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11 – 20 of over 5000
Open Access

Abstract

Purpose

As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to spread across countries, it is becoming increasingly clear that the presence of pre-existing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) dramatically increases the risk of aggravation in persons who contract the virus. The neglect in managing NCDs during emergencies may result in fatal consequences for individuals living with comorbidities. This paper aims to highlight the need for a paradigm shift in the governance of public health emergencies to simultaneously address NCD and noncommunicable disease (CD) pandemics while taking into account the needs of high-risk populations, underlying etiological factors, and the social, economic, and environmental determinants that are relevant for both CDs and NCDs.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the available global frameworks for pandemic preparedness to highlight the governance challenges of addressing the dual agenda of NCDs and CDs during a public health emergency. It proposes key strategies to strengthen multilevel governance in support of countries to better prepare for public health emergencies through the engagement of a wide range of stakeholders across sectors.

Findings

Addressing both CD and NCD pandemics during public health emergencies requires (1) a new framework that unites the narratives and overcomes service and system fragmentations; (2) a multisectoral and multistakeholder governance mechanism empowered and resourced to include stakeholders across sectors and (3) a prioritized research agenda to understand the political economy of pandemics, the role played by different political systems and actors and implementation challenges, and to identify combined strategies to address the converging agendas of CDs and NCDs.

Research limitations/implications

The article is based on the review of available published evidence.

Practical implications

The uptake of the strategies proposed will better prepare countries to respond to NCD and CD pandemics during public health emergencies.

Originality/value

The article is the first of its kind addressing the governance challenges of the dual pandemic of NCDs and CDs in emergencies.

Details

International Journal of Health Governance, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-4631

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2022

Esmail Heidaranlu, Asghar Tavan and Mohsen Aminizadeh

This study aims to evaluate the functional readiness of selected hospitals in Tehran in the face of biological events focusing on the Coronavirus.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the functional readiness of selected hospitals in Tehran in the face of biological events focusing on the Coronavirus.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study is a cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study, with the research population consisting of four hospitals in Tehran (Ministry of Health, Social Security, Azad and Military University). This study used data collection tools, standardized functional preparedness tools for hospitals using a biological approach and a standardized checklist of biological event preparations for the American Hospital Association. Interviews with the incident and disaster committee director and observation of each hospital’s existing documents, were used to collect data, which was then analyzed using SPSS-16 software.

Findings

According to the results, the average percentage of total hospital preparedness in biological events is 36.9%. With 53.3%, the selected military hospital has the most preparation, whereas the Ministry of Health has the lowest preparation with 28.3%. Surge capacity management and communication had the most remarkable preparedness rate of 68.75% (adequate preparedness), biological consultants, meeting management and post-disaster recovery had the lowest preparedness rate of 0% (extremely weak preparedness).

Practical implications

The average functional preparedness of selected hospitals in Tehran was assessed at an insufficient level in this study. Given the recurrence of disease waves, these results are helpful in increasing hospital preparedness for impending events. Improving preparedness in most areas, especially in post-disaster recovery seems necessary.

Originality/value

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to assess hospitals’ readiness to increase capacity and respond to this scourge. Few studies have been done in this field in the world. This study investigates this issue in the capital of Iran. The finding of this study suggest authorities’ attention to this issue and the creation of severe and prompt solutions and measures and the use of military hospital experiences to improve biological threat preparedness.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 7 February 2024

Elveta D. Smith

The years following the 9/11/2001 terrorists attacks saw a marked increase in community and hospital emergency preparedness, from communications across community networks…

Abstract

Purpose

The years following the 9/11/2001 terrorists attacks saw a marked increase in community and hospital emergency preparedness, from communications across community networks, development of policies and procedures, to attainment and training in the use of biological warfare resources. Regular drills ensured emergency and health care personnel were trained and prepared to address the next large-scale crisis, especially from terrorist and bioterrorist attacks. This chapter looks at some of the more familiar global health issues over the past two decades and the lessons learned from hospital responses to inform hospital management in preparation for future incidents.

Search Methods

This study is a narrative review of the literature related to lessons learned from four major events in the time period from 2002 to 2023 – SARS, MERS, Ebola, and COVID-19.

Search Results

The initial search yielded 25,913 articles; 57 articles were selected for inclusion in the study.

