutions, and the safety of experts and front-line workers. Big Data, and specifically publicly available media data, can play a significant role in understanding and responding to misinformation. The Public Good Projects uses supervised machine learning to aggregate and code millions of conversations relating to vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic broadly, in real-time. Public health researchers supervise this process daily, and provide insights to practitioners across a range of disciplines. Through this work, we have gleaned three lessons to address misinformation. (1) Sources of vaccine misinformation are known; there is a need to operationalize learnings and engage the pro-vaccination majority in debunking vaccine-related misinformation. (2) Existing systems can identify and track threats against health experts and institutions, which have been subject to unprecedented harassment. This supports their safety and helps prevent the further erosion of trust in public institutions. (3) Responses to misinformation should draw from cross-sector crisis management best practices and address coordination gaps. Real-time monitoring and addressing misinformation should be a core function of public health, and public health should be a core use case for data scientists developing monitoring tools. The tools to accomplish these tasks are available; it remains up to us to prioritize them.

Sri Lanka: Pandemic-Catalyzed Democratic Backsliding

2021 ◽  
pp. 349-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bhavani Fonseka ◽  
Luwie Ganeshathasan ◽  
Asanga Welikala
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Comparative Politics ◽  
Crisis Response ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
The Public ◽  
Comparative Constitutional Law ◽  
Front Line Workers ◽  
Public Health Challenge ◽  
Government Statistics

This chapter investigates Sri Lanka’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Covid-19 has posed for Sri Lanka not only a public health challenge and an economic challenge but also, perhaps most seriously, a crisis of constitutional democracy. Although questions have been raised about the accuracy of government statistics, the scale of testing and contact tracing, and failures in providing protective equipment to front-line workers including military personnel, there is broad public approval of the government’s crisis response. However, much more alarming are the clear signs in the government’s response that the public health emergency has provided the impetus for an aggressive executive takeover of the state, steepening the curve of de-democratization. The chapter then describes the aspects of the governmental crisis response that are the cause of worry, and offers an analysis based on a framework drawn from comparative politics and comparative constitutional law as to the agentic, institutional, and causal dimensions of the democratic backslide underway in Sri Lanka. While the pandemic has undoubtedly boosted the process of executive aggrandizement that had already commenced, this catalysis may in fact also shorten the authoritarian cycle, because the accelerated de-democratization is likely to result in executive actions that cross the threshold of public tolerance sooner in what as yet remains a procedural democracy.

scholarly journals Zika Virus Update: More on an Emerging Arboviral Disease in the Western Hemisphere

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly G. Vest
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Zika Virus ◽  
Primary Care Providers ◽  
Western Hemisphere ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Neurologic Diseases ◽  
The Public ◽  
The World ◽  
Arboviral Disease

AbstractZika virus has captivated the world with its quick spread throughout the Western Hemisphere. Increased emphasis has been placed on the infection of pregnant women and subsequent adverse and severe effects in the developing fetus and newborn. This article supplements a previous article and provides updated information on new and evolving evidence that strengthens the association between Zika virus and unique congenital and neurologic diseases, updates what is known about the epidemiology of the disease, and provides new and updated material for primary care providers as they counsel patients who may be exposed or infected. With the extent of disease spread, it is expected that Zika virus will become endemic to the Western Hemisphere and will change the public health parameters and approach in this area of the world. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:163–167)

Communicating the Public Health Risks of Climate Change

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melinda R. Weathers ◽  
Edward Maibach ◽  
Matthew Nisbet
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Climate Change ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Health Community ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Public Health Organizations ◽  
Health And Well Being

