Telehealth Tools for Public Health, Emergency, or Disaster Preparedness and Response: A Summary Report

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dale C. Alverson ◽  
Karen Edison ◽  
Larry Flournoy ◽  
Brenda Korte ◽  
Charles Magruder ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Summary Report ◽  
Disaster Preparedness And Response

scholarly journals Use of Community Assessments for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPERs) to Rapidly Assess Public Health Issues — United States, 2003-2012

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 374-381 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tesfaye M. Bayleyegn ◽  
Amy H. Schnall ◽  
Shimere G. Ballou ◽  
David F. Zane ◽  
Sherry L. Burrer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Response ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Cluster Sampling ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Sampling Methodology ◽  
Health Action ◽  
Public Health Emergency Response

AbstractIntroductionCommunity Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) is an epidemiologic technique designed to provide quick, inexpensive, accurate, and reliable household-based public health information about a community’s emergency response needs. The Health Studies Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides in-field assistance and technical support to state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) health departments in conducting CASPERs during a disaster response and in non-emergency settings. Data from CASPERs conducted from 2003 through 2012 were reviewed to describe uses of CASPER, ascertain strengths of the CASPER methodology, and highlight significant findings.MethodsThrough an assessment of the CDC’s CASPER metadatabase, all CASPERs that involved CDC support performed in US states and territories from 2003 through 2012 were reviewed and compared descriptively for differences in geographic distribution, sampling methodology, mapping tool, assessment settings, and result and action taken by decision makers.ResultsFor the study period, 53 CASPERs were conducted in 13 states and one US territory. Among the 53 CASPERS, 38 (71.6%) used the traditional 2-stage cluster sampling methodology, 10 (18.8%) used a 3-stage cluster sampling, and two (3.7%) used a simple random sampling methodology. Among the CASPERs, 37 (69.9%) were conducted in response to specific natural or human-induced disasters, including 14 (37.8%) for hurricanes. The remaining 16 (30.1%) CASPERS were conducted in non-disaster settings to assess household preparedness levels or potential effects of a proposed plan or program. The most common recommendations resulting from a disaster-related CASPER were to educate the community on available resources (27; 72.9%) and provide services (18; 48.6%) such as debris removals and refills of medications. In preparedness CASPERs, the most common recommendations were to educate the community in disaster preparedness (5; 31.2%) and to revise or improve preparedness plans (5; 31.2%). Twenty-five (47.1%) CASPERs documented on the report or publications the public health action has taken based on the result or recommendations. Findings from 27 (50.9%) of the CASPERs conducted with CDC assistance were published in peer-reviewed journals or elsewhere.ConclusionThe number of CASPERs conducted with CDC assistance has increased and diversified over the past decade. The CASPERs’ results and recommendations supported the public health decisions that benefitted the community. Overall, the findings suggest that the CASPER is a useful tool for collecting household-level disaster preparedness and response data and generating information to support public health action.BayleyegnTM, SchnallAH, BallouSG, ZaneDF, BurrerSL, NoeRS, WolkinAF. Use of Community Assessments for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPERs) to rapidly assess public health issues — United States, 2003-2012. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2015;30(4):1-8.

Disaster Evaluation Research

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmund M. Ricci ◽  
Ernesto A. Pretto, Jr. ◽  
Knut Ole Sundnes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Evaluation Studies ◽  
Evaluation Research ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Scientific Evaluation ◽  
Public Health Response ◽  
Health Response ◽  
Disaster Preparedness And Response

The ultimate hope and great challenge undertaken by the authors of this volume is to improve disaster preparedness and response efforts globally by providing a standardized way to conduct rigorous and comprehensive scientific evaluative studies of the medical and public health response to these horrific events. It is our strongly held belief that the framework for the conduct of evaluative studies, as developed by specialists in scientific evaluation, offers the most appropriate and comprehensive structure for such studies. Our ‘eight-step approach’ is based upon a conceptual framework that is now widely used by health organizations globally as a basis for the evaluation of community-based medical and public health programs. We contend that many more disaster-related injuries and deaths can be prevented if the concepts and methods of evaluation science are applied to disaster events. In Part 1 of this book we describe the basic concepts and scientific methods used by program evaluation scientists to assess the structure, process, and outcomes of medical and public health interventions. In addition, a detailed description of a comprehensive medical and public health response system is described. In Part 2 we present an eight-step model for conducting an evaluative study of the response, again with a focus on the medical and public health components. Ethical issues that come into play in the conduct of disaster evaluative disaster research, and how these should be addressed, are the focus of Chapter 13. The final chapter offers a look to the future as new technology for data collection becomes available. We are not so naïve as to believe that disaster preparedness and response will change as a direct result of the availability of scientifically conducted assessments. Change requires a double pronged commitment—leaders from both the ranks of government and of the health professions must carefully consider, fund, and adopt policy positions and programs that are based upon the findings and recommendations that emerge from scientific evaluation studies. That is the most certain pathway to a better future.

