scholarly journals Further Inspection: Integrating Housing Code Enforcement and Social Services to Improve Community Health

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 12014
Author(s):  
Katharine Robb ◽  
Ashley Marcoux Raff ◽  
Jorrit de Jong
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Case Manager ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Psychological Burden ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Code Enforcement

As a result of working inside homes, city housing inspectors witness hidden and serious threats to public health. However, systems to respond to the range of problems they encounter are lacking. In this study, we describe the impact and enabling environment for integrating a novel Social Service Referral Program within the Inspectional Services Department in Chelsea, MA. To evaluate the first eight months of the program, we used a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative data from 15 referrals and qualitative interviews with six key informants (inspectors, a case manager, and city leadership). The most common services provided to residents referred by inspectors were for fuel, food, and rent assistance; healthcare; hoarding; and homelessness prevention. Half of referred residents were not receiving other social services. Inspectors reported increased work efficiency and reduced psychological burden because of the program. Interviewees described how quality of life improved not only for referred residents but also for the surrounding neighborhood. A simple referral process that made inspectors’ jobs easier and a trusted, well-connected service provider funded to carry out the work facilitated the program’s uptake and impact. Housing inspectors’ encounters with residents present a unique opportunity to expand the public health impact of housing code enforcement.

scholarly journals Impact of the Affordable Care Act’s Dependent Coverage Expansion on the Health Care and Health Status of Young Adults: What Do We Know So Far?

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Breslau ◽  
Bradley D. Stein ◽  
Bing Han ◽  
Shoshanna Shelton ◽  
Hao Yu
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Insurance Coverage ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
The Public ◽  
Behavioral Health Treatment ◽  
Coverage Expansion ◽  
Dependent Coverage ◽  
The Impact

The dependent coverage expansion (DCE), a component of the Affordable Care Act, required private health insurance policies that cover dependents to offer coverage for policyholders’ children through age 25. This review summarizes peer-reviewed research on the impact of the DCE on the chain of consequences through which it could affect public health. Specifically, we examine the impact of the DCE on insurance coverage, access to care, utilization of care, and health status. All studies find that the DCE increased insurance coverage, but evidence regarding downstream impacts is inconsistent. There is evidence that the DCE reduced high out-of-pocket expenditures and frequent emergency room visits and increased behavioral health treatment. Evidence regarding the impact of the DCE on health is sparse but suggestive of positive impacts on self-rated health and health behavior. Inferences regarding the public health impact of the DCE await studies with greater methodological diversity and longer follow-up periods.

scholarly journals The Public Health Implications of Brexit: A Health Impact Assessment Approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
L Green
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact Assessment ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu ◽  
Public Bodies

Abstract On March 29th 2019, the United Kingdom (UK) was due to exit the EU in a process known informally as ’Brexit’. This exit and entry into a 2-year transition is a period of unprecedented political and social upheaval - with many unknowns and much uncertainty attached to the outcomes and future impact. In preparation for Brexit, Public Health Wales commissioned the Wales HIA Support Unit to carry out a health impact assessment of Brexit in Wales to support and inform its and other public bodies planning and future work. This paper examines the unique HIA carried out between July and December 2018 on the impact of the UK withdrawal from the EU in Wales. It discusses the robust, participatory process undertaken, the stakeholders involved and the benefits reaped from this. It highlights the evidence gathered and analysed including the collection methods, the complex nature of the work and disseminates the main findings from the HIA including the potential determinants of health and population groups identified. Finally, it describes the challenges faced, how these were overcome, and the huge benefits, impact and influence it has had to date across a wide range of UK and Welsh organisations and public bodies. This work demonstrates continued leadership in the field of impact assessment and spearheads the requirement for public bodies to carry out HIAs as part of the forthcoming statutory requirements of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 an can inform practice at a global level. Key messages HIA can inform and influence action in response to important strategic decisions. The Brexit HIA is a unique example which can inform international HIA practice.

