scholarly journals Addressing Healthcare Gaps in Sweden during the COVID-19 Outbreak: On Community Outreach and Empowering Ethnic Minority Groups in a Digitalized Context

Healthcare ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 445
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Valeriani ◽  
Iris Sarajlic Vukovic ◽  
Tomas Lindegaard ◽  
Roberto Felizia ◽  
Richard Mollica ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Minority Groups ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Individual

Since its early stages, the COVID-19 pandemic has interacted with existing divides by ethnicity and socioeconomic statuses, exacerbating further inequalities in high-income countries. The Swedish public health strategy, built on mutual trust between the government and the society and giving the responsibility to the individual, has been criticized for not applying a dedicated and more diverse strategy for most disadvantaged migrants in dealing with the pandemic. In order to mitigate the unequal burden on the marginalized members of society, increasing efforts have been addressed to digital health technologies. Despite the strong potential of providing collective public health benefits, especially in a highly digitalized context as Sweden, need for a stronger cooperation between the public health authorities and migrant community leaders, representatives of migrant associations, religious leaders and other influencers of disadvantaged groups has emerged. Suggestions are presented on more culturally congruent, patient-centered health care services aimed to empower people to participate in a more effective public health response to the COVID-19 crisis.

“PHONE-CONNECT” - A Pilot Program Prescribing Phones to Address Digital Health Equity Needs in the COVID-19 Era (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gill Kazevman ◽  
Marck Mercado ◽  
Jennifer Hulme ◽  
Andrea Somers
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Contact Tracing ◽  
Health Care Intervention ◽  
Care Intervention

UNSTRUCTURED Vulnerable populations have been identified as having higher infection rates and poorer COVID-19 related outcomes, likely due to their inability to readily access primary care, follow public health directives and adhere to self-isolation guidelines. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care services have adopted new digital solutions, relying on phone and internet connectivity. Yet, persons who are digitally inaccessible, such as those struggling with poverty or homelessness, are often unable to utilize these services. In response to this newly highlighted social disparity known as “digital health inequity”, emergency physicians at the University Health Network, Toronto, initiated a program called “PHONE CONNECT”. This novel approach attempts to improve patients’ access to health care, information and social services, as well as improve their ability to adhere to public health directives (social isolation and contact tracing). While similar programs addressing the same emerging issues have been recently described in the media, this is the first time phones are provided as a health care intervention in an emergency department. This innovative ED point-of-care intervention may have a significant impact on improving the health outcomes for vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even beyond it.

Cross-contamination in molecular laboratories: A challenge to COVID-19 testing in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Jahidur Rahman Khan ◽  
◽  
Selim Reza ◽  
Farzana Mim ◽  
Md Abdullah Rumman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Diagnostic Testing ◽  
Diagnostic Errors ◽  
Laboratory Diagnosis ◽  
Cross Contamination ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Surveillance Programs ◽  
The Government

Rapid and accurate laboratory diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection is crucial for the management of COVID-19 patients and control of the spread of the virus. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bangladesh had only one government molecular laboratory where real-time RT-PCR will be performed to diagnose SARS-CoV-2 infection. With the increasing number of suspected cases requiring confirmation diagnostic testing, there was a requirement to quickly expand capacity for large-scale testing. The government of Bangladesh established over 100 molecular laboratories within one year to test COVID-19. To fulfil the requirement for expanded testing, the government was compelled to recruit laboratory employees with inadequate experience, technical knowledge, and skills in molecular assays, particularly in processing specimens, interpreting results, recognizing errors, and troubleshooting. As a result, the risk of diagnostic errors, such as cross-contamination, is increased, as is that the risk of false-positive results, which might risk the patient’s health and undermine the efficacy of public health policies, public health response, surveillance programs, and restrictive measures aimed toward containing the outbreak. This review article aims to explain different sources of crosscontamination in the COVID-19 RT-PCR laboratories and the way to forestall them in efficient and practical ways.

