What mathematical competencies does a citizen needs to interpret Mexico's official information about the COVID-19 pandemic?
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ABSTRACT: Supplementary information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10649-021-10082-9.
SUBMITTER: Aguilar MS
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8299177 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description: Not available
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Project description:As the most visible face of health expertise to the general public, health agencies have played a central role in alerting the public to the emerging COVID-19 threat, providing guidance for protective action, motivating compliance with health directives, and combating misinformation. Social media platforms such as Twitter have been a critical tool in this process, providing a communication channel that allows both rapid dissemination of messages to the public at large and individual-level engagement. Message dissemination and amplification is a necessary precursor to reaching audiences, both online and off, as well as inspiring action. Therefore, it is valuable for organizational risk communication to identify strategies and practices that may lead to increased message passing among online users. In this research, we examine message features shown in prior disasters to increase or decrease message retransmission under imminent threat conditions to develop models of official risk communicators' messages shared online from February 1, 2020-April 30, 2020. We develop a lexicon of keywords associated with risk communication about the pandemic response, then use automated coding to identify message content and message structural features. We conduct chi-square analyses and negative binomial regression modeling to identify the strategies used by official risk communicators that respectively increase and decrease message retransmission. Findings show systematic changes in message strategies over time and identify key features that affect message passing, both positively and negatively. These results have the potential to aid in message design strategies as the pandemic continues, or in similar future events.
| S-EPMC7494104 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC8141379 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Effective communication by governmental organizations is essential to keep the public informed during a public health emergency. Examining the content of these communications can provide insight into their alignment with best practices for risk communication. We used content analysis to determine whether news releases by the Ontario government contained key elements of effective risk communication, as outlined by the Health Canada and Public Health Agency of Canada Strategic Risk Communication Framework. News releases between 25 January 2020 and 31 December 2022 were coded following the five elements of the framework: situational transparency, stakeholder-centered content; evidence-based rationales for decisions; continuous improvements in updating information; and descriptions of risk management. All 322 news releases contained at least one element of the framework, and all five elements were identified at least once across the dataset. Risk management, transparency, and stakeholder-centered content were the most frequently identified elements. News releases near the beginning of the pandemic contained most elements of the framework; however, over time, there was an increase in the use of vague language and lack of evidence-based rationales. Increasing transparency regarding evidence-based decisions, as well as changes in decisions, is recommended to improve risk communication and increase compliance with public health measures.
| S-EPMC10970262 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19, caused by the virus SARS-CoV-2, continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality in both low- and high-income countries. Although COVID-19 is predominantly a respiratory illness, other systems including gastrointestinal (GI) system and liver may be involved because of the ubiquitous nature of ACE-2 receptors in various cell lines that SARS-CoV-2 utilizes to enter host cells. It appears that GI symptoms and liver enzyme abnormalities are common in COVID-19. The involvement of the GI tract and liver correlates with the severity of disease. A minority (10–20%) of patients with COVID-19 may also present initially with only GI complaints. The most common GI symptoms are anorexia, loss of smell, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Viral RNA can be detected in stool in up to 50% of patients, sometimes even after pharyngeal clearance, but it is unclear whether fecal–oral transmission occurs. Liver enzymes are elevated, usually mild (2–3 times), in a substantial proportion of patients. There are many confounding factors that could cause liver enzyme abnormalities including medications, sepsis, and hypoxia. Although infection rates in those with preexisting liver disease are similar to that of general population, once infected, patients with liver disease are more likely to have a more severe disease and a higher mortality. There is a paucity of objective data on the optimal preventive or management strategies, but few recommendations for GI physicians based on circumstantial evidence are discussed.
| S-EPMC7533169 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2 and coronavirus disease 2019, is considered a major public concern that propagates steadily by the increased number of the infected cases and the mortality rate. In this article, we provide a brief review for Orthopedic surgeons as regard COVID-19 virus microbiology, epidemiology, clinical picture, and diagnosis. Moreover, what measures should be taken amid this pandemic to assess its control, maintain the urgent duties, and protect health care workers (HCW) are also discussed.
| S-EPMC7237925 | biostudies-literature
Project description:In today's world of work, the need for digital communication and collaboration competencies became even more prevalent during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, research and practice are lacking solid measurement instruments assessing digital communication and collaboration competencies of workers so far. Furthermore, it is yet unknown if digital communication and collaboration competencies and other so far known resources indeed act as drivers of work engagement during the pandemic. Based on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model and the conservation of resources theory, we hypothesized that personal (digital communication and collaboration competencies) and job (social support) resources positively influence each other over time, also boosting work engagement. In a cross-lagged study design during the pandemic, we investigated our hypotheses in a sample of German workers (N = 231). Against our expectations, we did not find support for effects from personal or job resources on work engagement over time or effects of the resources influencing each other. Instead, we found high stabilities of digital communication and collaboration competencies and work engagement. Our results provide important insights into the motivational process of individuals working during a pandemic. The theoretical and practical implications for the JD-R model in times of crisis are discussed.