Effective public communication and engagement have played important roles in ameliorating and managing a wide range of public health problems including tobacco and substance use, cardiovascular disease, HIV/AIDS, vaccine preventable diseases, sudden infant death syndrome, and automobile injuries and fatalities. The public health community must harness what has been learned about effective public communication to alert and engage the public and policy makers about the health threats of climate change. This need is driven by three main factors. First, people’s health is already being harmed by climate change, and the magnitude of this harm is almost certain to get much worse if effective actions are not soon taken to limit climate change and to help communities successfully adapt to unavoidable changes in their climate. Therefore, public health organizations and professionals have a responsibility to inform communities about these risks and how they can be averted. Second, historically, climate change public engagement efforts have focused primarily on the environmental dimensions of the threat. These efforts have mobilized an important but still relatively narrow range of the public and policy makers. In contrast, the public health community holds the potential to engage a broader range of people, thereby enhancing climate change understanding and decision-making capacity among members of the public, the business community, and government officials. Third, many of the actions that slow or prevent climate change, and that protect human health from the harms associated with climate change, also benefit health and well-being in ways unrelated to climate change. These “cobenefits” to societal action on climate change include reduced air and water pollution, increased physical activity and decreased obesity, reduced motor-vehicle–related injuries and death, increased social capital in and connections across communities, and reduced levels of depression. Therefore, from a public health perspective, actions taken to address climate change are a “win-win” in that in addition to responsibly addressing climate change, they can help improve public health and well-being in other ways as well. Over the past half decade, U.S.-based researchers have been investigating the factors that shape public views about the health risks associated with climate change, the communication strategies that motivate support for actions to reduce these risks, and the practical implications for public health organizations and professionals who seek to effectively engage individuals and their communities. This research serves as a model for similar work that can be conducted across country settings and international publics. Until only recently, the voices of public health experts have been largely absent from the public dialogue on climate change, a dialogue that is often erroneously framed as an “economy versus the environment” debate. Introducing the public health voice into the public dialogue can help communities see the issue in a new light, motivating and promoting more thoughtful decision making.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Twitter Use by State Medicaid Programs in the United States: Machine Learning Approach

10.2196/18401 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. e18401
Author(s):  
Jane M Zhu ◽  
Abeed Sarker ◽  
Sarah Gollust ◽  
Raina Merchant ◽  
David Grande
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Mean

Background Twitter is a potentially valuable tool for public health officials and state Medicaid programs in the United States, which provide public health insurance to 72 million Americans. Objective We aim to characterize how Medicaid agencies and managed care organization (MCO) health plans are using Twitter to communicate with the public. Methods Using Twitter’s public application programming interface, we collected 158,714 public posts (“tweets”) from active Twitter profiles of state Medicaid agencies and MCOs, spanning March 2014 through June 2019. Manual content analyses identified 5 broad categories of content, and these coded tweets were used to train supervised machine learning algorithms to classify all collected posts. Results We identified 15 state Medicaid agencies and 81 Medicaid MCOs on Twitter. The mean number of followers was 1784, the mean number of those followed was 542, and the mean number of posts was 2476. Approximately 39% of tweets came from just 10 accounts. Of all posts, 39.8% (63,168/158,714) were classified as general public health education and outreach; 23.5% (n=37,298) were about specific Medicaid policies, programs, services, or events; 18.4% (n=29,203) were organizational promotion of staff and activities; and 11.6% (n=18,411) contained general news and news links. Only 4.5% (n=7142) of posts were responses to specific questions, concerns, or complaints from the public. Conclusions Twitter has the potential to enhance community building, beneficiary engagement, and public health outreach, but appears to be underutilized by the Medicaid program.

scholarly journals AMBIGUITY IN THE IDENTITY TRANSFORMATION OF PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS

2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (3) ◽  
pp. 330-341
Author(s):  
Eduardo Acuña ◽  
Matias Sanfuentes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health System ◽  
Public Health System ◽  
Identity Transformation ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Authorities ◽  
Public Health Organizations

ABSTRACT This study explores the transformations implemented by health authorities in a hospital over the last forty years with the purpose of institutionalizing geriatrics in the Chilean public health system. The transformations have been implemented through a process of identity conversion that had implied high levels of ambiguity due to the contradictory coexistence of the old hospital's identity with the new geriatric practices. These ambiguities are associated with the erratic, precarious support provided by state authorities to the development of the public geriatric framework. Through the handling of images, authorities have paradoxically amplified the achievements of these transformations, thus promoting apparent complacency in internal and external audiences.

