Dissemination Of Public Health Information Research Articles

Expanding public health initiatives through community pharmacies and student pharmacists: A programmatic case study

BackgroundCommunity pharmacies are critical to the public health infrastructure in the United States and provide reliable information for public health concerns. Public health agencies curate educational materials that community pharmacy teams can disseminate. Student pharmacists participate in experiential learning at community pharmacies which could be utilized for dissemination of these resources. ObjectivesThe objectives of this project were to (1) design a model for dissemination of public health information at community pharmacies; and (2) evaluate both the dissemination model’s reach within communities and student pharmacist learnings from engagement in the model. MethodsWe engaged student pharmacists in a model to disseminate information at community pharmacies for 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives about Opioid Use Disorder Anti-Stigma and Antibiotic Stewardship Education. The number of pharmacies and student pharmacists who participated from 2021 from 2023 was retrospectively reviewed to demonstrate programmatic reach. A retrospective text mining of student assignments was conducted to evaluate student experiences. Descriptive statistics were used to report quantitative data. An inductive, rapid content analysis was completed for qualitative data. ResultsAcross 3 years, 333 student pharmacists participated. Students reached 121 community pharmacies, 139 practicing pharmacist preceptors, and over 2000 patients with education and resources. Eleven student learning points emerged from the qualitative analysis. These included learnings around opioid use disorder and antibiotic stewardship. Students also acknowledged that there are public health needs present in communities and that community pharmacy teams are well-positioned to address these needs. ConclusionEngaging student pharmacists to distribute curated information from public health authorities, both to pharmacist preceptors and patients at community pharmacies, is one way to educate future pharmacists, pharmacy teams, and communities on public health priorities. Pharmacies can serve as key venues in communities for dissemination of reliable public health information.

The impact of social media advertisements and treatments on the dynamics of infectious diseases with optimal control strategies

The dissemination of public health information through television and social media posts is essential for informing the public about the transmission of contagious diseases, which is crucial in preventing the spread of various infectious diseases. In this paper, we propose a non-linear mathematical model to assess the effect of advertisements through social media in creating awareness and limiting treatment on spreading infectious diseases. These initiatives may alter population behaviour and divide the susceptible population into subgroups. In addition, to comprehend these dynamics better, we use half-saturation constant rates for media coverage and treatment. The model’s well-posedness and feasibility are evaluated. The possible biological equilibrium points are calculated. Local and global stability are carried out. The objective of our study is to produce the model’s bifurcation. Transcritical, Saddle–node, Hopf bifurcation of codimension 1 and Cusp, Generalized-Hopf (Bautin), and Bogdanov–Takens (BT) bifurcation of codimension 2 are studied for this purpose. Due to the limited medical resources and supply efficiency, the model exhibits backward bifurcation, resulting in bistability. Moreover, the occurrence condition for stability and direction of Hopf bifurcation is discussed. This model study demonstrates that the system is significantly influenced by the pace with which awareness programmes are implemented and that raising this value above a threshold may result in continuous oscillation. Sensitivity analysis employs the normalized forward sensitivity index of the basic reproduction number to provide a comprehensive understanding of the effect of various parameters on accelerating and limiting disease spread. Further, the minimum possible cost is determined by formulating an optimal control system based on sensitivity analysis and applying Pontryagin’s maximum principle. Methods of cost-effectiveness, such as ACER and ICER, are used to determine the most cost-effective control intervention strategy among all the strategies. Numerical simulations have been done to support all theoretical findings.

Message Fatigue and COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Uptake in the United States

Dissemination of public health information plays an essential role in communicable disease control and prevention. However, widespread and repeated messaging could become counterproductive if it leads to avoidance and disengagement due to message fatigue. Americans have been inundated with accurate and inaccurate COVID-19 information from myriad sources since the start of the pandemic. Using the health belief model (HBM) as a guiding framework, this study examines COVID-19-related message fatigue among adults in the United States who have gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and the association between message fatigue and COVID-19 booster uptake and intentions. A special survey module of The COVID States Project was fielded between August and September 2022 (n = 16,546). Results showed moderately high levels of message fatigue among vaccinated individuals. Message fatigue was negatively associated with the likelihood of having gotten a COVID-19 booster and intentions to do so among those who had not yet received a booster, above and beyond variance explained by the HBM constructs. These findings underscore the importance of monitoring and mitigating COVID-19-related message fatigue in encouraging the public to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination.

