Investigating the impact of demographic factors on contactless fingerprints interoperability

Contactless fingerprints have continued to grow interoperability as a faster and more convenient replacement for contact fingerprints, and with covid-19 now starting to be a past event the need for hygienic alternatives has only grown after the sudden focus during the pandemic. Though, past works have shown issues with the interoperability of contactless prints from both kiosk devices and phone fingerprint collection apps. The focus of the paper is the evaluation of match performance between contact and contactless fingerprints, and the evaluation of match score bias based on skin demographics. AUC results indicate contactless match performance is as good as contact fingerprints, while phone contactless fingerprints fall short. Additionally, bias found for melanin showed specific ranges effected in both low melanin values and high melanin values.

Analysis of Telemedicine Comprehensive Health Assessments for Children in Foster Care Performed During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Study of telemedicine programs deployed during the COVD-19 emergency will inform optimal and equitable use post-pandemic. Given unique health care needs and barriers experienced by children in foster care, studies of telemedicine dedicated to this population are needed. Our objectives were to describe outcomes of a telemedicine program serving children in foster care during the pandemic and to compare outcomes between telemedicine and in-person comprehensive health assessments (CHA). Methods: An evaluation model clinic for children in foster care conducted CHA via telemedicine when inperson visits were restricted during the pandemic. Our institution conducts telemedicine through our patient portal app. Consent is required during the telemedicine login process, and advocacy efforts led to our county's commissioner of child protective services consenting to telemedicine visits for children in care during the pandemic. Outcomes of telemedicine referrals were tracked in REDCap. Questions from the validated Telehealth Usability Questionnaire (TUQ) were completed by physicians who rated their ability to: hear patients, see patients and express themselves after each telemedicine visit. Prevalence of laboratory testing completion, prescriptions, and referrals (medical, behavioral, and developmental health) among children undergoing telemedicine CHA was compared to children undergoing in-person CHA at the same clinic the year prior. Descriptive statistics, Chi-squared and Fischer-exact tests were used. Results: Of 91 referrals reviewed, 83 (91%) resulted in completed telemedicine CHA, 3 never logged in to scheduled visit(s), 3 had prohibitive technology barriers, and 2 were determined to require in-person CHA. Mean age of telemedicine patients was 9.2 years (SD 5.7) (table 1). Seven patients missed 9 appointments for an attendance rate of 90% (83/92). Mean duration of visits was 66 minutes (SD 24.5). Response rate for TUQ (81 sent to attendings, 58 to fellows) was 98% and figure 1 displays results. Table 1 details medical recommendations following telemedicine CHA compared to in-person CHA. Conclusion: Telemedicine successfully enabled healthcare delivery to children in foster care while in-person visits were restricted. Over 2/3 of telemedicine patients received referrals and over 1/4 received prescriptions. High show rates suggest telemedicine was accessible to most families. Results can inform post-pandemic use of telemedicine. Low physician ratings of being able to see patients as well as if in person, as well as lower rates of referrals for vision services and lab work highlight essential in-person components of CHA. Once components of CHA such as detailed skin exam, vision screen and lab work are completed in-person, telemedicine could be used for follow-up visits. Need for specialty services was high, and in cases where access is limited by transportation barriers, in-person components of care could be completed by local providers coupled with care coordination for specialized care via telemedicine. Ongoing advocacy to overcome unique consent and potential technology barriers is needed.

Ebola virus disease outbreak: A global approach for health systems

Introduction: Ebola virus disease is a severe, highly infectious, and often fatal illness. The pharmacists’ experience regarding Ebola in Sierra Leon is valuable for other countries, insofar they can learn from it and benefit from it globally. Objective: To describe the tasks carried out in Sierra Leone during the Ebola outbreak. Methods: This is a documentary review based on the regulations developed and the technical documents published by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health. Conclusions: Health systems need collaborative work, especially in cases of epidemics or pandemics. The information presented shows what could be achieved in the Ebola epidemic for detecting emerging foci, as well as for guaranteeing communication among professionals, and for saving lives. This learning should be used, in the case of COVID-19, where interconnection among professionals and health authorities is required, together with accurate and agile information targeted towards the population as well as coordinated progress to obtain the best treatments for patients. © 2020, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.

Are female–male imbalances in covid-19 mortality rates driven mainly by innate sex differences?

The aim of this paper is to synthesize and analyze existing evidence on female–male imbalances in COVID-19 mortality rates. Using and replicating data from AG/WGEA, CARE, Curley (2020), Global Health 50/50, Healthline, GPC, IASC, IRC, Moalem (2020), New York Times, Shattuck-Heidorn et al. (2020), UNICEF, and WorldYWCA, we performed analyses and made estimates regarding the gender dimensions of associated outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. © 2020, Addleton Academic Publishers. All rights reserved.