scholarly journals The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e004275
Author(s):  
Caitlin M Pley ◽  
Anna L McNaughton ◽  
Philippa C Matthews ◽  
José Lourenço
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hepatitis B Virus ◽  
Hepatitis B ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Diagnosis And Treatment ◽  
Low Income Countries ◽  
The Public ◽  
B Virus ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has resulted in a myriad of interventions with the urgent aim of reducing the public health impact of this virus. However, a wealth of evidence both from high-income and low-income countries is accruing on the broader consequences of such interventions on economic and public health inequalities, as well as on pre-existing programmes targeting endemic pathogens. We provide an overview of the impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on hepatitis B virus (HBV) programmes globally, focusing on the possible consequences for prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Ongoing disruptions to infrastructure, supply chains, services and interventions for HBV are likely to contribute disproportionately to the short-term incidence of chronic hepatitis B, providing a long-term source of onward transmission to future generations that threatens progress towards the 2030 elimination goals.

scholarly journals Public Health, Ministry of Health and Economic Actors: the case of food and information of public

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
P Lombrail
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Nutritional Composition ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Key Policy ◽  
Public Health Strategies ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The experience of France in the implementation of a frontof- pack label, the Nutri-Score, clearly illustrates the constant tug-ofwar between public health experts and the industry and provides a framework for an efficient strategy that could be replicated at the EU level. Dietary risk factors is in the top three leading causes of morbidity and mortality in Western Europe. Such high burden of diseases urges the implementation of strong and efficient public health strategies in order to curb the impact of poor diets. The public health community has long promoted strategies impacting both individual dietary behavior and the food environment, in a consistent global framework. However, the latter strategies imply to act upon the food and beverage manufacturers, to provide consumers with better information on the nutritional quality of the foods they produce and to ensure a shift in the nutritional composition of the food offer towards healthier foods. Among the various public health nutrition strategies that are considered efficient in both modifying consumer behavior and enticing reformulations by the food industry, front-of-pack food labeling has been identified as a key policy component in a global program.

scholarly journals Understanding the Potential Impact of Different Drug Properties On SARS-CoV-2 Transmission and Disease Burden: A Modelling Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Whittaker ◽  
Oliver J Watson ◽  
Carlos Alvarez-Moreno ◽  
Nasikarn Angkasekwinai ◽  
Adhiratha Boonyasiri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Supportive Care ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Public Health Impact ◽  
The Public ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Potential Therapeutics

Abstract Background The public health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has motivated a rapid search for potential therapeutics, with some key successes. However, the potential impact of different treatments, and consequently research and procurement priorities, have not been clear. Methods Using a mathematical model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission, COVID-19 disease and clinical care, we explore the public-health impact of different potential therapeutics, under a range of scenarios varying healthcare capacity, epidemic trajectories; and drug efficacy in the absence of supportive care. Results The impact of drugs like dexamethasone (delivered to the most critically-ill in hospital and whose therapeutic benefit is expected to depend on the availability of supportive care such as oxygen and mechanical ventilation) is likely to be limited in settings where healthcare capacity is lowest or where uncontrolled epidemics result in hospitals being overwhelmed. As such, it may avert 22% of deaths in high-income countries but only 8% in low-income countries (assuming R=1.35). Therapeutics for different patient populations (those not in hospital, early in the course of infection) and types of benefit (reducing disease severity or infectiousness, preventing hospitalisation) could have much greater benefits, particularly in resource-poor settings facing large epidemics. Conclusions Advances in the treatment of COVID-19 to date have been focussed on hospitalised-patients and predicated on an assumption of adequate access to supportive care. Therapeutics delivered earlier in the course of infection that reduce the need for healthcare or reduce infectiousness could have significant impact, and research into their efficacy and means of delivery should be a priority.

scholarly journals Fiscal Responsibility Law and Life Quality: Public Health Analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Maria Luiza G. R. Silva ◽  
Walmer Faroni ◽  
Odemir V. Baeta ◽  
Djair C Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Life Quality ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Fiscal Responsibility ◽  
The Public ◽  
Financial Power ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Of The Population

<p class="-1">This article seeks to identify the existence of correlation between responsible management of the public finances as a result of the Lei de Responsabilidade Fiscal (LRF) (“Fiscal Responsibility Law”) and the life quality of the population in the municipalities of the Zona da Mata Mineira, in relation to health. The aim is to measure the impact of the LRF in the life quality of the population. A time analysis of the data of the period from 2000 to 2010 was carried out, using the collection of secondary data. The statistic technique used was the average test. The results of this study showed that, in relation to the selected variables, there was an average of considerable progresses concerning this fact. All the variables researched obtained, in 2010, higher averages to those obtained in 2000. It is noticed that the LRF enabled higher financial power to the public health services, resulting in social welfare.</p>

scholarly journals Chemical Weapons and public health: assessing impact and responses

