According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012), “…it is important to conduct surveillance to determine the extent and scope of the health effects on the affected populations…Public health surveillance during a disaster allows for the detection of potential disease outbreaks and track disease and injury trends.” In public health emergencies, decisions need to be made in a very short period, which is very different than a standard epidemiological investigation.
Please answer the following:
1. Discuss a scenario (your experience if possible) when an attempt to control health problems was implemented. Be sure to focus on the health of a community, rather than the individual patients.
2. How are rapid needs assessments used during disasters and emergencies?
EXAMPLES BELOW
1. Discuss a scenario (your experience if possible) when an attempt to control health problems was implemented. Be sure to focus on the health of a community, rather than the individual patients.
In my last position as a phlebotomist, prior to covid, when a worker tested positive for influenza A or B, they were to stay home for 5 days from the positive test date. This was to prevent the illness spreading amongst the staff and/or patients. The area the employee worked within was sanitized to hopefully kill any lingering germs as well. If any others who worked closely with that employee displayed symptoms or just wanted to be tested, they were tested as well to try to prevent a major outbreak amongst staff, and the resulting short-staffing issue that would follow.
Precautions to prevent the spread of influenza during the peak season were that we had to mask and glove up before interacting with patients suspected of having the illness. They were quarantined in their clinic room as much as possible (to limit interaction with staff and other patients) so we would draw their blood there and take them to the nearest restroom for urine specimens. After the patient left the clinic, the room was disinfected with a spray including the blood pressure cuffs, and then the spray was left to dry naturally for the recommended timeframe. If a patient did make it down to the lab even though they were positive, we would try to take them back to their room if we caught it in time or shut that waiting room down and disinfect the seats, and then disinfect the phlebotomy chair they were drawn in as well. Hand washing as well as using hand sanitizer between patients while always encouraged was more thoroughly supervised.
2. How are rapid needs assessments used during disasters and emergencies?
According to the Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) rapid needs assessments (RNAs) provide reliable and actionable data during epidemics (Schnall et al., 2020). CASPER can be used by public health leaders and emergency managers to help them gather household-based information on a community to determine things like health status and basic needs (Schnall et al., 2020). CASPERs are useful for the following:
• Upholding petitions for financing or projects in the middle of restoration efforts.
• Appropriating limited supplies.
• Adapting crisis readiness strategy.
• Answering the communities’ particular needs like additional oxygen or medications.
• Directing information and instruction correspondence to the community.
• Supplying accurate facts to elected officials, news media, and other leadership to validate or eliminate gossip, or corroborate questions.
“Disaster surveillance helps to identify disaster related health problems; provides information to prevent or reduce injury, illness, or death; and helps guide prevention strategies for future disasters.” (Nakata et al., 2016)