| S-EPMC8733481 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundResidents of socioeconomically disadvantaged locations are more likely to have poor health than residents of socioeconomically advantaged locations and this has been comprehensively mapped in Australian cities. These inequalities present a challenge for the public health workers based in or responsible for improving the health of people living in disadvantaged localities. The purpose of this study was to develop a generic workforce needs assessment tool and to use it to identify the competencies needed by the public health workforce to work effectively in disadvantaged communities.MethodsA two-step mixed method process was used to identify the workforce needs. In step 1 a generic workforce needs assessment tool was developed and applied in three NSW Area Health Services using focus groups, key stakeholder interviews and a staff survey. In step 2 the findings of this needs assessment process were mapped against the existing National Health Training Package (HLT07) competencies, gaps were identified, additional competencies described and modules of training developed to fill identified gaps.ResultsThere was a high level of agreement among the AHS staff on the nature of the problems to be addressed but less confidence indentifying the work to be done. Processes for needs assessments, community consultations and adapting mainstream programs to local needs were frequently mentioned as points of intervention. Recruiting and retaining experienced staff to work in these communities and ensuring their safety were major concerns. Workforce skill development needs were seen in two ways: higher order planning/epidemiological skills and more effective working relationships with communities and other sectors. Organisational barriers to effective practice were high levels of annual compulsory training, balancing state and national priorities with local needs and giving equal attention to the population groups that are easy to reach and to those that are difficult to engage. A number of additional competency areas were identified and three training modules developed.ConclusionThe generic workforce needs assessment tool was easy to use and interpret. It appears that the public health workforce involved in this study has a high level of understanding of the relationship between the social determinants and health. However there is a skill gap in identifying and undertaking effective intervention.
| S-EPMC2684114 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Novices struggle to interpret maps that show information about continuous dimensions (typically latitude and longitude) layered with information that is inherently continuous but segmented categorically. An example is a topographic map, used in earth science disciplines as well as by hikers, emergency rescue operations, and other endeavors requiring knowledge of terrain. Successful comprehension requires understanding that continuous elevation information is categorically encoded using contour lines, as well as skill in visualizing the three-dimensional shape of the terrain from the contour lines. In Experiment 1, we investigated whether novices would benefit from pointing and tracing gestures that focus attention on contour lines and/or from three-dimensional shape gestures used in conjunction with three-dimensional models. Pointing and tracing facilitated understanding relative to text-only instruction as well as no instruction comparison groups, but shape gestures only helped understanding relative to the no instruction comparison group. Directing attention to the contour lines may help both in code breaking (seeing how the lines encode elevation) and in shape inference (seeing how the overall configuration of lines encodes shape). In Experiment 2, we varied the language paired with pointing and tracing gestures; key phrases focused either on elevation information or on visualizing shape. Participants did better on items regarding elevation when language highlighted elevation and better on items requiring shape when language highlighted shape. Thus, focusing attention using pointing and tracing gestures on contour lines may establish the foundation on which language can build to support learning.
| S-EPMC5256432 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesPrescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are state-based databases that contain information about controlled substance prescriptions dispensed by pharmacies. Many states now mandate PDMP use by prescribers, despite unclear effectiveness. We hypothesize that it is possible to improve the interpretability, and hence effectiveness, of PDMPs by enhancing them.MethodsThis was a real-time simulation of an enhanced PDMP. Fifty practicing physicians (25 primary care, 25 emergency medicine) were randomized to see three cases with a standard profile or an enhanced profile that included graphical representation of prescriptions and identified risky prescribing patterns. After a two-month washout period, participants were placed in the opposite group.ResultsPhysicians presented with the enhanced profile were more likely to correctly identify patients with multiple providers (97.0% vs. 85.8%, p = 0.002), overlapping opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions (94.7% vs. 87.5%, p = 0.03), overlapping opioid prescriptions (89.5% vs. 70.8%, p < 0.01), high daily dosages of opioids (99.2% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.02), and traveling to distant pharmacies (79.7% vs. 2.5%, p < 0.01). There was no difference in interpretation time for the three cases (standard profile 657.3 s vs. enhanced profile 686.3 s, p = 0.31).ConclusionsA simulated PDMP with graphical displays and interpretation of findings was, for this cohort of emergency physicians and primary care physicians, associated with an increased ability to determine high-risk features on PDMP profiles.
| S-EPMC6737934 | biostudies-literature