A deep learning and clustering‐based topic consistency modeling framework for matching health information supply and demand

AbstractImproving health literacy through health information dissemination is one of the most economical and effective mechanisms for improving population health. This process needs to fully accommodate the thematic suitability of health information supply and demand and reduce the impact of information overload and supply–demand mismatch on the enthusiasm of health information acquisition. We propose a health information topic modeling analysis framework that integrates deep learning methods and clustering techniques to model the supply‐side and demand‐side topics of health information and to quantify the thematic alignment of supply and demand. To validate the effectiveness of the framework, we have conducted an empirical analysis on a dataset with 90,418 pieces of textual data from two prominent social networking platforms. The results show that the supply of health information in general has not yet met the demand, the demand for health information has not yet been met to a considerable extent, especially for disease‐related topics, and there is clear inconsistency between the supply and demand sides for the same health topics. Public health policy‐making departments and content producers can adjust their information selection and dissemination strategies according to the distribution of identified health topics, thereby improving the effectiveness of public health information dissemination.

COVID-19 Vaccine-Related Information on the WeChat Public Platform: Topic Modeling and Content Analysis.

The COVID-19 vaccine is an effective tool in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak. As the main channel of information dissemination in the context of the epidemic, social media influences public trust and acceptance of the vaccine. The rational application of health behavior theory is a guarantee of effective public health information dissemination. However, little is known about the application of health behavior theory in web-based COVID-19 vaccine messages, especially from Chinese social media posts. This study aimed to understand the main topics and communication characteristics of hot papers related to COVID-19 vaccine on the WeChat platform and assess the health behavior theory application with the aid of health belief model (HBM). A systematic search was conducted on the Chinese social media platform WeChat to identify COVID-19 vaccine-related papers. A coding scheme was established based on the HBM, and the sample was managed and coded using NVivo 12 (QSR International) to assess the application of health behavior theory. The main topics of the papers were extracted through the Latent Dirichlet Allocation algorithm. Finally, temporal analysis was used to explore trends in the evolution of themes and health belief structures in the papers. A total of 757 papers were analyzed. Almost all (671/757, 89%) of the papers did not have an original logo. By topic modeling, 5 topics were identified, which were vaccine development and effectiveness (267/757, 35%), disease infection and protection (197/757, 26%), vaccine safety and adverse reactions (52/757, 7%), vaccine access (136/757, 18%), and vaccination science popularization (105/757, 14%). All papers identified at least one structure in the extended HBM, but only 29 papers included all of the structures. Descriptions of solutions to obstacles (585/757, 77%) and benefit (468/757, 62%) were the most emphasized components in all samples. Relatively few elements of susceptibility (208/757, 27%) and the least were descriptions of severity (135/757, 18%). Heat map visualization revealed the change in health belief structure before and after vaccine entry into the market. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the structural expression of health beliefs in information related to the COVID-19 vaccine on the WeChat public platform based on an HBM. The study also identified topics and communication characteristics before and after the market entry of vaccines. Our findings can inform customized education and communication strategies to promote vaccination not only in this pandemic but also in future pandemics.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections in passengers arriving from China and their implications on air travel and public health in Italy

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 infections in passengers arriving from China and their implications on air travel and public health in Italy

Social Bots' Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic Discussion on Twitter.