2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. e334-e342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulkarim Ekzayez ◽  
M Daniel Flecknoe ◽  
Louis Lillywhite ◽  
Preeti Patel ◽  
Andreas Papamichail ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Chemical Weapons ◽  
Effective Response ◽  
Northern Iraq ◽  
The Public ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT Background The recent use of Chemical Weapons (CWs) in armed conflicts and terror attacks highlights the importance of understanding their full impact in order to inform an effective response. This article argues that while the consequences of CWs on individual health have dominated our understanding of the impact of these weapons, far less attention has been directed to their impact on public health. Methods A review of the literature on the health impact of CWs was conducted, and two case studies of their use in urban settings were explored - Halabja in northern Iraq in 1988 and throughout Syria’s ongoing conflict. Results The importance of considering the long-term health consequences of CW use and their impact on healthcare and health systems was demonstrated. Conclusions This article highlights the importance of supporting future research on the topic and proposes a framework for assessing the public health impact of CW use.

Contact precautions for colonisation with multidrug-resistant organisms and haemodialysis patient quality of life and mood: a pilot case-control study

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rathika Krishnasamy
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Social Function ◽  
Multidrug Resistant ◽  
Contact Precautions ◽  
Dialysis Vintage ◽  
Multidrug Resistant Organisms ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact

Background: The rate of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) colonisation in dialysis populations has increased over time. This study aimed to assess the effect of contact precautions and isolation on quality of life and mood for haemodialysis (HD) patients colonised with MDRO. Methods: Patients undergoing facility HD completed the Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL–SFTM), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Personal Wellbeing-Index Adult (PWI-A). Patients colonised with MDRO were case-matched by age and gender with patients not colonised. Results: A total of 16 MDRO-colonised patients were matched with 16 controls. Groups were well matched for demographics and co-morbidities, other than a trend for older dialysis vintage in the MDRO group [7.2 years (interquartile range 4.6–10.0) compared to 3.2 (1.4–7.6) years, p=0.05]. Comparing MDRO-positive with negative patients, physical (30.5±10.7 vs. 34.6±7.3; p=0.2) and mental (46.5±11.2 vs. 48.5±12.5; p = 0.6) composite scores were not different between groups. The MDRO group reported poorer sleep quality (p=0.01) and sleep patterns (p=0.05), and lower social function (p=0.02). BDI scores were similar (MDRO-positive 10(3.5–21.0) vs. MDRO-negative 12(6.5–16.0), p=0.6). PWI-A scores were also similar in both groups; however, MDRO patients reported lower scores for “feeling safe”, p=0.03. Conclusion: While overall scores of quality of life and depression were similar between groups, the MDRO group reported poorer outcomes in sleep and social function. A larger cohort and qualitative interviews may give more detail of the impact of contact precautions and isolation on HD patients. The necessity for contact precautions for different MDRO needs consideration.

DAMPAK PENGELOLAAN SAMPAH PADA KESEHATAN MASYARAKAT DI TPA

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilda Emilda
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Hand Hygiene ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Clean Water ◽  
The People ◽  
Clean Environment ◽  
The Impact

The limitations of waste management in the Cipayung Landfill (TPA) causing a buildup of garbage up to more than 30 meters. This condition has a health impact on people in Cipayung Village. This study aims to analyze the impact of waste management at Cipayung Landfill on public health in Cipayung Village, Depok City. The research is descriptive qualitative. Data obtained by purposive sampling. Data was collected by interviews, observation and documentation. Based on interviews with 30 respondents, it was found that the most common diseases were diarrhea, then other types of stomach ailments, subsequent itching on the skin and coughing. This is presumably because the environmental conditions in the form of unhealthy air and water and clean and healthy living behaviors (PHBS) have not become the habit of the people. The results indicated that there were no respondents who had implemented all of these criteria. In general respondents have implemented  3 criteria, namely maintaining hair hygiene, maintaining skin cleanliness, and maintaining hand hygiene. While maintaining clean water storage is the most often overlooked behavior. To minimize this health impact, improvements in waste management in Cipayung landfill are needed along with continuous socialization and education to develop PHBS habits and the importance of maintaining a clean environment.

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