A Review of Competencies Developed for Disaster Healthcare Providers: Limitations of Current Processes and Applicability

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 387-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Daily ◽  
Patricia Padjen ◽  
Marvin Birnbaum
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Nursing Education ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Professional Organizations ◽  
Healthcare Personnel ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Manual Search ◽  
Nursing Competencies

AbstractIntroduction:In order to prepare the healthcare system and healthcare personnel to meet the health needs of populations affected by disasters, educational programs have been developed by numerous academic institutions, hospitals, professional organizations, governments, and non-government organizations. Lacking standards for best practices as a foundation, many organizations and institutions have developed “core competencies” that they consider essential knowledge and skills for disaster healthcare personnel.Problem:The Nursing Section of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine (WADEM) considered the possibility of endorsing an existing set of competencies that could be used to prepare nurses universally to participate in disaster health activities. This study was undertaken for the purpose of reviewing published disaster health competencies to determine commonalities and universal applicability for disaster preparedness.Methods:In 2007, a review of the electronic literature databases was conducted using the major keywords: disaster response competencies; disaster preparedness competencies; emergency response competencies; disaster planning competencies; emergency planning competencies; public health emergency preparedness competencies; disaster nursing competencies; and disaster nursing education competencies. A manual search of references and selected literature from public and private sources also was conducted. Inclusion criteria included: English language; competencies listed or specifically referred to; competencies relevant to disaster, mass-casualty incident (MCI), or public health emergency; and competencies relevant to healthcare.Results:Eighty-six articles were identified; 20 articles failed to meet the initial inclusion criteria; 27 articles did not meet the additional criteria, leaving 39 articles for analysis. Twenty-eight articles described competencies targeted to a specific profession/discipline, while 10 articles described competencies targeted to a defined role or function during a disaster. Four of the articles described specific competencies according to skill level, rather than to a specific role or function. One article defined competencies according to specific roles as well as proficiency levels. Two articles categorized disaster nursing competencies according to the phases of the disaster management continuum. Fourteen articles described specified competencies as “core” competencies for various target groups, while one article described “cross-cutting” competencies applicable to all healthcare workers.Conclusions:Hundreds of competencies for disaster healthcare personnel have been developed and endorsed by governmental and professional organizations and societies. Imprecise and inconsistent terminology and structure are evident throughout the reviewed competency sets. Universal acceptance and application of these competencies are lacking and none have been validated. Further efforts must be directed to developing a framework and standardized terminology for the articulation of competency sets for disaster health professionals that can by accepted and adapted universally.

Disaster preparedness and response: Implications for public health nurses

2006 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Andrea Jennings-Sanders, Dr.PH, RN
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local State ◽  
Public Health Nurses ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
Public Health Officials ◽  
Disaster Preparedness And Response

Disasters are becoming more of an integral aspect of life in the United States and in other countries. Public health nurses are in the forefront of providing health services to people affected by disasters. Thus, it is essential that all public health nurses have access to information that will assist them in disaster situations. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the Framework for Public Health Nurses: Interventions Model can be utilized for planning and responding to disasters. The interventions in the model are directly applicable to disaster situations and, in addition, raise questions on issues that need to be addressed by local, state, and federal public health officials.

A Consensus Process on the Use of Exercises and After Action Reports to Assess and Improve Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 305-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Savoia ◽  
Jessica Preston ◽  
Paul D. Biddinger
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Nominal Group ◽  
Evaluation Methodology ◽  
Consensus Process ◽  
Disaster Victims ◽  
Emergency Preparedness And Response ◽  
Public Health Emergency Preparedness

AbstractIntroductionThe objective of disaster preparedness is to ensure that appropriate systems, procedures, and resources are in place to provide prompt, effective assistance to disaster victims, thus facilitating relief measures and rehabilitation of services. Disaster preparedness efforts include the identification of possible health scenarios based on the probability of hazards and vulnerability of the population as a basis for creating a disaster plan. Exercises that simulate emergency response, involving the health and other sectors, have been suggested as useful tools to test the plans on a regular basis and measure preparedness efforts; the absence of actual testing is likely to negate even the best of abstract plans.ProblemExercises and after action reports (AARs) are used to document preparedness activities. However, to date, limited analysis has been performed on what makes an exercise an effective tool to assess public health emergency preparedness (PHEP), and how AARs can be developed and used to support PHEP improvement efforts. The scope of this project was to achieve consensus on: (1) what makes an exercise an effective tool to assess PHEP; and (2) what makes an AAR an effective tool to guide PHEP improvement efforts.MethodsSixty-one PHEP experts were convened by the use of Nominal Group Techniques to achieve consensus on a series of characteristics that exercises should have when designed to assess PHEP and on the recommendations for developing high-quality AARs.ResultsThe panelists achieved consensus on a list of recommendations to improve the use of exercises and AARs in PHEP improvement efforts. Such recommendations ranged from the characteristics of the exercise audience to the evaluation methodology being used and the characteristics of the produced AAR such as its structure and content.ConclusionsThe characteristics of the exercise audience, scenario and scope are among the most important attributes to the effectiveness of an exercise conducted for PHEP evaluation purposes. The evaluation instruments used to gather observations need an appropriate matching between exercise objectives and the response capabilities tested during the exercise, to build the base for the production of a good AAR. Improvements in the design and creation of exercises and AARs could facilitate better reporting and measurement of preparedness outcomes.SavoiaE, PrestonJ, BiddingerPD. A consensus process on the use of exercises and after action reports to assess and improve public health emergency preparedness and response. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2013;28(3):1-4.

