A perspective on non-traditional academic programs in the health sciences.

In the 1970s, non-traditional academic programs began to gain impetus, aided by studies and recommendations by such groups as the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education and the Commission on Non-Traditional study. Schools of public health have taken the lead in implementing non-traditional, off-campus programs which are relevant to personnel in health service agencies. Reported in this monograph are three programs representing alternative approaches to off-campus public health programs. As our data base increases and new programs are reported, we may see rapid growth in non-traditional programs, resulting in significant changes in academic programs preparing public health practitioners.     

Preventing mental disorders in children: a public health priority

BACKGROUND: Mental disorders affect 14% of children, cause significant long-term disability and are arguably the leading health problems that Canadian children face after infancy. Treatment services alone cannot meet children's mental health needs. In addition to treatment, prevention programs hold potential to reduce the number of children with disorders in the population. Effective programs exist for preventing conduct, anxiety and depressive disorders, three of the most prevalent disorders in children. Therefore, we investigated the state of Canadian programs in comparison with prevention programs described in the literature for these three disorders. METHODS: We identified children's mental health and early child development (ECD) programs across Canada with national or provincial/territorial scope and significance and with potential relevance to mental health. We then interviewed policy-makers to determine which programs included goals related to mental health, and incorporated key features from programs known to be effective for preventing the three disorders of interest. RESULTS: No prevention programs specific to children's mental health were identified. However, 17 ECD programs incorporated generic goals related to mental health and incorporated key features seen in effective prevention programs. Only Ontario's Better Beginnings, Better Futures (BBBF) explicitly included mental health within its major program goals, incorporated multiple features seen in effective (conduct disorder) prevention programs and demonstrated positive child mental health outcomes. DISCUSSION: The lack of Canadian prevention programs specific to children's mental health is concerning. ECD programs have the potential to improve child mental health outcomes within their wider mandates. BBBF is an exemplar for such programs. However, new investments in implementing (and evaluating) programs that specifically aim to prevent mental disorders are required to improve the mental health of children in the population. Preventing children's mental disorders must be a Canadian public health priority.     

Wanted: interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary, and knowledge translation and exchange training for students of public health

Students vocalized their concern with public health training programs in Canada at the 2010 CPHA Centennial Conference. Given these concerns, we reviewed the objectives and curricula of public health graduate (master's) programs in Canada. Our objective was to understand to what extent public and population health graduate programs in Canada support interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) training. This was achieved through a review of all public and population health master's programs in Canada identified from the public health graduate programs listed on the Public Health Agency of Canada website (n = 33) plus an additional four programs that were not originally captured on the list. Of the 37 programs reviewed, 28 (76%) stated that interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary or cross-disciplinary training opportunities are of value to their program, with 12 programs (32%) providing multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary training opportunities in their curriculum. Only 14 (38%) of the 37 programs provided value statements of KTE activities in their program goals or course objectives, with 10 (27%) programs offering KTE training in their curriculum. This review provides a glimpse into how public health programs in Canada value and support interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary collaboration as well as KTE activities.     

Community-Based Prevention Programs for Anxiety and Depression in Youth: A Systematic Review

Little is known about the effectiveness of prevention and early intervention programs for young people and adolescents once they leave or dropout from school. The effectiveness of 18 anxiety and 26 depression studies addressing prevention in community programs were identified using systematic review methodology. Anxiety and depression symptoms were reduced in ~60% of the programs. Cognitive behavioral therapy programs were more common than other interventions and were consistently found to lower symptoms or prevent depression or anxiety. Automated or computerized interventions showed promise, with 60% of anxiety programs and 83% of depression programs yielding successful outcomes on at least one measure. Further research is needed to determine the active components of successful programs, to explore cost-effectiveness and scalability factors, to investigate individual predictors of successful outcome, and to design best practice prevention programs.     

The role of genetics in the provision of essential public health services

States include genetics services among their public health programs, but budget shortfalls raise the question, is genetics an essential part of public health? We used the Essential Services of Public Health consensus statement and data from state genetics plans to analyze states' public health genetics programs. Public health genetics programs fulfill public health obligations: birth defects surveillance and prevention programs protect against environmental hazards, newborn screening programs prevent injuries, and clinical genetics programs ensure the quality and accessibility of health services. These programs fulfill obligations by providing 4 essential public health services, and they could direct future efforts toward privacy policies, research on communications, and rigorous evaluations.     

Trends in Practicum and Internship Requirements:

A national survey was conducted to ascertain whether practicum and internship requirements differed between programs accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) and non-CACREP accredited programs. A questionnaire was designed and sent to counselor education programs. Questionnaires were returned by 309 programs representing 24 accredited programs and 285 non-accredited programs. The results show that accredited and non-accredited programs differed significantly with regard to total clock hours required In practicum, hours of individual supervision required weekly in practicum and internship, and hours of individual supervision with the on-site supervisor. The two groups did not differ significantly with regard to total clock hours requlred in internship and hours of group supervision per week for students enrolled in practicum and internship.     

Effectiveness of educational strategies preparing physician assistants,nurse practitioners,and certified nurse-midwives for underserved areas.