Social bots have already infiltrated social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, and so on. Exploring the role of social bots in discussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as comparing the behavioral differences between social bots and humans, is an important foundation for studying public health opinion dissemination. We collected data on Twitter and used Botometer to classify users into social bots and humans. Machine learning methods were used to analyze the characteristics of topic semantics, sentiment attributes, dissemination intentions, and interaction patterns of humans and social bots. The results show that 22% of these accounts were social bots, while 78% were humans, and there are significant differences in the behavioral characteristics between them. Social bots are more concerned with the topics of public health news than humans are with individual health and daily lives. More than 85% of bots' tweets are liked, and they have a large number of followers and friends, which means they have influence on internet users' perceptions about disease transmission and public health. In addition, social bots, located mainly in Europe and America countries, create an "authoritative" image by posting a lot of news, which in turn gains more attention and has a significant effect on humans. The findings contribute to understanding the behavioral patterns of new technologies such as social bots and their role in the dissemination of public health information.

Voice Assistants' Responses to Questions About the COVID-19 Vaccine: National Cross-sectional Study.

Artificial intelligence-powered voice assistants (VAs), such as Apple Siri, Google Assistant, and Amazon Alexa, interact with users in natural language and are capable of responding to simple commands, searching the internet, and answering questions. Despite being an increasingly popular way for the public to access health information, VAs could be a source of ambiguous or potentially biased information. In response to the ongoing prevalence of vaccine misinformation and disinformation, this study aims to evaluate how smartphone VAs respond to information- and recommendation-seeking inquiries regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. A national cross-sectional survey of English-speaking adults who owned a smartphone with a VA installed was conducted online from April 22 to 28, 2021. The primary outcomes were the VAs' responses to 2 questions: "Should I get the COVID vaccine?" and "Is the COVID vaccine safe?" Directed content analysis was used to assign a negative, neutral, or positive connotation to each response and website title provided by the VAs. Statistical significance was assessed using the t test (parametric) or Mann-Whitney U (nonparametric) test for continuous variables and the chi-square or Fisher exact test for categorical variables. Of the 466 survey respondents included in the final analysis, 404 (86.7%) used Apple Siri, 53 (11.4%) used Google Assistant, and 9 (1.9%) used Amazon Alexa. In response to the question "Is the COVID vaccine safe?" 419 (89.9%) users received a direct response, of which 408 (97.3%) had a positive connotation encouraging users to get vaccinated. Of the websites presented, only 5.3% (11/207) had a positive connotation and 94.7% (196/207) had a neutral connotation. In response to the question "Should I get the COVID vaccine?" 93.1% (434/466) of users received a list of websites, of which 91.5% (1155/1262) had a neutral connotation. For both COVID-19 vaccine-related questions, there was no association between the connotation of a response and the age, gender, zip code, race or ethnicity, and education level of the respondent. Our study found that VAs were much more likely to respond directly with positive connotations to the question "Is the COVID vaccine safe?" but not respond directly and provide a list of websites with neutral connotations to the question "Should I get the COVID vaccine?" To our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate how VAs respond to both information- and recommendation-seeking inquiries regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. These findings add to our growing understanding of both the opportunities and pitfalls of VAs in supporting public health information dissemination.

COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among pregnant women attending antenatal care in public hospitals in eastern Ethiopia: A multi‐center facility‐based cross‐sectional study

ObjectivesThe Ethiopian government had planned to vaccinate the total population and started to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine but, there is limited evidence about vaccine acceptance among pregnant women. Thus, this study aimed to assess COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and associated factors among pregnant women attending an antenatal care unit clinic in Eastern Ethiopia. Study designA facility-based cross-sectional study. MethodsA study was conducted from June 01 to 30/2021 among systematically selected pregnant women. Data were collected using a pre-tested structured questionnaire, which was adapted from previous studies, through a face-to-face interview. Predictors were assessed using a multivariable logistic regression model and reported using an adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI. Statistical significance was declared at p-value less than 0.05. ResultsIn this study, data from 645 pregnant women were used in the analysis. Overall, 62.2% of pregnant women were willing to be vaccinated if the vaccine is approved by the relevant authority. Fear of side effects (62.04%), a lack of information (54.29%), and uncertainty about the vaccine's safety and efficacy (25%) were the most common reasons for refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The odds of unwillingness to accept the COVID-19 vaccine among pregnant women were increased significantly among mothers who were able to read and write [AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: (1.16, 7.23)], attain 9-12 grade level [AOR = 4.2, 95% CI: (2.1, 8.5)], lack information [AOR = 2.2, 95% CI: (1.41, 3.57)], and having a history of chronic diseases [AOR = 2.52, 95% CI: (1.34, 4.7)]. ConclusionLess than two-thirds of pregnant women were willing to accept the COVID-19 vaccine. Extensive public health information dissemination aimed at women with lower educational backgrounds and a history of chronic disease could be critical.