Discussion and Conclusions

Comparison of key issues and lessons learned among the four major events described in this article – SARS, MERS, Ebola, and COVID-19 – highlight that several lessons are “relearned” with each event. Other key issues, such as supply shortages, staffing availability, and hospital capacity to simultaneously provide care to noninfectious patients came to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic. A primary, ongoing concern for hospitals is how to maintain their preparedness given competing priorities, resources, and staff time. This concern remains post-COVID-19.

Details

Research and Theory to Foster Change in the Face of Grand Health Care Challenges
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-655-3

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 March 2021

Amarendu Nandy, Chhavi Tiwari and Sayantan Kundu

The COVID-19 pandemic educed extraordinary policy responses globally, including in India, to flatten the infection-growth curve. The trajectories of infections, recovery, and…

1105

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic educed extraordinary policy responses globally, including in India, to flatten the infection-growth curve. The trajectories of infections, recovery, and deaths vastly differed across Indian states. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether persistent investments by states in critical social sectors, such as health and education, explain their preparedness and hence better management of the pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses secondary data on the number of infected, recovered and deceased due to COVID-19, along with data on population and income across 302 districts in 11 major states in India. Data on health and education indices are collected at the state-level. Linear regression models that also control for heteroskedasticity are applied.

Findings

This study finds that higher investments in health care and education reduce the propensity of the infection spread. Further, states with persistent investments in health care and education exhibit a higher rate of recovery. This study also finds that death rates are significantly lower in states with higher investments in education.

Research limitations/implications

The findings support the conjecture that states that have consistently invested in social sectors benefited from the associated positive externalities during the crisis that helped them manage the pandemic better.

Originality/value

This study will help policymakers understand the underlying social forces critical to the success in the fight against pandemics. Apart from improving preparedness for future pandemics, the evidence provided in the paper may help give better direction and purpose to tax-financed public spending in states where social sector development has hitherto received low priority.

Details

Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6166

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 30 November 2020

Lena Bucatariu

Despite a ravaging pandemic worldwide, Vietnam managed to contain the local outbreak, partly owing to its carefully implemented risk communications campaign. This chapter…

Abstract

Despite a ravaging pandemic worldwide, Vietnam managed to contain the local outbreak, partly owing to its carefully implemented risk communications campaign. This chapter investigated the effectiveness of official Vietnam government communications, the sentiment of foreign media reporting on Vietnam, and any challenges. Content analysis was applied to samples from government communications (43 samples); international articles (46); and social media conversations (33). Official government communications were quite accurate, timely, and effective in displaying transparency, employing war symbolism, and shared responsibility, but should more clearly separate between state and expert, offer differing views, and highlight the benefits of compliance. International articles praised the government's viral PSA TikTok video, its transparency, and the netizens' nationalist narratives. While some evidence was found for infodemic, blaming, and heroization, the sample was too small to be conclusive. Future studies should expand the timeframe to a longer duration, quantitatively appraise a wider sampling of social media conversations, and possibly conduct primary interviews with experts, policy makers, and the public.

Details

International Case Studies in the Management of Disasters
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83982-187-5

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 23 January 2023

Kahler W. Stone

The governmental public health workforce provides essential public health services to communities from public health agencies operations at the local, state, and federal levels of

Abstract

The governmental public health workforce provides essential public health services to communities from public health agencies operations at the local, state, and federal levels of government. The roles and duties of public health workers range from infectious disease tracking and control to healthy eating promotion to checking food service establishments for safety. Unfortunately, most of the time, the general public is unaware of, and unconcerned with, public health’s primary mission of disease prevention. This behind-the-scenes, service-oriented workforce has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by working long hours, extra days, and ever-changing job roles, all while becoming targets of political attacks and enduring substantially elevated psychological distress and burnout. Though this workforce is not well enumerated, existing studies indicate that public health workers face higher anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and burnout than other frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Several strategies have been suggested to address these vulnerabilities, including increasing the amount and stability of available funding, implementing organizational-level policies and programming to boost resilience, and providing individual-level social support, both instrumental and emotional, to protect against burnout and other psychological distresses.