Whole-genome sequencing for TB source investigations: principles of ethical precision public health

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 222-227
Author(s):  
A. Van Rie ◽  
D. G. de Viedma ◽  
C. Meehan ◽  
I. Comas ◽  
T. H. Heupink ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Whole Genome Sequencing ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Genome Sequencing ◽  
Sensitive Information ◽  
Whole Genome ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Personal Privacy ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Right

BACKGROUND: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis allows rapid, accurate inferences about the sources, location and timing of transmission. However, in an era of heightened concern for personal privacy and science distrust, such inferences could result in unintended harm and undermine the public´s trust.METHODS: We held interdisciplinary stakeholder discussions and performed ethical analyses of real-world illustrative cases to identify principles that optimise benefit and mitigate harm of M. tuberculosis WGS‐driven TB source investigations.RESULTS: The speed and precision with which real‐time WGS can be used to associate M. tuberculosis strains with sensitive information has raised important concerns. While detailed understanding of transmission events could mitigate harm to vulnerable patients and communities when otherwise unfairly blamed for TB outbreaks, the precision of WGS can also identify transmission events resulting in social blame, fear, discrimination, individual or location stigma, and the use of defaming language by the public, politicians and scientists. Public health programmes should balance the need to safeguard privacy with public health goals, transparency and individual rights, including the right to know who infects whom or where.CONCLUSIONS: Ethical challenges raised by real‐time WGS‐driven TB source investigation requires public health authorities to move beyond their current legal mandate and embrace transparency, privacy and community engagement.

scholarly journals The use of electronic cigarettes in Thailand: a cross-sectional national survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Baiya ◽  
T Chankeaw ◽  
D Chinwong ◽  
S Chinwong
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Private Company ◽  
Health Organizations ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Organizations

Abstract Background An electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) is an electronic nicotine delivering system that may be widely used by smokers in Thailand for some reasons, although e-cigarette is an embargo good in Thailand and their benefits are not clear. Moreover, the behaviors of Thai e-cigarettes users remain insufficient and ambiguous. This study aimed to survey behaviors of using e-cigarettes and rationales among Thai e-cigarette users. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study from December 2019 to February 2020 throughout Thailand. The participants were Thais with at least 18 years old and currently using e-cigarette, and they were invited to voluntary participate in the study using an online questionnaire posting on social media. Results Of 1,050 participants, most of participants were men (89.1%); the average age was 31.2±8.4 years old. They were from all regions of Thailand, but most of them (64.5%), were from the central part of Thailand. Of currently Thai e-cigarette users, 43.2%, 23.1%, and 14.9% were private employees, business owners/ freelancers, and students, respectively. Most of the users were graduated with a bachelor's degree (53.8%), and Senior high school or Vocational certificate (25.0%). E-cigarette users reported the top 3 rationales for using e-cigarette were the belief of less harmful of e-cigarette than a conventional cigarette (81.0%), using as a smoking quitting aid (80.6%), and lacking attaching normal cigarette odor (58.2%). Conclusions This study shows that most of the e-cigarette users were males with an average age of 31 years old. Smokers used e-cigarette because of the belief of less harmful of e-cigarette than a conventional cigarette and being a quitting aid. The public health organizations and health care providers should provide accurate information and raise awareness of users about the harm of e-cigarettes and inconclusive evidence of using e-cigarettes as a quitting aid. Key messages The public health organizations should provide accurate information and raise awareness of users about the harm of e-cigarettes and inconclusive evidence of using e-cigarettes as a quitting aid. Most of Thai e-cigarette users were men, at the average age of 31 years old, from the central part of Thailand, work as private company employees and bachelor’s degree graduated.

scholarly journals Characteristics of Twitter Use by State Medicaid Programs in the United States: Machine Learning Approach (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane M Zhu ◽  
Abeed Sarker ◽  
Sarah Gollust ◽  
Raina Merchant ◽  
David Grande
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Machine Learning ◽  
Public Health Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Machine Learning Algorithms ◽  
Supervised Machine Learning ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Mean