scholarly journals Prison Health as Public Health in Ontario Corrections

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 19
Author(s):  
Yoko Murphy ◽  
Howard Sapers
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Prison Health ◽  
Independent Review ◽  
Recent Reform ◽  
The Government

The majority of incarcerated individuals in Canada, and especially in Ontario provincial correctional institutions, are released into the community after a short duration in custody. Adult correctional populations have generally poor health, including a heightened prevalence of mental health and substance use disorders. There are legal and ethical obligations to address health care needs of incarcerated individuals, and also public health benefits from ensuring adequate, appropriate, and accessible health services to individuals in custody. The Independent Review of Ontario Corrections recommended the transformation of health care in Ontario provincial corrections in 2017, including transferring health service responsibilities to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Correctional Services and Reintegration Act, 2018, would affirm the provincial government’s obligation to provide patient-centred, equitable health care services for individuals in custody. We encourage the Government of Ontario to proclaim the Act and continue the momentum of recent reform efforts in Ontario.

scholarly journals Childhood detention during COVID-19 in Italy: building momentum for a comprehensive child protection agenda

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Logar ◽  
Maggie Leese
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
State Responsibility ◽  
Infectious Agents ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Response ◽  
The Government ◽  
Detention Facilities

Abstract Childhood detention represents an integral part of the public health response to the COVID-19 emergency. Prison conditions in Italy put detained minors at grave risk of contracting sudden acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. To date (29 April 2020), the Italian penitentiary system is housing 161 minors (147 males), most of them in pre-trial custody, as well as 50 children <3 y of age residing with their mothers in detention. Furthermore, the government reported 5265 unaccompanied minor migrants, mainly from Gambia and Egypt. The fundamental approach to be followed in childhood detention during COVID-19 is prevention of the introduction of infectious agents into detention facilities, limiting the spread within the prison and reducing the possibility of spread from the prison to the outside community. This appears challenging in countries like Italy with intense SARS-CoV-2 transmission. The current COVID-19 pandemic shows the need to provide a comprehensive childhood protection agenda, as the provision of healthcare for people in prisons and other places of detention is a state responsibility.

scholarly journals The Contribution of Public Health Investments to the Economic Growth of Cameroon

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ismaila Amadu ◽  
Ngoe Fritz Eseokwea ◽  
Marcel Ngambi
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Health Spending ◽  
World Health ◽  
Quality Health Care ◽  
Health Investments ◽  
The World ◽  
The Government

The goal of this paper is to determine the contribution of public health investments to the economic growth of Cameroon. The study used the human capital model of Lucas (1988) within the framework of endogenous growth theories. The Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) was employed in the estimations procedure using the World Development Indicators (WDI, 2013) data from the World Bank over the period spanning from 1988 to 2013.The findings show that government health expenditures contribute to economic growth only in the long run. From our results, we recommend that: first, the government should increase health spending to 10 or 15 percent of its GDP as initially suggested by the African Union and the World Health Organization respectively; second, government should enhance the provision of health care services by the private sector by putting in place incitation measures; third, competitive awards should be granted to those health units that render quality health care services.Int. J. Soc. Sc. Manage. Vol. 4, Issue-1: 12-21

scholarly journals Harnessing Digital Health Technologies During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Context Matters (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Petracca ◽  
Oriana Ciani ◽  
Maria Cucciniello ◽  
Rosanna Tarricone
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Organizational Context ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Digital Reconstruction ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Care Systems

UNSTRUCTURED A common development observed during the COVID-19 pandemic is the renewed reliance on digital health technologies. Prior to the pandemic, the uptake of digital health technologies to directly strengthen public health systems had been unsatisfactory; however, a relentless acceleration took place within health care systems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, digital health technologies could not be prescinded from the organizational and institutional merits of the systems in which they were introduced. The Italian National Health Service is strongly decentralized, with the national government exercising general stewardship and regions responsible for the delivery of health care services. Together with the substantial lack of digital efforts previously, these institutional characteristics resulted in delays in the uptake of appropriate solutions, territorial differences, and issues in engaging the appropriate health care professionals during the pandemic. An in-depth analysis of the organizational context is instrumental in fully interpreting the contribution of digital health during the pandemic and providing the foundation for the digital reconstruction of what is to come after.