Details

COVID-19, Frontline Responders and Mental Health: A Playbook for Delivering Resilient Public Health Systems Post-Pandemic
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-115-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 July 2022

Yuxiang Hong, Jiaqing Zhao, Jian Yu and Huihui Wang

Enhancing the initiative and enthusiasm of emergency preparedness behaviors among Medical and Health Organization (MHO) staff is an effective measure to prevent and reduce losses…

Abstract

Purpose

Enhancing the initiative and enthusiasm of emergency preparedness behaviors among Medical and Health Organization (MHO) staff is an effective measure to prevent and reduce losses from emergencies. In this study, emergency preparedness behavioral intentions were divided into noncooperative behavioral intentions (EPNCBI) and cooperative behavioral intentions (EPCBI) to discuss the impact brought by quality of life (QoL). The mediating effects of psychological capital (PsyCap) and perceived organizational support (POS) were also considered.

Design/methodology/approach

A web-based questionnaire was used for MHO staff in China, and a structural equation analysis of the data collected from 243 participants was conducted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical results reveal that: (1) QoL had a positive effect on EPNCBI, PsyCap and POS; (2) PsyCap had a positive effect on EPNCBI and EPCBI; (3) POS had a positive effect on PsyCap and EPCBI; (4) PsyCap mediated the relationship between QoL and EPNCBI, and the relationship between POS and EPNCBI; (5) PsyCap and POS mediated the relationship between QoL and EPCBI.

Practical implications

Improving MHO staff’s QoL is an effective way to enhance positive behavioral outcomes. Furthermore, these findings could provide managers with valuable insight focusing their limited resources on enhancing the emergency preparedness of MHO staff by reinforcing the level of PsyCap and POS.

Originality/value

This study provides important updated considerations for the application of positive psychology in the field of emergency preparedness.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 36 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 23 January 2023

Abstract

Details

COVID-19, Frontline Responders and Mental Health: A Playbook for Delivering Resilient Public Health Systems Post-Pandemic
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-115-0

Article
Publication date: 26 May 2022

Md Kamal Hossain, Vikas Thakur and Yigit Kazancoglu

The study aims to identify and analyse the drivers of resilient healthcare supply chain (HCSC) preparedness in emergency health outbreaks to prevent disruption in healthcare…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to identify and analyse the drivers of resilient healthcare supply chain (HCSC) preparedness in emergency health outbreaks to prevent disruption in healthcare services delivery in the context of India.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study has opted for the grey clustering method to identify and analyse the drivers of resilient HCSC preparedness during health outbreaks into high, moderate and low important grey classes based on Grey-Delphi, analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and Shannon's information entropy (IE) theory.

Findings

The drivers of the resilient HCSC are scrutinised using the Grey-Delphi technique. By implementing AHP and Shannon's IE theory and depending upon structure, process and outcome measures of HCSC, eleven drivers of a resilient HCSC preparedness are clustered as highly important, three drivers into moderately important, and two drivers into a low important group.

Originality/value

The analysis and insights developed in the present study would help to plan and execute a viable, resilient emergency HCSC preparedness during the emergence of any health outbreak along with the stakeholders' coordination. The results of the study offer information, rationality, constructiveness, and universality that enable the wider application of AHP-IE/Grey clustering analysis to HCSC resilience in the wake of pandemics.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. 18 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Anne Gregory, Bill Nichols and John M. Underwood

This research explores approaches to, impacts of and reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic for professional communicators in the English National Health Service. It was undertaken…

Abstract

Purpose

This research explores approaches to, impacts of and reflections on the Covid-19 pandemic for professional communicators in the English National Health Service. It was undertaken in order to understand and analyse their lived experience and make recommendations for improving future system-wide performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Given the work pressure and additional commitments that communication practitioners have when working in crisis, the researchers chose a single data collection method. Qualitative and quantitative data collection was undertaken using an extensive self-completion survey instrument.

Findings

Ten distinct themes covering four time phases: crisis preparedness, entering the crisis, pandemic peak and post “first-wave” are discussed. They examine crisis readiness, to shifts in priorities and communication approaches to system-wide leadership and integration and the re-positioning of communication as a central player in pandemics.

Practical implications

The research outlines a number of areas for improvement along with practical recommendations for actions in the health system in readiness for future pandemics.

Originality/value

This is the first time the lived experience of communicators working through a pandemic at all levels in a national health system has been researched in the public relations literature.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

11 – 20 of over 5000