scholarly journals Conducting operational research during outbreaks to improve preparedness and response

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Nuzzo ◽  
Matthew P. Shearer ◽  
Diane Meyer
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Team Member ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Joint Analysis ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Public Health Community ◽  
Project Director ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Health Communities

ObjectiveThe Outbreak Observatory (OO) aims to:●Strengthen outbreak/epidemic preparedness and response activities through real-time, one-the-ground observations and analyses●Identify best practices based on operational experience that are broadly applicable across outbreak response agencies●Serve as an independent voice to advocate for policies that support preparedness and response activities based on expert assessment of the resources required to build and maintain necessary outbreak response capabilities●Support local practitioners’ efforts to publish their experiencesSharing the firsthand experience of responders is critical for building outbreak preparedness and response capacity, and OO will serve as a dedicated mechanism to collect, analyze and disseminate this informationIntroductionEach significant outbreak and epidemic raises questions that must be answered in order to better inform future preparedness and response efforts, such as:●What are the systems and resources needed to characterize an outbreak?●What systems and resources are needed to bring an outbreak to a close?While we can anticipate these types of questions, the absence of dedicated mechanisms to record operational experiences and challenges can result in valuable, ephemeral data that are crucial for improving outbreak response not being consistently collected or analyzed.Participation in outbreaks by external experts can be instrumental in ensuring that this important operational information is documented, analyzed and shared with the broader public health community. There is a particular need for observers external to the response who can capture and analyze applied data about the operational response to outbreaks—eg, the systems and strategies involved in responding to the such events—in order to improve our understanding of best practices for detecting and responding to these events. These can then be shared so that the entire public health community can access and incorporate lessons learned into their own preparedness and response plans. External observers can also help describe the important work performed by local responders during outbreaks and advocate for necessary preparedness and response program resources.The Outbreak Observatory is currently in a pilot phase and is looking for international and US partners who may be interested in collaborating with members of our team during their next outbreak response. MethodsWhen an outbreak occurs, OO will reach out to our partners to assess their interest in having project team member(s) travel to their location to observe the ongoing outbreak for the purpose of collaborating on a joint analysis of the response. The team member(s) would engage with local officials to identify operational challenges and best practices to better understand their perspectives and experiences.Prior to the OO team’s arrival, they will provide local responders a list of sample questions that the team is interested in exploring for the purpose of potential future written analysis, with the goal of focusing on those questions that are most relevant to both the local and broader public health communities. Once a preliminary list of study questions is developed, team members will engage with local responders to discuss their experiences.Once on location, the OO team member(s) will regularly report their findings back to the Project Director. The OO team will work with the Project Director and local partners to compose and submit the findings to a peer-reviewed journal, ensuring that local practitioners receive appropriate authorship credit.ResultsOO aims to fill gaps in existing health security literature by sharing the experiences of practitioners involved in outbreak responses and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications with those responders. We envision that these publications will be available more quickly than existing outbreak reports. We will disseminate our findings to pertinent policymakers, members of the broader biosecurity and public health communities and the public to ensure that important lessons reach all appropriate audiences, especially those responsible for planning and resource allocation decisions for outbreak and epidemic response. In support of this, we have created a communication platform (www.outbreakobservatory.org) to publish interim observations via rapid communication channels (eg, communications with policymakers, social media, blog posts, video logs). All publications will be developed in partnership with local practitioners.ConclusionsThe lessons learned from previous epidemic and outbreak responses are critical to informing future response efforts. However, this data is often lost in the midst of an outbreak, when responders are too busy with the situation at hand to collect and analyze operational data. Outbreak Observatory endeavors to bridge this research gap, helping to capture and analyze this data and making it available to the broader public health community.

A US metropolitan county health department’s response to a measles outbreak in a childcare facility – challenges faced and lessons learned

2020 ◽  
pp. 175791392095520
Author(s):  
Diane Meyer ◽  
Marc Trotochaud ◽  
Lisa Ferguson ◽  
Jennifer Vines ◽  
Russell Barlow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Public Health Community ◽  
Local Public Health ◽  
Measles Outbreak ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Childcare Facility ◽  
Measles Outbreaks

Aims: In June 2018, the Multnomah County Health Department located in Portland, Oregon, US, responded to a measles exposure in a local childcare facility. This analysis describes lessons learned and challenges encountered during this measles response that may inform public health policy and help other local public health authorities prepare for measles outbreaks. These lessons will become increasingly important as measles cases continue to increase in both the US and abroad. Methods: A semi-structured videoconference interview was conducted with nine health department staff who were directly involved in the health department’s response to the measles outbreak. Interview notes were iteratively discussed between all authors to identify those outbreak response challenges and lessons learned that were generalizable to the broader public health community. Results: Some of the key challenges and lessons learned included the need for increased provider recognition and reporting of measles cases, difficulty in determining which staff and children to exclude from attending daycare during the 21-day postexposure monitoring period, determining who would be prioritized to receive immunoglobulin, and the need for childcare staff vaccine status requirements. Conclusion: Lessons from this response highlight important considerations for public health practitioners and policy makers. Given the relative severity of measles and the potential for spread in facilities that serve infants and young children, the public health community must continue to address key gaps through planning and policy.

scholarly journals A Proposed Collaboration Against Big Tobacco: Common Ground Between the Vaping and Public Health Community in the United States

