scholarly journals The Design and Methodology of the Ohio COVID-19 Survey

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-10
Author(s):  
Marcus E. Berzofsky ◽  
Naomi Freedner ◽  
Caroline Scruggs ◽  
Robert Ashmead ◽  
Timothy Sahr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
High Participation ◽  
Care Systems

Background: Governments worldwide are balancing contrasting needs to curtail the toll that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) takes on lives and health care systems and to preserve their economies. To support decisions, data that simultaneously measure the health status of the population and the economic impact of COVID-19 mitigation strategies are needed. In the United States, prior to the onset of COVID-19, surveys or tracking systems usually focused on public health or economic indicators, but not both. However, tracking public health and economic measures together allow policy makers and epidemiologists to understand how policy and program decisions are associated. The Ohio COVID-19 Survey (OCS) attempts to track both measures in Ohio as one of the first statewide population surveys on COVID-19. To achieve this there are several methodological challenges which need to be overcome. Methods: The OCS utilizes a representative panel offering both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. It targets 700 to 1000 respondents per week for a total of 12 600 to 18 000 respondents over an 18-week period. Leveraging a sample of 24 000 adult Ohioans developed from a statewide population health survey conducted in fall 2019, the OCS produces weekly economic and health measures that can be compared to baseline measures obtained before the COVID-19 pandemic began. Results: The OCS was able to quickly launch and achieve high participation (45.2%) and retention across waves. Conclusion: The OCS demonstrates how it is possible to leverage an existing health-based survey in Ohio to generate a panel which can be used to quickly track fast-breaking health issues like COVID-19.

scholarly journals Engagement with COVID-19 Public Health Measures in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Social Media Analysis from June to November 2020 (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Massey ◽  
Chenxi Huang ◽  
Yuan Lu ◽  
Alina Cohen ◽  
Yahel Oren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Us

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued to spread in the US and globally. Closely monitoring public engagement and perception of COVID-19 and preventive measures using social media data could provide important information for understanding the progress of current interventions and planning future programs. OBJECTIVE To measure the public’s behaviors and perceptions regarding COVID-19 and its daily life effects during the recent 5 months of the pandemic. METHODS Natural language processing (NLP) algorithms were used to identify COVID-19 related and unrelated topics in over 300 million online data sources from June 15 to November 15, 2020. Posts in the sample were geotagged, and sensitivity and specificity were both calculated to validate the classification of posts. The prevalence of discussion regarding these topics was measured over this time period and compared to daily case rates in the US. RESULTS The final sample size included 9,065,733 posts, 70% of which were sourced from the US. In October and November, discussion including mentions of COVID-19 and related health behaviors did not increase as it had from June to September, despite an increase in COVID-19 daily cases in the US beginning in October. Additionally, counter to reports from March and April, discussion was more focused on daily life topics (69%), compared with COVID-19 in general (37%) and COVID-19 public health measures (20%). CONCLUSIONS There was a decline in COVID-19-related social media discussion sourced mainly from the US, even as COVID-19 cases in the US have increased to the highest rate since the beginning of the pandemic. Targeted public health messaging may be needed to ensure engagement in public health prevention measures until a vaccine is widely available to the public.

scholarly journals Ethical management of limited medical resources in COVID-19 times

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-28
Author(s):  
Arianna Omaña-Covarrubias ◽  
Ana Teresa Nez-Castro ◽  
Adrián Moya-Escalera ◽  
Carlos Cuevas-Suárez ◽  
María del Refugio Acuña-Gorrola
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
The United States ◽  
Ethical Challenges ◽  
Sexual Preferences ◽  
Material Resources ◽  
Great Responsibility ◽  
Care Systems

The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected thousands of people around de world, regardless their race, religion, sexual preferences nor socioeconomic class, leaving all of us with the same vulnerability to suffer this disease. This emergency situation has shown to have the ability to collapse de health care systems in countries like: Italy, Spain, and the United States, because the medical personnel and the available material resources were exceeded. This conflict generates big ethical challenges for the practice of public health since difficult decisions have to be made about how, when and to whom the resources should be allocated.  Due to the great responsibility that resource allocation implies, important points in the existing literature are exposed on how to give the best solution to this situation.

