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Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
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Other
This episode from the podcast 99 Percent Invisible reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the American public to a long-standing problem: the disjointed nature of the U.S. health system. Because state and local health departments largely operate independently and use their own data collection and analysis tools, health systems across the country lack standardized data definitions and systems. These inconsistencies made it nearly impossible to collect and analyze comprehensive, standardized data on COVID-19 cases, deaths, and vaccines administered amid the pandemic. Health experts featured on this episode believe that the pandemic made the need for an overhaul of America’s informatics system very apparent. When rebuilding this system, it’s important to focus on remedying existing inequalities in data collection and classification that in some cases render the health status of certain populations – think Native American communities and other communities of color – completely invisible in the data. By virtue of being small populations, it can be difficult for health departments to collect sufficient and/or statistically significant data on minority communities. Another issue discussed in this episode is the use of broad racial categories like “other,” “multiple races,” or even “Asian American,” which, if not disaggregated, obscures the health status of diverse populations who are grouped under the same category. Without comprehensive and inclusive health data, it’s difficult to identify disparities and implement policies and programming that promote social mobility and health equity.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
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Case Study, Summary Report/Recommendations
This case study describes how the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services implemented a multipronged strategy to prioritize vaccinations on Black and Hispanic North Carolina residents following the disproportionate impact of COVID-19. This intervention included increasing vaccine allocation to these communities, facilitating community partnerships, and mapping these communities with the proportion of persons aged ≥65 years. They also addressed other barriers. During this implementation, vaccination rates doubled among Black residents, and the share of vaccine doses doubled.
Novel Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and are in the process of generating evidence of effectiveness or may not yet be tested.
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Case Study
This case study describes how the Student Response Team (SRT) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center assisted the local health departments in mitigation and response activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The SRT was a voluntary student-led effort that assisted in health contact tracing, monitoring social media, and education the public. Their experience demonstrates how students can increase the public health surge capacity of local health departments while gaining applied experience during public health emergencies. The recommendations include forming, training, and deploying SRTs throughout academic institutions to implement during and beyond the current pandemic.