A study of physician assistant, nurse practitioner, and certified nurse midwifery programs was undertaken to identify and assess the effectiveness of recruitment, educational, and deployment strategies that programs use to prepare practitioners for medically underserved areas. The 51 programs studied were those having mission statements or known track records relating to this goal. A total of 170 interviews were conducted with faculty, students, graduates, and employers from 9 programs visited on-site and 42 programs surveyed by telephone. All programs had some recruitment and training activities in underserved sites. Only about half of the programs were able to submit data on their graduates'' practice settings and specialties. These data suggest that older students who have backgrounds in underserved areas and clearly identified practice goals are more likely to practice in underserved areas. Programs that actively promote service to the underserved do so through publicly stated missions and recruitment and educational strategies that complement these missions. Such programs also are more likely to evaluate and document their success than programs that lack strategies.     

Evaluating best practices for social model programs for adults with Alzheimer's disease in South Carolina

Our study has two objectives. First, we reviewed the literature, and identified best practices for social model day programs providing care for adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Second, in-depth telephone interviews were conducted with directors in all social model day programs (n = 21) dedicated to serving adults with AD in South Carolina to compare practices to those identified. Programs implemented many best practices, despite their rural location and small size. All programs assessed clients' activity preferences, and reassessed activity effectiveness regularly. Most programs provided volunteers and staff with AD-focused training. Many programs incorporated innovative programming such as intergenerational activities. Most programs were offered in a setting not designed for adult day services; thus many programs did not provide suggested environmental features such as extra lighting or walking paths. Most programs evaluated activities from caregivers' perspectives. All programs provided support for caregivers. Practice and policy recommendations are described.     

Understanding the Business Case for Telemental Health in Rural Communities

Telemental health has been promoted to address long-standing access barriers to rural mental health care, including low supply and long travel distances. Examples of rural telemental health programs are common; there is a less clear picture of how widely implemented these programs are, their organization, staffing, and services. There is also a need to understand the business case for these programs and assess whether and how they might realize their promise. To address these gaps, a national study was conducted of rural telemental health programs including an online survey of 53 programs and follow-up interviews with 23 programs. This article describes the current landscape and characteristics of these programs and then examines their business case. Can rural telemental health programs be sustained within current delivery systems and reimbursement structures? This question is explored in four areas: need and demand, infrastructure and workforce, funding and reimbursement, and organizational fit and alignment.     

Preterm-birth prevention. A physician's perspective

Prematurity and low birthweight are the leading causes of infant morbidity and mortality. Minnesota has developed public and private programs to deal with preterm-birth and low-birthweight prevention. With the new programs have come multiple forms, care delivery systems, and reimbursement schedules. The diversity and multiplicity of programs can be frustrating and confusing for primary care physicians. A better understanding of the goals and components of low-birthweight prevention programs such as the Prenatal Care Initiative and the preterm-birth prevention programs used by many practitioners may facilitate the use of such programs. This article compares and contrasts low-birthweight prevention and preterm-birth prevention.     

Tracking Medicaid managed care in rural communities: a fifty-state follow-up

This study updates a 1997 study examining implementation of rural Medicaid managed care programs. Most states operate Medicaid managed care programs for their beneficiaries, but the types of programs vary across urban and rural settings. Over the past four years the number of rural counties covered by Medicaid managed care, including fully capitated programs, has grown, although primary care case management (PCCM) remains the predominant program type in rural areas. Health plan withdrawals from rural areas have led some states with rural capitated programs to provide financial incentives or develop alternative approaches, such as enhanced PCCM programs.     

Quality oversight in medicaid primary care case management programs

As health maintenance organizations (HMOs) have curtailed participation in Medicaid, enrollment in primary care case management (PCCM) programs has grown. To examine state Medicaid agencies' monitoring of PCCM and HMO programs, we surveyed Medicaid agency directors of forty-six states and the District of Columbia. Agencies were less likely to collect performance data in PCCM programs than in HMO programs. Few PCCM programs reported performance results for the public or providers. Reporting states tended to emphasize utilization results over quality-measure results. Despite growing enrollment, PCCM programs appear less likely to use the quality-oversight strategies employed by Medicaid health plans.     

Graduate programs: what is their contribution to the training of the public health workforce?

OBJECTIVES: To determine characteristics of community health/preventive medicine and community health education graduate programs. METHODS: Forty-eight graduate programs were identified as potential respondents and sent a written survey to complete. RESULTS: Forty programs responded; 82% of programs accredited or applying for accreditation responded. During the 1998-1999 period, 3456 students were enrolled and 773 students graduated from these programs, 91% earning the master of public health (MPH) degree. Two thirds of students were employed while enrolled in these programs. CONCLUSION: Graduate programs train a significant number of public health students, meeting the needs of health professionals with flexible course formats in locations where schools of public health are not available.     

Broadening the scope of worksite stress programs: a guiding framework

Abstract Worksite stress programs have proliferated in recent years. A large proportion of these programs focus on helping individual employees learn about stress and develop better coping skills. Few programs attempt to reduce the stressful aspects of the job or the organizational context. In order to facilitate the development of a broader array of stress reduction programs, the authors provide: 1) a conceptual framework upon which worksite stress programs should be based, 2) a guide to the variety of decision points in the program development process, 3) an exploration of the reasons why a broader range of stress programs have not heretofore been developed, and 4) suggestions for creating a context amenable to innovative worksite stress programs.     