Guideline proposal for pharma companies to manage pharmacovigilance activities in digital media

Internet has become a central part of our everyday lives. Digital media are integrated in our daily routines and play a critical role in the dissemination of public health information and disease prevention guidelines. For this reason, digital activities are becoming more and more impacting in pharma company activities and this is an increasing trend after the pandemic period. Managing digital activities from pharmacovigilance (PV) perspective may have challenges linked to correct assessment of the activities and application of PV rules: this was underlined in recent publications, where the need to have more specific guidelines linked to digital activities management was evidenced. Considering this scenario and the continuous evolution of the digital activities, the SIMEF PV working group decided to work on a proposal guideline to provide support to PV departments in pharma companies, suggesting a framework to manage sponsored digital activities (i.e., website, web apps, social media webpage, chatbots) impacting potential collection of adverse events (AEs). The purpose of this guideline is to provide useful instructions on how to manage PV requirements for digital activities, suggesting potential solutions for assessing initiatives, creating governance framework, conducting a correct vendor management, and suggesting practical approaches for AEs reporting and follow-up. The aim of this document is also to trigger a broader discussion among relevant stakeholders on which PV guidelines may be useful and appropriate considering this continuous evolving scenario.

Smokeless tobacco quitting during COVID-19: A mixed-methods pilot study among participants screened for a cessation trial in India

IntroductionCOVID-19 and subsequent country-wide lockdown has impacted smokeless tobacco (SLT) product availability in India. We aimed to examine SLT quitting during COVID-19 lockdown among SLT users who consented to be enrolled in a cessation programme. MethodsBetween January–March 2020, we screened 227 exclusive SLT users to be enrolled in a randomized-controlled feasibility study on SLT cessation. However, all activities were suspended due to national lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To examine the quitting intention and behaviour during COVID-19 lockdown, we re-contacted these individuals telephonically; during September–October 2020. ResultsOf 227 participants, 87 (38.3%) could not be contacted on phone. We conducted telephonic qualitative interviews and assessed the SLT use status, willingness to quit and participate in the SLT cessation trial among the remaining 140 participants. Among these, 12.1% (17/140) showed no willingness to participate in the study due to migration. Since COVID-19 lockdown, 32.1% (45/140) participants reported quitting SLT due to non-availability, increased cost of products, shifts in community norms and family pressures. ConclusionsCOVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for tobacco cessation as stringent bans and isolation from social circles enabled tobacco cessation. It also triggered improvement in dissemination of public health information at an unprecedented scale, particularly related to the vulnerability of tobacco users to co-morbidities and harm from SARS CoV-2 infection. Implementation of strict bans on sale and consumption of SLT and strengthening of cessation support may lead to sustainable tobacco control. This study provides insight into effective policy strategies to reduce SLT use; which need to be substantiated with adequate cessation support.

Health Information Seeking Behaviors on Social Media During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among American Social Networking Site Users: Survey Study.

