In Case Study 9, Building Trust in Communities: The Narragansett Indian Tribe and the State of Rhode Island, The Natives had a longstanding history in Rhode Island. In the U.S., the federal government has a history of taking land, claiming it and then isolating the Native community from resources and opportunities. This case study is only one example. The Narragansett filed suit again the state and individual landowners to reclaim the land the tribe asserted rightfully belonged to them. The Federal government ended up giving the Natives 1,800 acres of land in a settlement and sovereignty over the land.
Today, there is still a fight with Native tribes about land and resources. As a result, Natives tend to face a plethora of public health issues.
a. Name at least three of the socioeconomic factors or behavioral risk factors, that contribute to health disparities among Native populations, currently (If necessary, Use data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support your answers. You can also use the Bureau of Indian Health Services) b. Explain why these factors are public health issues using current data. c. Provide one example of potential prevention strategies for each of the factors, that you listed and described, using current or modern day prevention strategies. (e.g. use Healthy People 2020, The Guide to Community Preventive Services websites, case studies, peer-reviewed research studies, etc.) d. Why is building community trust critical to improving health outcomes of Native populations.
Prior to the advent of the Affordable Care Act of 2012, signed by President Barack Obama, medication errors cost the U.S. over $200 billion. Medication errors also contributed to gross health disparities primarily impacting elderly populations with co-morbid chronic illnesses. Case Study 20: Big Brother is Watching: Utilizing Clinical Decision Support as a Tool to Limit Adverse Drug Events, provided several examples of how public health and healthcare systems worked together to overcome problems with medication adherence, to improve patient health outcomes and to improve prescribing practices. Provide an update on the impact of the Affordable Act on Clinical Decision Support specifically relating to medication errors. This means, what advancements have been made since the Act to improve Clinical Decision Support in Healthcare or Prescribing. Use the internet and other resources such as the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research (AHRQ) to briefly summarize your findings. It may also be helpful to cite important resources (i.e. websites or research articles) that support your understanding of the issue. Furthermore, report on what is the current hot topic issue on clinical decision support (e.g. a new policy, advisory group). Check White House resources or the American Public Health Association for clues.
Case Study 16: Beyond Measurement? Evaluating Environmental Public Health: Assessing the Effectiveness of Food Safety Programs, discusses the pressures that many governmental public health practitioners face at the nexus of budget cuts and protecting the health and safety of the population. Please answer the following questions:
a. What sort of roles and responsibilities do environmental health professionals have regarding food safety?
b. What type of information would the environmental health director need to know to help make the case to state legislature to not cut the budget?
c. From the farm to the plate, what are some of the ways food can become contaminated with pathogens?
d. What food safety practices would a health inspector look for doing a routine restaurant inspection?
e. What are examples of recent food-borne illness outbreaks that have taken place in the last 2 years? What was the cause of the outbreak?
f. What actions can health inspectors take to mitigate or prevent an outbreak from occurring?
g. How has COVID-19 impacted food safety, if at all?
h. What is your position? If faced with cutting the budget or limiting the scope of the environmental health dept. What you would do? Provide a brief rationale.