Role of Academic Institutions in Community Disaster Response Since September 11, 2001

2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-226 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne L. Dunlop ◽  
Kristi M. Logue ◽  
Gerald Beltran ◽  
Alexander P. Isakov
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Emergency Management ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Disaster Response ◽  
September 11 ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
Disaster Preparedness And Response

ABSTRACTObjective: To describe the role of academic institutions in the community response to Federal Emergency Management Agency–declared disasters from September 11, 2001, to February 1, 2009.Methods: We conducted a review of the published literature and Internet reports to identify academic institutions that participated in the community response to disaster events between September 11, 2001, to February 1, 2009, inclusive. From retrieved reports, we abstracted the identity of the academic institutions and the resources and services each provided. We characterized the resources and services in terms of their contribution to established constructs of community disaster resilience and disaster preparedness and response.Results: Between September 11, 2001, and February 1, 2009, there were 98 published or Internet-accessible reports describing 106 instances in which academic institutions participated in the community response to 11 Federal Emergency Management Agency–declared disaster events that occurred between September 11, 2001, and February 1, 2009. Academic institutions included academic health centers and community teaching hospitals; schools of medicine, nursing, and public health; schools with graduate programs such as engineering and psychology; and 4-year programs. The services and resources provided by the academic institutions as part of the community disaster response could be categorized as contributing to community disaster resilience by reducing the consequences or likelihood of an event or to specific dimensions of public health preparedness and response, or both. The most common dimensions addressed by academic institutions (in order of occurrence) were resource management, enabling and sustaining a public health response, information capacity management, and performance evaluation.Conclusions: Since September 11, 2001, the participation of academic institutions in community disaster response has contributed to community resilience and the achievement of specific dimensions of disaster preparedness and response.(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:218–226)

scholarly journals Post-pandemic Recommendations: COVID-19 Continuity of Court Operations During a Public Health Emergency Workgroup

2022 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-119
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Public Health Emergency ◽  
Access To Justice ◽  
Opinion Survey ◽  
Trial Management ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Plan B ◽  
Original Report

In this report, the COVID-19 Continuity of Court Operations During a Public Health Emergency Workgroup (Plan B Workgroup) makes recommendations about best practices and technologies that should be retained or adapted post-pandemic. The recommendations in this final Plan B Workgroup whitepaper are based on experience and feedback from Arizona’s courts addressing pandemic and post-pandemic practices. Although the original report, issued on June 2, 2021, included a May 2021 Survey of Arizona’s Courts, this updated report also includes information from a July 2021 State Bar of Arizona Survey and a September 2021 State of Arizona Public Opinion Survey addressing those practices. The workgroup’s findings and recommendations, which remain unchanged, can be summarized in five major categories: (1) Increasing Access to Justice, (2) Expanding Use of Technology, (3) Jury and Trial Management, (4) Communication Strategies and Disaster Preparedness, and (5) Health, Safety, and Security Protocols.

Information Technology and Data Systems in Disaster Preparedness for Healthcare and the Broader Community

2011 ◽  
pp. 1582-1599
Author(s):  
Barbara J. Quiram ◽  
Cara L. Pennel ◽  
S. Kay Carpender
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Disaster Preparedness ◽  
Data Systems ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Roles And Responsibilities ◽  
Community Stakeholders ◽  
Community Information ◽  
Disaster Preparedness And Response

In the healthcare and public health community, information technology and data management tools are indispensable in preventing, preparing for, responding to, and recovering from public health emergencies, both natural and manmade. This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section discusses various uses of health technology and data systems in disaster preparedness and response. The second section expounds on technological applications to train healthcare staff for their roles and responsibilities in delivering critical health services during a disaster, as well as to integrate healthcare organizations and providers into the broader community planning and response processes. The chapter concludes with a model that has been implemented to integrate and train the broader group of community stakeholders, including healthcare organizations and providers, in disaster preparedness and response.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document