Partisan Differences in Twitter Language Among US Legislators During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Cross-sectional Study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharath Chandra Guntuku ◽  
Jonathan Purtle ◽  
Zachary F Meisel ◽  
Raina M Merchant ◽  
Anish Agarwal
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Party Affiliation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Town Halls

BACKGROUND As policy makers continue to shape the national and local responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, the information they choose to share and how they frame their content provide key insights into the public and health care systems. OBJECTIVE We examined the language used by the members of the US House and Senate during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic and measured content and sentiment based on the tweets that they shared. METHODS We used Quorum (Quorum Analytics Inc) to access more than 300,000 tweets posted by US legislators from January 1 to October 10, 2020. We used differential language analyses to compare the content and sentiment of tweets posted by legislators based on their party affiliation. RESULTS We found that health care–related themes in Democratic legislators’ tweets focused on racial disparities in care (odds ratio [OR] 2.24, 95% CI 2.22-2.27; <i>P</i>&lt;.001), health care and insurance (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.7-1.77; <i>P</i>&lt;.001), COVID-19 testing (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.12-1.19; <i>P</i>&lt;.001), and public health guidelines (OR 1.25, 95% CI 1.22-1.29; <i>P</i>&lt;.001). The dominant themes in the Republican legislators’ discourse included vaccine development (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.47-1.55; <i>P</i>&lt;.001) and hospital resources and equipment (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.18-1.25). Nonhealth care–related topics associated with a Democratic affiliation included protections for essential workers (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.52-1.59), the 2020 election and voting (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.27-1.35), unemployment and housing (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.24-1.31), crime and racism (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.18-1.26), public town halls (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.16-1.23), the Trump Administration (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.19-1.26), immigration (OR 1.16, 95% CI 1.12-1.19), and the loss of life (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.35-1.42). The themes associated with the Republican affiliation included China (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.85-1.92), small business assistance (OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.23-1.3), congressional relief bills (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.2-1.27), press briefings (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.19-1.26), and economic recovery (OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.16-1.23). CONCLUSIONS Divergent language use on social media corresponds to the partisan divide in the first several months of the course of the COVID-19 public health crisis.

scholarly journals Smoking, Mental Illness, and Public Health

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith J. Prochaska ◽  
Smita Das ◽  
Kelly C. Young-Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Tobacco Use ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
User Characteristics ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Smoking Policies ◽  
High Smoking Prevalence ◽  
Care Systems

Tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide. In particular, people with mental illness are disproportionately affected with high smoking prevalence; they account for more than 200,000 of the 520,000 tobacco-attributable deaths in the United States annually and die on average 25 years prematurely. Our review aims to provide an update on smoking in the mentally ill. We review the determinants of tobacco use among smokers with mental illness, presented with regard to the public health HAVE framework of “the host” (e.g., tobacco user characteristics), the “agent” (e.g., nicotine product characteristics), the “vector” (e.g., tobacco industry), and the “environment” (e.g., smoking policies). Furthermore, we identify the significant health harms incurred and opportunities for prevention and intervention within a health care systems and larger health policy perspective. A comprehensive effort is warranted to achieve equity toward the 2025 Healthy People goal of reducing US adult tobacco use to 12%, with attention to all subgroups, including smokers with mental illness.

scholarly journals The Effect of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Mitigation Strategies on Seasonal Respiratory Viruses: A Tale of 2 Large Metropolitan Centers in the United States

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C Sherman ◽  
Ahmed Babiker ◽  
Andrew J Sieben ◽  
Alexander Pyden ◽  
James Steinberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
The United States ◽  
Respiratory Viruses ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
Reproductive Rates ◽  
The Impact

Abstract To assess the impact of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic on seasonal respiratory viruses, absolute case counts and viral reproductive rates from 2019–2020 were compared against previous seasons. Our findings suggest that the public health measures implemented to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission significantly reduced the transmission of other respiratory viruses.

scholarly journals Trainees’ perception of education in communication and professionalism across two programs in two countries

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-11
Author(s):  
Jan Hau Lee ◽  
Bin Huey Quek ◽  
Christoph P Hornik ◽  
Raveen Shahdadpuri ◽  
David A Turner
Keyword(s):  
Health Care Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Role Modeling ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pediatric Residents ◽  
High Workload ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Chi Square Test