BackgroundIn recent years, medical journals have emphasized the increasingly critical role that social media plays in the dissemination of public health information and disease prevention guidelines. However, platforms such as Facebook and Twitter continue to pose unique challenges for clinical health care providers and public health officials alike. In order to effectively communicate during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it is increasingly critical for health care providers and public health officials to understand how patients gather health-related information on the internet and adjudicate the merits of such information.ObjectiveWith that goal in mind, we conducted a survey of 1003 US-based adults to better understand how health consumers have used social media to learn and stay informed about the COVID-19 pandemic, the extent to which they have relied on credible scientific information sources, and how they have gone about fact-checking pandemic-related information.MethodsA web-based survey was conducted with a sample that was purchased through an industry-leading market research provider. The results were reported with a 95% confidence level and a margin of error of 3. Participants included 1003 US-based adults (aged ≥18 years). Participants were selected via a stratified quota sampling approach to ensure that the sample was representative of the US population. Balanced quotas were determined (by region of the country) for gender, age, race, and ethnicity.ResultsThe results showed a heavy reliance on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic; more than three-quarters of respondents (762/1003, 76%) reported that they have relied on social media at least “a little,” and 59.2% (594/1003) of respondents indicated that they read information about COVID-19 on social media at least once per week. According to the findings, most social media users (638/1003, 63.6%) were unlikely to fact-check what they see on the internet with a health professional, despite the high levels of mistrust in the accuracy of COVID-19–related information on social media. We also found a greater likelihood of undergoing vaccination among those following more credible scientific sources on social media during the pandemic (χ216=50.790; φ=0.258; P<.001).ConclusionsThe findings suggest that health professionals will need to be both strategic and proactive when engaging with health consumers on social media if they hope to counteract the deleterious effects of misinformation and disinformation. Effective training, institutional support, and proactive collaboration can help health professionals adapt to the evolving patterns of health information seeking.

Masculinity and misinformation: Social dynamics of liver fluke infection risk in Thailand.

Liver fluke infection through the consumption of raw or undercooked freshwater fish is a major public health problem in the Mekong Region. Despite the extensive efforts of liver fluke health campaigns, Northeast Thailand still reports high human infection prevalence as consumption of raw fish dishes has diminished but not ceased. This study examines the roles of social-cultural factors, particularly the influences of masculinity and misinformation, on liver fluke infection risk. Participant observation, questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews were conducted in four villages in Kalasin Province, Thailand, to scrutinize reasons for raw fish consumption, gender differences in raw fish culture, processes of liver fluke information dissemination, and the extent of information mismatch. Our results show that one of the key reasons (76.9%) underlying continued raw fish consumption are deeply embedded cultural practices associated with ways of rural life. About 30% of the participants indicated that they would not avoid eating raw fish, regardless of knowing the health consequences. Gender difference is evident, with 75.6% of males consuming raw fish salad (koi pla), compared to 42.7% of females. Some male participants associate raw meat consumption with virility and strength. Such beliefs underscore the cultural linkage of koi pla consumption with masculinity. Misconceptions of liver fluke life cycle and risk of infection remain, as only 15.3% of the participants correctly selected raw fish as the food source for liver fluke infection while 84.2% misunderstood that other raw foods could lead to infection. The multi-layered and hierarchical structure of public health information dissemination from medical professionals to health officers and village health volunteers to villagers has contributed to information mismatch between different layers. Our study builds on others which call for multi-pronged scientific and social strategies, as well as culturally attuned approaches to public health messaging. The study raises masculinity and misinformation as relevant considerations in disease prevention. Incorporating grounded research and gendered perspectives are part of appreciating the cultural roots of raw fish consumption. Realizing the significant role of village health volunteers in information dissemination and in supplying coherent public health messages is vital for effective health campaigns.

Associations between population based voting trends during the 2016 US presidential election and adolescent vaccination rates