城市社区公共卫生服务项目分类研究

目的对城市社区公共卫生服务项目进行分类界定，以完善社区卫生服务补偿机制。方法根据公共产品理论对社区卫生服务项目进行初步分类，在此基础上通过焦点组访谈法给予进一步完善。结果各调查城市目前共开展99项社区卫生服务，其中公共卫生服务项目45项、准公共卫生服务项目21项、私人卫生服务项目33项。结论在保证基本公共卫生服务的基础上，政府可根据经济发展状况，对公共、准公共卫生服务项目的补偿进行相应的调整。     

An overview of the effectiveness and efficiency of HIV prevention programs.

Because of the enormity of the HIV-AIDS epidemic and the urgency for preventing transmission, HIV prevention programs are a high priority for careful and timely evaluations. Information on program effectiveness and efficiency is needed for decision-making about future HIV prevention priorities. General characteristics of successful HIV prevention programs, programs empirically evaluated and found to change (or not change) high-risk behaviors or in need of further empirical study, and economic evaluations of certain programs are described and summarized with attention limited to programs that have a behavioral basis. HIV prevention programs have an impact on averting or reducing risk behaviors, particularly when they are delivered with sufficient resources, intensity, and cultural competency and are based on a firm foundation of behavioral and social science theory and past research. Economic evaluations have found that some of these behaviorally based programs yield net economic benefits to society, and others are likely cost-effective (even if not cost-saving) relative to other health programs. Still, specific improvements should be made in certain HIV prevention programs.     

The content and comprehensiveness of hepatitis C education in methadone maintenance and drug-free treatment units

Although drug users are at elevated risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, many are uniformed or misinformed about the virus. Drug treatment programs are uniquely situated to provide comprehensive risk-modifying educational programs for decreasing HCV transmission, a strategy advocated in the most recent National Institutes of Health Consensus Development Conference Statement on the Management of Hepatitis C. Given the large proportion of patients that inject drugs in methadone maintenance treatment programs and the high prevalence of HCV among drug injectors, we compared a nationwide sample (N=246) of methadone maintenance treatment programs and drug-free programs regarding the content and comprehensiveness of HCV education. All of these programs provide HCV education to at least some of their patients. Results indicated that, compared to drug-free programs, methadone maintenance treatment programs cover a significantly greater number of HCV-related topics, and that a significantly greater proportion of the methadone programs cover specific topics (e.g., how to avoid transmitting HCV, the importance of testing for HCV, treatment options if HCV positive). Of special concern is that fewer than three quarters of the drug-free programs address what to do if co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and HCV and how to maintain health if HCV positive, and only about half of the drug-free and methadone maintenance treatment programs educate HCV-positive patients about the importance of obtaining vaccinations for hepatitis A and B. Drug treatment programs need to educate patients about the proactive steps these individuals can take to deal with HCV, provide critically needed HCV services, and encourage patients to make full use of these services.     

Tobacco industry youth smoking prevention programs: protecting the industry and hurting tobacco control

OBJECTIVES: This report describes the history, true goals, and effects of tobacco industry-sponsored youth smoking prevention programs. METHODS: We analyzed previously-secret tobacco industry documents. RESULTS: The industry started these programs in the 1980s to forestall legislation that would restrict industry activities. Industry programs portray smoking as an adult choice and fail to discuss how tobacco advertising promotes smoking or the health dangers of smoking. The industry has used these programs to fight taxes, clean-indoor-air laws, and marketing restrictions worldwide. There is no evidence that these programs decrease smoking among youths. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco industry youth programs do more harm than good for tobacco control. The tobacco industry should not be allowed to run or directly fund youth smoking prevention programs.     

Availability and use of hepatitis B vaccine in laboratory and nursing schools in the United States.

Hepatitis B is a well-documented occupational hazard for health care workers, including both laboratory and nursing personnel. Since the development of effective hepatitis B vaccines, the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP) has recommended that health care workers receive the vaccine. In this study, 78 laboratory training programs and 83 nursing training programs were surveyed regarding availability and usage of hepatitis B vaccine. The hepatitis B vaccine was made available to students in 81 percent of the laboratory programs and 23 percent of the nursing programs. In those programs making the vaccine available, only 59 percent of the laboratory programs and 5 percent of the nursing programs reported a high (greater than 75 percent) use by students. Concern about cost and payment for the vaccine was the most common reason (80 percent) noted by laboratory schools that did not have hepatitis B vaccination programs for students. Of the nursing schools that did not have vaccine programs, 58 percent had not yet considered a program. At laboratory schools with vaccination programs, who paid for the vaccine (hospital or school versus student) was among the most important determinants for vaccine usage by students. These findings point out that some laboratory schools and many nursing schools have not applied the ACIP recommendations to their own programs. Educational efforts and creative payment plans for the vaccine are needed to increase the availability and use of hepatitis B vaccine among laboratory and nursing students.