Background: Different health care systems impact on medical education. Objective: We aim to describe the differences and similarities in the perceptions of pediatric residents on education in professionalism and communication skills across two countries. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey of pediatric residents in the United States and Singapore. A 108-item written questionnaire on perceptions regarding education in communication/professionalism was administered. A five-point Likert scale was used for each attribute in the survey. Quantitative analysis was performed using chi-square test. Results: Response rate was 65.9% (89/135). In the domain of professionalism, residents from both countries ranked shared decision making as the most important attribute (Singapore vs. USA: 26/50 (52.0%) vs. 19/39 (48.7%), p = 0.76). In contrast, there was a difference in ranking of the most important attribute in communication between the two countries, with dealing with difficult family and patient being most important for Singapore trainees (30/50(60.0%) vs. 8/39 (20.5%), p < 0.001). Direct observation and feedback and role modeling by seniors were the most common teaching methods in both centers. Main barriers in learning were high workload (55/89 (61.8%)) and time constraints (53/89 (59.6%)) in both countries. Promoters of teaching these competencies were similar, with role modeling by senior staff rated as most important. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrates more differences in the perception of how communication is taught compared to professionalism across two countries. Barriers and promoters to teaching were similar across these two countries, with role modeling being an important approach to teaching communication and professionalism across both countries.

National Study of Behavioral and Life Changes Since September 11

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad R. Torabi ◽  
Dong-Chul Seo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
The United States ◽  
September 11 ◽  
National Study ◽  
American People ◽  
Life Changes ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Behavior

Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 (9-11), terrorism poses a continuous threat to those living in the United States. A substantial number of people may have experienced behavioral and life changes since the attacks, with possible implications for public health. This study investigated behavioral and life changes American people have experienced since the attacks. Using random-digit dialing that included unpublished numbers and new listings, a nationally representative cross-sectional sample of 807 U.S. adults ages 18 or older was interviewed. Logistic regression analyses indicated that gender, age, race/ethnicity, and employment status were significant predictors for experiencing different outcome variables. The qualitative data obtained from an open-ended question regarding life changes were analyzed and synthesized. The 9-11 events have considerably affected Americans’ lifestyles and behavior, which may have various implications for public health policy makers and educators.

scholarly journals Engagement with COVID-19 Public Health Measures in the United States: A Cross-Sectional Social Media Analysis from June to November 2020

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Massey ◽  
Chenxi Huang ◽  
Yuan Lu ◽  
Alina Cohen ◽  
Yahel Oren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
The United States ◽  
Media Analysis ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Health Measures ◽  
The Us

AbstractBackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has continued to spread in the US and globally. Closely monitoring public engagement and perception of COVID-19 and preventive measures using social media data could provide important information for understanding the progress of current interventions and planning future programs.ObjectiveTo measure the public’s behaviors and perceptions regarding COVID-19 and its daily life effects during the recent 5 months of the pandemic.MethodsNatural language processing (NLP) algorithms were used to identify COVID-19 related and unrelated topics in over 300 million online data sources from June 15 to November 15, 2020. Posts in the sample were geotagged, and sensitivity and specificity were both calculated to validate the classification of posts. The prevalence of discussion regarding these topics was measured over this time period and compared to daily case rates in the US.ResultsThe final sample size included 9,065,733 posts, 70% of which were sourced from the US. In October and November, discussion including mentions of COVID-19 and related health behaviors did not increase as it had from June to September, despite an increase in COVID-19 daily cases in the US beginning in October. Additionally, counter to reports from March and April, discussion was more focused on daily life topics (69%), compared with COVID-19 in general (37%) and COVID-19 public health measures (20%).ConclusionsThere was a decline in COVID-19-related social media discussion sourced mainly from the US, even as COVID-19 cases in the US have increased to the highest rate since the beginning of the pandemic. Targeted public health messaging may be needed to ensure engagement in public health prevention measures until a vaccine is widely available to the public.

Beyond Medicine

2021 ◽  
pp. 145-158
Author(s):  
Paul V. Dutton
Keyword(s):  
Universal Access ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health In All Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Curative Care ◽  
Physical Environments ◽  
Care Systems

This concluding chapter explains that the preeminent challenge of US social reform today is to create a balanced health system that can meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. Policies will need to simultaneously encourage continued progress in biomedical curative care, assure universal access to it, and enhance the social and physical environments that are imperative for a healthy life. This book's comparative historical analysis reveals that purposeful state action in France, Germany, and Sweden helped to create balanced health systems that produce better population health outcomes than the United States. The chapter looks at the Health in All Policies (HIAP) movement. Rather than relying on health care systems to attenuate the negative social determinants on individuals, HIAP recognizes head-on that transformational improvement requires political power. The health impact assessment (HIA) plays a central role in the Health in All Policies approach. It informs policy makers and the greater public about how seemingly unrelated decisions outside the health field can affect health.

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