Digital Commons Network^™

Addressing Obstacles To The Inclusion Of Palliative Care In Humanitarian Health Projects: A Qualitative Study Of Humanitarian Health Professionals’ And Policy Makers’ Perceptions, Matthew Hunt, Elysée Nouvet, Ani Chénier, Gautham Krishnaraj, Carrie Bernard, Kevin Bezanson, Sonya De Laat, Lisa Schwartz

Health Studies Publications

© 2020, The Author(s). Background: Humanitarian non-governmental organizations provide assistance to communities affected by war, disaster and epidemic. A primary focus of healthcare provision by these organizations is saving lives; however, curative care will not be sufficient, appropriate, or available for some patients. In these instances, palliative care approaches to ease suffering and promote dignity are needed. Though several recent initiatives have increased the probability of palliative care being included in humanitarian healthcare response, palliative care remains minimally integrated in humanitarian health projects. Methods: We conducted a qualitative study using interpretive description methodology to investigate humanitarian policy-makers’ and health care …

Covid-19 In Sub-Saharan Africa: Impacts On Vulnerable Populations And Sustaining Home-Grown Solutions, Lauren J. Wallace, Elysée Nouvet, Robert Bortolussi, Joshua A. Arthur, Eugenia Amporfu, Eric Arthur, Kofi Bobi Barimah, Bernard Aristide Bitouga, Harriet Chemusto, Joseph Ikechebelu, Ngozi Joe-Ikechebelu, Mandy Kader Kondé, Jean Damascene Kabakambira, Gabriel Kyomba Kalombe, Diana M.S. Karanja, Eveline Thobias Konje, Sekou Kouyate, Gojjam Limeneh, Felicien Munday Mulopo, Mary Ndu, Eric Ochomo, Oriokot Francis, Oumy Thiongane, Jeremiah Seni, S. Mohammed Sheriff, Douglas Singini

Health Studies Publications

© 2020, The Canadian Public Health Association. This commentary draws on sub-Saharan African health researchers’ accounts of their countries’ responses to control the spread of COVID-19, including social and health impacts, home-grown solutions, and gaps in knowledge. Limited human and material resources for infection control and lack of understanding or appreciation by the government of the realities of vulnerable populations have contributed to failed interventions to curb transmission, and further deepened inequalities. Some governments have adapted or limited lockdowns due to the negative impacts on livelihoods and taken specific measures to minimize the impact on the most vulnerable citizens. However, …

The Application Of Drones In Healthcare And Health-Related Services In North America: A Scoping Review, Bradley Hiebert, Elysée Nouvet, Vyshnave Jeyabalan, Lorie Donelle

Health Studies Publications

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Using drone aircraft to deliver healthcare and other health-related services is a relatively new application of this technology in North America. For health service providers, drones represent a feasible means to increase their efficiency and ability to provide services to individuals, especially those in difficult to reach locations. This paper presents the results of a scoping review of the research literature to determine how drones are used for healthcare and health-related services in North America, and how such applications account for human operating and machine design factors. Data were collected from …

Context-Specific Challenges, Opportunities, And Ethics Of Drones For Healthcare Delivery In The Eyes Of Program Managers And Field Staff: A Multi-Site Qualitative Study, Vyshnave Jeyabalan, Elysée Nouvet, Patrick Meier, Lorie Donelle

Health Studies Publications

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), also known as drones, have significant potential in the healthcare field. Ethical and practical concerns, challenges, and complexities of using drones for specific and diverse healthcare purposes have been minimally explored to date. This paper aims to document and advance awareness of diverse context-specific concerns, challenges, and complexities encountered by individuals working on the front lines of drones for health. It draws on original qualitative research and data from semi-structured interviews (N = 16) with drones for health program managers and field staff in nine countries. Directed …

The Attitudes And Behaviors Of Students, Staff And Faculty Towards Smoke-Free And Tobacco-Free Campus Policies In North American Universities: A Narrative Review., Daniel Dilliott, Sajjad Fazel, Nazia Ehsan, Shannon L Sibbald

Health Studies Publications

INTRODUCTION: In Canada, a series of recent public health policies and interventions have successfully led to a decline in national tobacco use rates. However, tobacco use among young adults remains high and the tobacco industry continues to place a strong marketing emphasis towards young adults on university campuses. In response, many universities across Canada are beginning to adopt smoke-free or tobacco-free campus policies. While the effectiveness of smoke-free and tobaccofree campus policies has been demonstrated in several countries, little is known about the attitudinal responses of university students, faculty and staff towards these policies. As such, we conducted a review …

Demographic And Socioeconomic Characteristics Of Canadian Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study., Rishad Khan, Tavis Apramian, Joel Hosung Kang, Jeffrey Gustafson, Shannon Sibbald

Health Studies Publications

BACKGROUND: While the importance of medical students' demographic characteristics in influencing the scope and location of their future practice is recognized, these data are not systematically collected in Canada. This study aimed to characterize and compare the demographics of Canadian medical students with the Canadian population.

METHODS: Through an online survey, delivered in 2018, medical students at 14 English-speaking Canadian medical schools provided their age, sex, gender identity, ethnicity, educational background, and rurality of the area they grew up in. Respondents also provided information on parental income, occupation, and education as markers of socioeconomic status. Data were compared to the …

Outsmarting Ebola Through Stronger National Health Systems, Obidimma Ezezika, Alpha Kabinet Keita

Health Studies Publications

Letter to the Editor