BackgroundPolitics play a role in the dissemination of public health information, including immunization-related issues. We aim to describe relationships between HPV vaccination rates and state voting patterns during the 2016 US presidential election. MethodsWe classified each of the 50 states as either “Red” or “Blue,” based on whether a higher proportion of the state’s casted votes were for the Republican or Democratic nominee during the 2016 US presidential election. State-specific HPV, Tdap, and meningococcal vaccination rates were obtained from the 2016-National Immunization Survey-Teen. State socio-demographic factors and HPV vaccine legislation were obtained from the US Census Bureau and National Conference of State Legislatures. Vaccination rates and socio-demographic variables were compared using independent t-tests. Multiple linear regression compared vaccination rates between “Red” and “Blue” states, adjusting for percentage of both uninsured children and educational attainment. ResultsCompared to “Blue” states, “Red” states had significantly lower unadjusted HPV vaccine series initiation (56% vs 66%, p < 0.05) and completion (39% vs 50%, p < 0.05) rates; yet had similar rates of Tdap (88% vs 89%, p > 0.05) and meningococcal (79% vs 83%, p > 0.05) vaccinations. After adjusting for potential confounders, the regression-adjusted mean rate for HPV vaccine initiation and completion remained significantly lower for “Red” states compared to “Blue” states (57% vs 65%, p < 0.05, and 41% vs 48%, p < 0.05, respectively). ConclusionHPV vaccination rates are associated with statewide-level voting patterns. Future interventions aimed at improving HPV vaccination rates should consider engaging local and national elected leaders to be proactive in disseminating accurate and authoritative immunization information.

Online social networking and US poison control centers: Facebook as a means of information distribution

Background. Online social networking services such as Facebook provide a novel medium for the dissemination of public health information by poison control centers in the United States. We performed a cross-sectional study of poison control center Facebook pages to describe and assess the use of this medium. Methods. Facebook pages associated with poison control centers were identified during a continuous two-week period from December 24, 2012 to January 7, 2013. Data were extracted from each page, including affiliated poison control center; page duration, measured in years since registration; number of subscribers; number of postings by general toxicological category; and measures of user-generated activity including “likes”, “shares”, and comments per posting. Results. Among the 56 US poison control centers, 39 Facebook pages were identified, of which 29 were currently active. The total number of active pages has increased by 140% from 2009 to 2013 (average of 25% per year). The total number of all subscribers to active pages was 11,211, ranging from 40 to 2,456 (mean 387, SD 523), equal to 0.006% of all Facebook users in the United States. The number of subscribers per page was associated with page duration, number of postings, and type of postings. The types of toxicological postings were public education (45%), self-promotion (28%), childhood safety (12%), drugs of abuse (8%), environmental poisonings (6%), and general overdoses (1%). Conclusion. Slightly over half of all poison control centers in the United States are supplementing their outreach and education efforts through Facebook. In general, the more active the poison control center on Facebook, the more page followers and follower engagement gained.

The Changing Nature of Health Information Dissemination through the Role of Social Media

Traditional forms of health information dissemination have previously involved a few key organizations originating health-related information and disseminating this to clinicians and the community. This information was typically disseminated via private, formalized and non-digital interactions between health information sources (HIS) and clinicians and consumers. With the introduction of the Internet, Web-based health information dissemination led to some changes with greater availability of online health information. However the recent adoption and uptake of social media has led to many more parties, both organizations of varying types, and individuals, participating in public health information dissemination; and this has also led to new forms of sharing health-related information, particularly involving a greater role for individuals. In this paper we introduce empirical findings in relation to how organizations and individuals are now using social media for sharing health information, and from this suggest themes to describe the changes from traditional to contemporary health information dissemination, as well as the new emerging roles and forms of interaction for health information dissemination.

Dissemination of public health information: key tools utilised by the NECOBELAC network in Europe and Latin America

BackgroundOpen Access (OA) to scientific information is an important step forward in communication patterns, yet we still need to reinforce OA principles to promote a cultural change of traditional publishing practices. The advantages of free access to scientific information are even more evident in public health where knowledge is directly associated with human wellbeing.ObjectivesAn OA ‘consolidation’ initiative in public health is presented to show how the involvement of people and institutions is fundamental to create awareness on OA and promote a cultural change. This initiative is developed within the project NEtwork of COllaboration Between Europe and Latin American Caribbean countries (NECOBELAC), financed by the European Commission.MethodsThree actions are envisaged: Capacity building through a flexible and sustainable training programme on scientific writing and OA publishing; creation of training tools based on semantic web technologies; development of a network of supporting institutions.ResultsIn 2010–2011, 23 training initiatives were performed involving 856 participants from 15 countries; topic maps on scientific publication and OA were produced; 195 institutions are included in the network.ConclusionsCultural change in scientific dissemination practices is a long process requiring a flexible approach and strong commitment by all stakeholders.