scholarly journals Public Health Academic Alliance for COVID-19 Response: The Role of a National Medical Task Force in Puerto Rico

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcia Cruz-Correa ◽  
Elba C. Díaz-Toro ◽  
Jorge L. Falcón ◽  
Enid J. García-Rivera ◽  
Humberto M. Guiot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Task Force ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
National Medical ◽  
Health Response ◽  
The Government ◽  
Direct Guidance ◽  
Medical Task

Alliances between the government and academic communities can be a key component of the public health response to an emergency such as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The Governor of Puerto Rico designated the Puerto Rico Medical Task Force (MTF) COVID-19 to provide direct guidance and evaluation of the government response to the epidemic in Puerto Rico. Several work groups were formed within the MTF to create protocols and provide evidence-based recommendations on different public health aspects. The collaboration between the academia and the government enhanced the Puerto Rican public health response and contributed to the reduction seen in the contagion curve. Healthcare services and hospitals have not reached their maximum patient care capacity and the death toll has been controlled. Incorporating a national MTF with members of the academia into the government structure was beneficial during the COVID-19 response in Puerto Rico. A similar strategy could serve as a model for other states or territories and countries in similar scenarios.

scholarly journals Interpretation as luxury: Heart patients living with data doubt, hope, and anxiety

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 205395172092443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stine Lomborg ◽  
Henriette Langstrup ◽  
Tariq Osman Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Data Interpretation ◽  
Personal Health ◽  
Health Technologies ◽  
Heart Patients ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Consumer Devices ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
The Relationship

Personal health technologies such as apps and wearables that generate health and behavior data close to the individual patient are envisioned to enable personalized healthcare - and self-care. And yet, they are consumer devices. Proponents of these devices presuppose that measuring will be helpful, and that data will be meaningful. However, a growing body of research suggests that self-tracking data does not necessarily make sense to users. Drawing together data studies and digital health research, we aim to further research on data ambivalence, a term we use to refer to the ambiguities and uncertainties people experience when interpreting their own data, as well as the critical obligation towards cultivating ethically sound uses and responses to such data in context. We develop the relationship between data, interpretation, and context as a central theoretical and practical problem in the datafication of healthcare. We then show how interpretation and context matter for data ambivalence through an empirical study of heart patients with an implanted advanced pacemaker who were offered a Fitbit wristband for self-tracking as part of a research project. We argue that the hope, anxiety, and doubt connected to the promise and accuracy of data are tempered by the context and purpose of self-tracking, and by individual circumstances. Finally, we link the findings on context-sensitivity in data interpretation to questions about response-ability in cloud-based care infrastructures. We discuss the ethical dilemmas associated with the use of commercial wellness-technologies in healthcare, and with researching such emerging practices.

Digitized Health Promotion

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Lupton
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Social Justice ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Public Health Policy ◽  
Social Epidemiology ◽  
Digital Health ◽  
Personal Responsibility ◽  
Good Health ◽  
Health Technologies

This chapter explores the use of digital health technologies in health promotion endeavors. This “digitized health promotion” is the latest stage in the trajectory of health promotion ideology and practice over the past four decades in wealthy Anglophone nations. Lupton argues that over this period the individualistic approach to good health commonly espoused in medicine and public health was challenged by advocates arguing for a greater focus on social justice and social epidemiology. The individualistic approach to health promotion never disappeared, however, and has gathered momentum in the current economic, political, and technological climate. While many health promotion workers still champion the ideals of “health for all,” public health policy in the context of digitized health promotion has begun to return to emphasizing personal responsibility for health.

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