Public health resources for smart-home scenario development: A methodological approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-170
Author(s):  
Michiel Brink ◽  
Remy D. van der Vlies ◽  
Adriana Schalkwijk Ribeiro ◽  
Ignacio González Alonso ◽  
Johanna E.M.H. van Bronswijk
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Scenario Development

Improving Disease Outbreak Forecasting Models for Efficient Targeting of Public Health Resources

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lasantha Fernando ◽  
Sriganesh Lokanathan ◽  
Amal Shehan Perera ◽  
Azhar Ghouse ◽  
Hasitha Tissera
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Disease Outbreak ◽  
Forecasting Models

scholarly journals The need for translation and cultural adaptation of audiology questionnaires to enable the development of hearing healthcare policies in the Pacific Islands: a Samoan perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Annette Kaspar ◽  
Sione Pifeleti ◽  
Carlie Driscoll
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Health Policy ◽  
Cultural Adaptation ◽  
Pacific Islands ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Hearing Health ◽  
Translation And Cultural Adaptation

Abstract Background Translation and cultural adaptation of health resources is an integral part of good health-policy development and health program implementation. As part of our efforts to address ear disease and hearing loss in the Pacific Islands, we promote the translation an cultural adaptation of hearing-related questionnaires into local languages and cultural contexts. The Pacific Islands have among the highest rates of ear and hearing disorders in the world and, given the scarcity of ear/hearing health professionals in the region, a public health approach that uses appropriately translated ear/hearing health resources is highly recommended to tackle this health issue. Although formal translation and culturally adaption of hearing-related questionnaires may seem a cumbersome process, the aim of this commentary is to illustrate the potential benefits of translating two audiology questionnaires for our use in Samoa. We have carefully selected questionnaires that will serve multiple purposes (i.e., clinical, epidemiology, monitoring and evaluation, evidence-based health policy formulation and implementation), thus making the process ultimately beneficial and worthwhile. Main body The leading cause of preventable hearing loss among Samoan adolescents and young people is excessive noise exposure to recreational and environmental noise. The Youth Attitude to Noise Scale is a validated tool that assess knowledge and attitudes of adolescents towards recreational and environmental noise, and a Samoan version should provide preliminary data to guide health promotion activities for adolescents on noise-induced hearing loss. The leading cause of hearing disability among older adult Samoans is age-related hearing loss. The Revised Hearing Handicap Inventory is a tool that assess the emotional and social/situational impact of hearing difficulty among older adults, and a Samoan version should provide preliminary data to guide the development of auditory rehabilitation services. Conclusion Investment in quality translations and cultural adaptations of hearing-related questionnaires is essential for the development of audiology services that are relevant to their Pacific Island context. The use of formally translated audiology questionnaires in research studies will optimise data quality, leading to improved hearing health promotion activities, as well as provision of evidence for advocacy for public health noise policy legislation.

Visibility and security in the smart home

2021 ◽  
pp. 135485652110300
Author(s):  
Justine Humphry ◽  
Chris Chesher
Keyword(s):  
Cultural History ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Smart Home ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Security Systems ◽  
The Uncanny ◽  
A Site ◽  
Over Time

Smart home, media and security systems intervene in the territory and boundaries of the home in a variety of ways. Among these are the capacity to watch the home from afar, and to record these observations over time, as well as using the home as a site of performance for those on the outside. In this paper, we map the meanings of the smart home and explore the tensions between security and visibility, adopting a cultural history and cultural analysis methodological approach. We make a contribution to the literature on the smart home, highlighting its connection to longer trajectories of media and cultural change, and to understanding the contemporary formations of technologised surveillance, with attention to practices that emerged in response to COVID-19. We focus on two aspects of our model of domestic smartification: Ludics (devices and systems for play or entertainment) and exteriorities (security and communication interfaces that remotely monitor and expose the home). We focus on these aspects relating them to ideas of haunting and the uncanny to explore the implications of making what was previously hidden visible and manipulable to others.