2015 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 730-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodore L. Wagener ◽  
Ellen Meier ◽  
Alayna P. Tackett ◽  
James D. Matheny ◽  
Terry F. Pechacek
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Common Ground ◽  
The United States ◽  
Best Interest ◽  
Public Health Community ◽  
Missed Opportunities ◽  
The Public ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Health Communities

Abstract An unfortunate conflict is underway between the public health community and the vaping community over e-cigarettes’ harmfulness or lack thereof. This conflict is made worse by an information vacuum that is being filled by vocal members on both sides of the debate; a perceived lack of credibility of public health officials by those in the vaping community; the tobacco industry’s recent involvement in e-cigarettes; and the constant evolution of different styles and types of e-cigarettes. This conflict is avoidable; common ground exists. If both groups rally around what is in their own and the public’s best interest—the end of combustible tobacco—all will benefit significantly. If not, the result may be missed opportunities, misguided alliances, and—ultimately—poorer public health. Implications: This study brings light to the contentious debate between the vaping and public health communities. It addresses how both sides are responsible for bringing misleading information to the public and vocal leaders on both sides are unknowingly intensifying and polarizing the debate-likely at the expense of public health. It also describes how this conflict is avoidable, and provides a starting point for potential positions of common ground against Big Tobacco.

Not your typical “historian”

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 523-533
Author(s):  
Adrienne Lefevre ◽  
Madison Walter-Garcia ◽  
Kimberly Hanson ◽  
Julia Smith-Easley
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Incident Management ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Incident Command ◽  
Health Community ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Decision Making Processes

Purpose In the incident command system (ICS) structure, response documentation is formally found within the planning section. However, longer term emergency responses have demonstrated the need for a flexible and innovative role that encompasses a variety of activities, including response documentation, communications science, real-time evaluation of major themes, and information management. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This need can be universally met through the functional role of “Historian,” a term specific to ICS, or in the case of public health response, incident management system (IMS). It should be noted that the Historian role discussed is not related to the academic study of history, but to archiving key successes and challenges during a response. Ideally the Historian should be activated at the start of an emergency response and remain active to capture the overall picture of the response, including internal information, such as lessons learned, response activities, and decision-making processes. Findings The Historian compiles details of response activities that inform leadership, donors and external communications products while alleviating pressures on the planning section. The primary, minimum output of an IMS Historian is a response timeline, which notes major internal and external events during a response with emphasis on major themes, lessons learned, and creating a user-friendly interface to display this information (see the list “Abbreviated Example of Hurricane Matthew Response Timeline” in the text). Originality/value In a world with competing priorities and ongoing emergencies, the Historian’s role of archiving details of response efforts can help the international public health community to share lessons learned and contribute to lower morbidity and mortality among those affected by emergencies.

Methodology for assessment of public health preparedness and response synergies between institutional authorities and the community

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel H. de Vries ◽  
John Kinsman ◽  
Judit Takacs ◽  
Svetla Tsolova ◽  
Massimo Ciotti
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Effective Means ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Outbreak Response ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Rich Data

Abstract Background: This paper describes a participatory methodology that supports investigation of the collaboration between communities affected by infectious disease outbreak events and relevant official institutions. The core principle underlying the methodology is the recognition that synergistic relationships, characterised by mutual trust and respect, between affected communities and official institutions provide the most effective means of addressing outbreak situations. Methods: The methodological approach and lessons learned were derived from four qualitative case studies including (i) two tick-borne disease events: Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Spain, and tick-borne encephalitis in the Netherlands (2016); and (ii) two outbreaks of acute gastroenteritis (norovirus in Iceland, 2017, and verocytotoxin-producingEscherichia coli [VTEC] in Ireland, 2018). These studies were conducted in collaboration with the respective national public health authorities in the affected countries by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Results: An after-event qualitative case study approach was taken using mixed methods. Lessons highlight the critical importance of collaborating with national focal points during preparation and planning, and interviewer reflexivity during fieldwork. Field work for each case study was conducted over one working week, which although limiting the number of individuals and institutions involved, still allowed for rich data collection due to the close collaboration with local authorities. The analysis focused on the specific actions undertaken by the participating countries’ public health and other authorities in relation to community engagement, as well as the view from the perspective of the community. Conclusions: The overall objective of the assessment to identify synergies between institutional decision-making bodies and community actors and networks before, during and after an outbreak response to a given public health emergency. The methodology is generic and could be applied to a range of public health emergencies, zoonotic or otherwise. The methodology emphasises reflexivity among fieldworkers, a relatively short time needed for data collection, potential generalisability of findings, insider-outsider perspectives, politically sensitive findings, and how to deal with ethical and language issues.

Soziale Ungleichheit, sozialer Zusammenhalt und Gesundheit

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 322-324
Author(s):  
Cona Ehresmann ◽  
Bernhard Badura
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Soziale Ungleichheit ◽  
Public Health Community ◽  
Health Community

Zusammenfassung Kaum ein anderes Thema hat die sozialepidemiologische Forschung so anhaltend dominiert wie die soziale Ungleichheit. Es ist der unbestreitbare Verdienst einer weltweiten Public Health Community, die Aufmerksamkeit einer breiten Öffentlichkeit auf hier bestehenden Handlungsbedarf zu lenken. Wie aber steht es um das Zusammenwirken von sozialer Ungleichheit, sozialem Zusammenhalt und Gesundheit? Dieser Frage geht der Artikel auf Basis von empirischen Daten von 5.727 Beschäftigten nach.

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