BACKGROUND Twitter is a potentially valuable tool for public health officials and state Medicaid programs in the United States, which provide public health insurance to 72 million Americans. OBJECTIVE We aim to characterize how Medicaid agencies and managed care organization (MCO) health plans are using Twitter to communicate with the public. METHODS Using Twitter’s public application programming interface, we collected 158,714 public posts (“tweets”) from active Twitter profiles of state Medicaid agencies and MCOs, spanning March 2014 through June 2019. Manual content analyses identified 5 broad categories of content, and these coded tweets were used to train supervised machine learning algorithms to classify all collected posts. RESULTS We identified 15 state Medicaid agencies and 81 Medicaid MCOs on Twitter. The mean number of followers was 1784, the mean number of those followed was 542, and the mean number of posts was 2476. Approximately 39% of tweets came from just 10 accounts. Of all posts, 39.8% (63,168/158,714) were classified as general public health education and outreach; 23.5% (n=37,298) were about specific Medicaid policies, programs, services, or events; 18.4% (n=29,203) were organizational promotion of staff and activities; and 11.6% (n=18,411) contained general news and news links. Only 4.5% (n=7142) of posts were responses to specific questions, concerns, or complaints from the public. CONCLUSIONS Twitter has the potential to enhance community building, beneficiary engagement, and public health outreach, but appears to be underutilized by the Medicaid program.

scholarly journals A warning about measurement and methodological issues associated with coronavirus tracking and evaluation across jurisdictions

2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (78) ◽  
pp. 297-299
Author(s):  
Robert Ladouceur ◽  
Howard Shaffer ◽  
Paige Shaffer ◽  
Lucie Baillargeon
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Disease Spread ◽  
Prevention Strategies ◽  
Methodological Issues ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Health Indicators ◽  
The Impact

As people around the world experience a devastating pandemic, it is critical that policy-makers consider the methodological and measurement issues that might be associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health indicators. This commentary uses four primary variables to illustrate measurement and methodological issues that can complicate comparisons between jurisdictions. Jurisdiction refers to a variety of geographic areas, such as a country, a state, or a province/territory. These variables play a critical role in determining how we understand the trajectory of disease spread. These variables also contribute to our understanding of prevention strategies and their associated efficacy, reflecting the impact of COVID-19 on hospitals. It is critical for public health stakeholders and the public to recognize that these four simple variables can vary substantially across jurisdictions.

scholarly journals Communicating scientific uncertainty in a rapidly evolving situation: a framing analysis of Canadian coverage in early days of COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriela Capurro ◽  
Cynthia G. Jardine ◽  
Jordan Tustin ◽  
Michelle Driedger
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
News Media ◽  
Scientific Uncertainty ◽  
Framing Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Agenda ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Pandemic Response

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic brought the production of scientific knowledge onto the public agenda in real-time. News media and commentators analysed the successes and failures of the pandemic response in real-time, bringing the process of scientific inquiry, which is also fraught with uncertainty, onto the public agenda. We examine how Canadian newspapers framed scientific uncertainty in their initial coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic and how journalists made sense of the scientific process. Methods We conducted a framing analysis of 1143 news stories and opinion during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a qualitative analysis software, our analysis focused, first, on how scientific uncertainty was framed in hard news and opinion discourse (editorial, op-ed). Second, we compared how specialist health and science reporters discussed scientific evidence versus non-specialist reporters in hard news and columns. Results Uncertainty emerged as a “master frame” across the sample, and four additional framing strategies were used by reporters and commentators when covering the pandemic: (1), evidence -focusing on presence or absence of it-; (2) transparency and leadership -focusing on the pandemic response-; (3) duelling experts – highlighting disagreement among experts or criticizing public health decisions for not adhering to expert recommendations-; and (4) mixed messaging -criticizing public health communication efforts. While specialist journalists understood that scientific knowledge evolves and the process is fraught with uncertainty, non-specialist reporters and commentators expressed frustration over changing public health guidelines, leading to the politicization of the pandemic response and condemnation of elected officials’ decisions. Conclusions Managing scientific uncertainty in evolving science-policy situations requires timely and clear communication. Public health officials and political leaders need to provide clear and consistent messages and access to data regarding infection prevention guidelines. Public health officials should quickly engage in communication course corrections if original messages are missing the intended mark, and clearly explain the shift. Finally, public health communicators should be aware of and more responsive to a variety of media reporters, who will bring different interpretative frames to their reporting. More care and effort are needed in these communication engagements to minimize inconsistencies, uncertainty, and politicization.

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