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.

scholarly journals Epidemiological Characteristics and Spatiotemporal Analysis of Mumps from 2004 to 2018 in Chongqing, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (17) ◽  
pp. 3052 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhu ◽  
Zhao ◽  
Ou ◽  
Xiang ◽  
Hu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Spatial Autocorrelation ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Scan Statistics ◽  
Time Space ◽  
High Incidence ◽  
Epidemiological Characteristics

Mumps vaccines have been widely used in recent years, but frequent mumps outbreaks and re-emergence around the world have not stopped. Mumps still remains a serious public health problem with a high incidence in China. The status of mumps epidemics in Chongqing, the largest city in China, is still unclear. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological and spatiotemporal characteristics of mumps and to provide a scientific basis for formulating effective strategies for its prevention and control. Surveillance data of mumps in Chongqing from January 2004 to December 2018 were collected from the National Notifiable Diseases Reporting Information System. A descriptive analysis was conducted to understand the epidemiological characteristics. Hot spots and spatiotemporal patterns were identified by performing a spatial autocorrelation analysis, a purely spatial scan, and a spatiotemporal scan at the county level based on geographic information systems. A total of 895,429 mumps cases were reported in Chongqing, with an annual average incidence of 36.34 per 100,000. The yearly incidence of mumps decreased markedly from 2004 to 2007, increased sharply from 2007 to 2011, and then tapered with a two-year cyclical peak after 2011. The onset of mumps showed an obvious bimodal seasonal distribution, with a higher peak of mumps observed from April to July of each year. Children aged 5–9 years old, males, and students were the prime high-risk groups. The spatial distribution of mumps did not exhibit significant global autocorrelation in most years, but local indicators of spatial autocorrelation and scan statistics detected high-incidence clusters which were mainly located in the midwestern, western, northeastern, and southwestern parts of Chongqing. The aggregation time frame detected by the purely temporal scan was between March 2009 and July 2013. The incidence of mumps in Chongqing from 2004 to 2018 featured significant spatial heterogeneity and spatiotemporal clustering. The findings of this study might assist public health agencies to develop real-time space monitoring, especially in the clustering regions and at peak periods; to improve immunization strategies for long-term prevention; and to deploy health resources reasonably.

Mental Health Triage Tools for Medically Cleared Disaster Survivors: An Evaluation by MRC Volunteers and Public Health Workers

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald E. Brannen ◽  
Robert Barcus ◽  
Mark A. McDonnell ◽  
Andrea Price ◽  
Corey Alsept ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
The Past ◽  
Clinical Vignettes ◽  
Interclass Correlation ◽  
Disaster Survivors ◽  
Public Health Workers ◽  
Better Than

AbstractObjectivePsychological assessment after disasters determines which survivors are acutely distressed or medically compromised and what kind of assistance is needed (whether practical or psychological). A mental health triage tool can help direct more people to the appropriate type of help. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the Fast Mental Health Triage Tool (FMHT) and the Alsept-Price Mental Health Scale (APMHS) among public health workers and Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) volunteers in conducting mental health triage. Both tools screen for ability to follow simple commands, chronic medical conditions, mental health conditions and services, occult injuries, and traumatic events in the past year. Both were designed for use in disasters where mental health resources are scarce and survivors are already medically triaged.MethodsVolunteers (n = 204) and workers (n = 66) were randomized into 3 groups, with 79 participating. Fifty-nine raters completed 20 each of 1180 mental health clinical vignettes of disaster survivors.ResultsThe survey presenting the vignettes was highly reliable at 0.771; the study model was parallel between baseline and treatment; and the interclass correlation among the raters was high at 0.852. Each rater triaged the same cases, but the rater was randomly assigned to use FMHT, APMHS, or no tool or scale. Between-subject effect for the tools used was significant (P = .039). The FMHT was significantly better than no tool in correct mental health triage, 67.3% to 51.5% (P = .028).ConclusionThe incorporation of a temporal component should be evaluated for potential inclusion in existing mental health triage systems. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;7:20-28)

The Economic Impact of Tuberculosis in Hospitals in New York City: A Preliminary Analysis

1993 ◽  
Vol 21 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 317-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter S. Arno ◽  
Christopher J.L. Murray ◽  
Karen A. Bonuck ◽  
Philip Alcabes
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Health Resources ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Public Health Crisis ◽  
Aids Epidemic ◽  
The City

There is a nationwide resurgence of tuberculosis (TB) in the country’s urban centers; New York City stands at the forefront of this resurgence. The root causes are increased homelessness, drug addiction and poverty, all symbols of deteriorating social and economic conditions in the city. The inadequate level of public health resources devoted to TB has also contributed to its spread. Still, even with these factors, it is questionable whether the escalating number of TB cases in this country would have occurred without the reservoir of immunosuppressed persons, who are less resistant to the disease, created by the AIDS epidemic. The fear and urgency of this public health crisis, which has been emerging since the beginning of the last decade, are fueled by the rise of TB strains resistant to the first-line drugs and by the disease’s contagiousness.

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