Pet birds and risks of respiratory disease in Australia: a review

Exposure to birds has long been associated with disease in humans. Three respiratory diseases (psittacosis, allergic alveolitis and asthma) were reviewed in association with pet bird ownership with the aim to clarify the spectrum of avian-related respiratory illnesses. Nineteen studies were selected for review based on recreational bird exposure in relation to psittacosis, allergic alveolitis and asthma. Literature reveals little consensus on the relationship between pet bird ownership and respiratory illness. Future studies should aim to clarify the spectrum of avian-related illnesses, and to direct the dissemination of public health information to clinicians and members of the public who keep birds as pets.

Development and Construct Validation of the Pharmacists' Care of Migraineurs Scale

To develop the pharmacists' care of migraineurs scale (PCMS) and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Migraine is often managed suboptimally in primary care. Migraineurs frequently come into contact with community pharmacists, who have the opportunity to make a positive impact on migraineur treatment outcomes. A valid and reliable tool that measures and documents the care provided by pharmacists to migraineurs is critical to the development and evaluation of educational programs and interventions. Relevant domains of pharmacist care and their respective composite items (behaviors) were identified through an extensive literature search and the use of 2 pharmacist and 2 migraineur focus groups sessions. The resultant 45 PCMS items composed a survey questionnaire mailed to a nationwide random sample of 6000 pharmacists. Data were subjected to an exploratory principal axis factoring procedure to discern the factor structure, and as such describe the latent domains composing the pharmacist caring behaviors constructs. A total of 580 usable responses were returned, with an additional 60 returned as undeliverable, thus yielding a response rate of 9.7%. Exploratory factor analysis using principal axis factoring yielded 9 factors. However, upon examining the scree plot, communalities, and factor loadings, a reanalysis forcing a 7-factor solution yielded a more interpretable and plausible factor structure. The 7-factor solution included the following domains: (1) empathy; (2) prospective drug utilization review for newly diagnosed migraineurs; (3) medication counseling; (4) nonpharmacologic treatment plan; (5) headache sufferer triage; (6) dissemination of public health information; (7) maintenance of knowledge on migraine. Following the application of scale purification procedures, the final instrument is composed of 41 items and demonstrated a Cronbach's alpha reliability of 0.947. Cronbach's alpha reliabilities for the 7 domains ranged from 0.67 to 0.91, indicative of good to excellent internal consistency reliabilities for all the domains. The PCMS demonstrated very good construct validity and reliability. While additional validity testing is warranted, the PCMS should allow for benchmarking in the evaluation of interventions designed to improve pharmacists' care to migraineurs and for identifying correlates to effective community pharmacist migraineur care.

Web-based tool for injury risk assessment of foreign body injuries in children

Web-based surveillance systems enhance the ability for identifying, estimating and assessing public health hazards. In this paper we describe the development of a Web-based surveillance registry called Susy Safe for inorganic foreign body injuries in children aged 0–14. The Susy Safe system, which collected 2103 cases during 2000–2002 in 19 European countries, allows for notifying from physicians over the internet thus taking advantage of Web reporting capabilities. Functions include automated risk analysis engine and results visualization. Risk analysis engine has been implemented in a Bayesian framework and provides an update estimate of the risk profile of the products causing injuries, effectively as new data become available. The system contributes to simplify the physician reporting and improve public health information dissemination within consumers and consumers’ association. Also it gives physician and researcher the access of a large amount of data otherwise scattered all around in different hospitals. Finally, supplying a quantitative risk assessment for the identification of hazardous characteristics of objects, such as dimensions or shape, it works toward an improvement of consumer products’ safety design.