Dataset Information

The role of Force Health Protection in the Canadian Armed Forces' response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT: Within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), public health is managed by the Directorate of Force Health Protection (DFHP), a branch of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group. Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-19), DFHP has become heavily involved in health surveillance, outbreak monitoring, policy development, providing evidence-based guidance and advice, liaising with other national, provincial and territorial, municipal and international public health agencies, and ensuring environmental safety of CAF members. Some specific activities include supporting operations and deployments, amending policies and training and promoting hand hygiene, physical distancing and personal protective equipment use. In addition to taking measures to protect its members, CAF-Department of National Defence has contributed to Canada's national response to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The DFHP will be developing training for allied health professionals to assist with contact tracing and follow-up, and will ensure adequate resources are in place to manage surge capacity for COVID-19. With these ongoing efforts, initiatives and lessons learned, DFHP is well placed to carry on with its mandate to protect and promote the health and well-being of CAF members and National Defence civilian employees, assisting Canadians and ensuring that CAF members are ready to serve their missions at home and abroad.

SUBMITTER: Edge HM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7556197 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

The role of Force Health Protection in the Canadian Armed Forces' response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Edge Heather McCuaig HM Carlucci Samantha S Lu Diane D

Canada communicable disease report = Releve des maladies transmissibles au Canada 20200903 9

Within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), public health is managed by the Directorate of Force Health Protection (DFHP), a branch of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group. Since the emergence of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-19), DFHP has become heavily involved in health surveillance, outbreak monitoring, policy development, providing evidence-based guidance and advice, liaising with other national, provincial and territorial, municipal and international public health agencies, and ensuring ...[more]

PMID: 33104085

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectiveThe risk of occupational exposure during endotracheal intubation has required the global Emergency Medicine (EM), Anesthesia, and Critical Care communities to institute new COVID- protected intubation guidelines, checklists, and protocols. This survey aimed to deepen the understanding of the changes in intubation practices across Canada by evaluating the pre-COVID-19, early-COVID-19, and present-day periods, elucidating facilitators and barriers to implementation, and understanding provider impressions of the effectiveness and safety of the changes made.MethodsWe conducted an electronic, self-administered, cross-sectional survey of EM physician site leads within the Canadian COVID-19 Emergency Department Rapid Response Network (CCEDRRN) to characterize and compare airway management practices in the pre-COVID-19, early-COVID-19, and present-day periods. Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the University of Manitoba Health Research Ethics Board. The electronic platform SurveyMonkey ( www.surveymonkey.com ) was used to collect and store survey tool responses. Categorical item responses, including the primary outcome, are reported as numbers and proportions. Variations in intubation practices over time were evaluated through mixed-effects logistic regression models.ResultsInvitations were sent to 33 emergency department (ED) physician site leads in the CCEDRRN. We collected 27 survey responses, 4 were excluded, and 23 analysed. Responses were collected in English (87%) and French (13%), from across Canada and included mainly physicians practicing in mainly Academic and tertiary sites (83%). All respondents reported that the intubation protocols used in their EDs changed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (100%, n = 23, 95% CI 0.86-1.00).ConclusionsThis study provides a novel summary of changes to airway management practices in response to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. Information from this study could help inform a consensus on safe and effective emergent intubation of persons with communicable respiratory infections in the future.

Project description:PurposeTo collate best practice recommendations on the management of patients receiving in-center hemodialysis during the COVID-19 pandemic, based on published reports and current public health advice, while considering ethical principles and the unique circumstances of Canadian hemodialysis units across the country.Sources of informationThe workgroup members used Internet search engines to retrieve documents from provincial and local hemodialysis programs; provincial public health agencies; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; webinars and slides from other kidney agencies; and nonreviewed preprints. PubMed was used to search for peer-reviewed published articles. Informal input was sought from knowledge users during a webinar.MethodsChallenges in the care of hemodialysis patients during the COVID-19 pandemic were highlighted within the Canadian Senior Renal Leaders Forum discussion group. The Canadian Society of Nephrology (CSN) developed the COVID-19 rapid response team (RRT) to address these challenges. They identified a pan-Canadian team of clinicians and administrators with expertise in hemodialysis to form the workgroup. One lead was chosen who drafted the initial document. Members of the workgroup reviewed and discussed all recommendations in detail during 2 virtual meetings on April 7 and April 9. Disagreements were resolved by consensus. The document was reviewed by the CSN COVID-19 RRT, an ethicist, an infection control expert, a community nephrologist, and a patient partner. Content was presented during an interactive webinar on April 11, 2020 attended by 269 kidney health professionals, and the webinar and first draft of the document were posted online. Final revisions were made based on feedback received until April 13, 2020. CJKHD editors reviewed the parallel process peer review and edited the manuscript for clarity.Key findingsRecommendations were made under the following themes: (1) Identification of patients with COVID-19 in the dialysis unit, (2) hemodialysis of patients with confirmed COVID-19, (3) hemodialysis of patients not yet known to have COVID-19, (4) visitors; (5) testing for COVID-19 in the dialysis unit; (6) resuscitation, (6) routine hemodialysis care, (7) hemodialysis care under fixed dialysis resources.LimitationsBecause of limitations of time and resources, and the large number of questions, formal systematic review was not undertaken. The recommendations are based on expert opinion and subject to bias. The parallel review process that was created may not be as robust as the standard peer review process.ImplicationsWe hope that these recommendations provide guidance for dialysis unit directors, clinicians, and administrators on how to limit risk from infection and adverse outcomes, while providing necessary dialysis care in a setting of finite resources. We also identify a number of resource allocation priorities, which we hope will inform decisions at provincial funding agencies.

Project description:The procurement and provision of expert-driven, evidence-informed, and independent science advice is integral to timely decision-making during public health emergencies. The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has underscored the need for sound evidence in public health policy and exposed the challenges facing government science advisory mechanisms. This paper is a jurisdictional case study describing (i) the federal science advice bodies and mechanisms for public health in Canada (i.e., the federal science advice "ecosystem"); and (ii) how these bodies and mechanisms have mobilized and evolved to procure expertise and evidence to inform decisions during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. We reviewed publicly accessible Government of Canada documents, technical reports, and peer-reviewed articles available up to December 2021. Canada's federal landscape of science advisory bodies for public health within the Health Portfolio was largely shaped by Canada's experiences with the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome and 2009 H1N1 outbreaks. In parallel, Canada has a designated science advisory apparatus that has seen frequent reforms since the early 2000s, with the current Office of the Chief Science Advisor created within the Science Portfolio in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated Canada's science advice ecosystem, with involvement from departments, expert advisory groups, and partnerships within both the federal Health and Science Portfolios. Although the engagement of federal departments outside the health sector is promising, the COVID-19 experience in Canada supports the need to institutionalize science advisory bodies for public health to improve pandemic preparedness and ensure rapid mobilization of well-coordinated and independent advice in future emergencies. This review also identified pressing areas for further inquiry to strengthen science advice for public health in Canada, including to assess the independence of science advisory actors and the interaction between federal and subnational authorities.

Dataset Information

The role of Force Health Protection in the Canadian Armed Forces' response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publications

The role of Force Health Protection in the Canadian Armed Forces' response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets