Learning from the First Citizen Science Association Virtual Conference

The Citizen Science Association (CSA) is a member-driven organization that connects people with interest in community/citizen science (c*science) from a wide range of backgrounds, disciplines, and experiences. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the bi-annual CSA conference pivoted away from an in-person format to a virtual format. CitSciVirtual: Local, Global, Connected occurred throughout May 2021 and brought together more than 700 attendees from 36 countries. The conference prioritized interactive experiences for attendees, including 16 collaborative poster sessions featuring 240 virtual posters, 55 workshops to learn and practice new skills, and 7 social events. This paper summarizes the impacts of the rapid transition to a virtual format on the conference goals, planning and decision-making processes, practices, outcomes, and attendee experiences. Both the strengths and weaknesses of this first virtual conference are featured to outline opportunities for growth for the CSA, c*science at large, and science conferences in general. © 2023 AESS Publications. All Rights Reserved.

Corrigendum: A novel approach to utilizing the essential public health functions in Ireland's health system recovery and reform.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1074356.].

Infection prevention and control for COVID-19 response in the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh: an intra-action review.

BACKGROUND: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is critical in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and is one of the pillars of the WHO COVID-19 Strategic Preparedness and Response Plan 2020. We conducted an Intra-Action Review (IAR) of IPC response efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, to identify best practices, challenges, and recommendations for improvement of the current and future responses. METHODS: We conducted two meetings with 54 participants purposively selected from different organizations and agencies involved in the frontline implementation of IPC in Cox's Bazar district, Bangladesh. We used the IPC trigger questions from the WHO country COVID-19 IAR: trigger question database to guide the discussions. Meeting notes and transcripts were then analyzed manually using content analysis, and results were presented in text and quotes. RESULTS: Best practices included: assessments, a response plan, a working group, trainings, early case identification and isolation, hand hygiene in Health Facilities (HFs), monitoring and feedback, general masking in HFs, supportive supervision, design, infrastructure and environmental controls in Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Isolation and Treatment Centers (SARI ITCs) and HFs and waste management. Challenges included: frequent breakdown of incinerators, limited PPE supply, inconsistent adherence to IPC, lack of availability of uniforms for health workers, in particular cultural and gender appropriate uniforms and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Recommendations from the IAR were: (1) to promote the institutionalization of IPC, programs in HFs (2) establishment of IPC monitoring mechanisms in all HCFs, (3) strengthening IPC education and training in health care facilities, and (4) strengthen public health and social measures in communities. CONCLUSION: Establishing IPC programmes that include monitoring and continuous training are critical in promoting consistent and adaptive IPC practices. Response to a pandemic crisis combined with concurrent emergencies, such as protracted displacement of populations with many diverse actors, can only be successful with highly coordinated planning, leadership, resource mobilization, and close supervision.

Recovery From Crisis

Whilst there is no universally agreed definition of ‘recovery' in the context of a healthcare system post-crisis, for the purpose of this chapter, recovery is defined as the change to functioning and operations in acute care hospitals from crisis state to non-crisis state. This chapter will present a summary of some of the experiences of healthcare systems worldwide to the COVID-19 pandemic including the successes and shortcomings from all levels within the system. We will present the impact of the pandemic on the building blocks of the healthcare system and outline considerations for its recovery as the early pandemic surge subsides. We will then present a case study of the recovery process from the perspective of SBH Health System in Bronx, USA, following the first surge of COVID-19 in March 2020. Within this, we intend to highlight specific areas for improvement that were indicated by our healthcare system during the crisis and use these lessons learned to implement a plan for recovery of hospital services, continued improvements in-patient care and preparedness for future crises. © SBH Health System 2022.

Introduction

Nurses are public servants who provide needed healthcare to patients and their families across the globe. In every society, there are nurses who go to work each day to meet their professional and ethical obligations to those who are sick and in need of their expertise. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, strained this workforce leading to mental stress, exhaustion, and in some cases resignation. Many nurses accepted unknown risks from an emerging virus that cost the lives of their patients and in some instances their lives too. This book speaks to the many ethical issues that nurses confronted while working on the front lines of a global pandemic and the consequences they suffered. The book aims to provide important lessons to help us prepare for future pandemics. Each chapter addresses ethical concerns ranging from discussions on what is an acceptable risk in a pandemic to "words of wisdom" from nursing leaders on how nurses might regain the moral fortitude to move forward. We know that without nurses, there is no sustainable healthcare system;thus, this book is a tribute to their struggles for justice amidst the chaos in which they found themselves and the good that they were trying to achieve for their societies. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.

Moving forward: Words of wisdom from nurse leaders

Nurses were omnipresent during the COVID-19 pandemic, caring for patients in the ICU, helping with triage, working with children in schools, administering vaccines, running command centers, and so much more. The challenges have been formidable, but nurses stepped up to the plate, supported by nurse leaders. In this chapter, several nurse leaders reflect on lessons learned during this pandemic, including the critical importance of healthy work environments and the need for solidarity among nurses and all healthcare providers who make care for COVID-19 patients and programs of prevention possible. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022. All rights reserved.

Behind the Counter: Exploring Pharmacists' Stressors and Lessons Learned During the Pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

Background: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increased stress among healthcare professionals. Among these healthcare providers are Ontario pharmacists, who are facing new and pre-existing challenges and new stressors since the pandemic. Objectives: This study aimed to understand the stressors and lessons learned by Ontario pharmacists during the pandemic through their lived experiences. Methods: In this descriptive qualitative study, we conducted semi-structured one-on-one interviews with Ontario pharmacists virtually to learn about their stressors and lessons learned during the pandemic. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, then analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings: We reached data saturation after 15 interviews and identified 5 main themes: (1) Communication/miscommunication with the public and other care providers; (2) high workload due to staff shortage and low appreciation/acknowledgement; (3) mismatch in market demand and supply; (4) informational gaps pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic along with rapid protocol changes; and (5) lessons learned to improve the future of pharmacy practice in Ontario. Discussion: Our study helped us gain a better understanding of the stressors pharmacists faced, their contributions, and the opportunities that arose due to the pandemic. Conclusion: Drawing on these experiences, this study provides recommendations to improve pharmacy practice and increase preparedness for future emergencies.

Faculty experiences teaching in an MBA program in the context of COVID-19 a sensemaking approach

The Sensemaking framework is often utilized when disruptive events create ambiguity and force individuals to make sense of things differently, personally and professionally, by "structuring the unknown" (Waterman, 1990, p.41). By way of example, the COVID-19 pandemic was a significant disruptor to the education sector. Institutional decisions driven by the initial crisis kept daily functions and the educational process moving forward in 2020 by faculty members leveraging existing technology to continue teaching their students. The pandemic disrupted the daily routine of brick-and-mortar operations and many institutions' face-to-face delivery of academic content. The implications of the pandemic forced every faculty member to make sense of the health crisis in their own particular way based on their individual situation. Despite the disruptive jolt of the pandemic, it also provided faculty the opportunity for personal and professional growth as they reflected on themselves and the lessons they learned amid the pandemic.After several months of living in the experience of online learning and virtual engagement, faculty and students returned to brick-and-mortar institutions to resume their educational roles (Husserl, 1970). Questions regarding safety, responsibilities, lessons learned, innovation, and sustainability were top of mind as faculty members returned and shared the same space and place with their colleagues and students. As such, to capture the essence of the faculty's interpretation of their pandemic experience, Heidegger's (1962) phenomenological approach was employed to provide context and to help understand the faculty's personal experiences as they tried to reconcile their previous role of teaching and learning with their newfound utilization of technology in their courses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Teachers' and students' perspectives on the intensive use of technology for teaching and learning

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 compelled university teachers to adapt their learning scenarios to new technology-mediated contexts. This paper analyses teaching and learning experiences, strategies and lessons learned during the lockdown period at the Faculty of Education of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (N=29 teachers, 227 students). The results reveal that participants experienced difficulties (lack of literacy in online pedagogies and work overload among lecturers;privation of physical presence and fluent communication among students). Teachers acquired knowledge around digital technologies and are predisposed to learn about innovative teaching methods supported by technologies. Students are dissatisfied with the learning experience, although they value the opportunities for flexible learning and saving time on commuting. Teaching strategies were less innovative and active than usual, and usually involved a combination of synchronous time for lectures and resolving problems, and self-study. Nevertheless, students valued more traditional teaching strategies (i.e. combinations of lectures and tutoring). The paper concludes that the teachers' view of the use of digital technologies has improved, although training is needed to make effective use of such technologies for active learning and innovative approaches to teaching. © 2023 Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. All rights reserved.

Lessons from the response

The COVID-19 pandemic, and the measures implemented to control it, collided with another public health emergency-the opioid crisis-with dire consequences. In October of 2017, the Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. That declaration has been renewed several times, including during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the latest renewal set to go into effect on July 4, 2022. The overlap of individual, environmental, and social risk factors for substance use disorder (SUD) and COVID-19 present major challenges to those working as part of the response to both pandemics. The severity of the implications of this dual pandemic-an estimated 100,000 people in the United States died from a drug overdose during the first year of the pandemic-make this an area of the pandemic response where lessons learned had to be rapidly implemented to save lives. Identifying ways in which those lessons can be expanded to other populations at risk, including those with other pre-existing mental disorders, will be important to reducing the inequitable impacts of the pandemic on mental health. © 2023 The authors.

Influential Factors for Hospital Management Maturity Models in a post-Covid-19 scenario - Systematic Literature Review

The importance of Maturity Models in healthcare is proven to support, monitor and direct healthcare organizations to better plan and execute their investments, developments and processes. In this work, two literature reviews were collected: one of them focuses on the identification of the main maturity models developed in the health area, the similarities and gaps between them, identifying what are the Influencing Factors for each model studied, and the other is the identification lessons learned for hospital management during the Covid-19 pandemic. Combining these two lines of investigation, it can be concluded that, in order to better prepare, adapt and make health systems more resilient, it is fundamental that future Maturity Models begin to map agility in diagnosing diseases, scale of exams, process of hospital disinfection and technological infrastructure, focusing on ICTs such as ML, LMS, DL, Robot Assistance, Actuators, Big Data, Blockchain, Smart Wearables, Delivery Drones, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Sensors and Cloud Technology. These IFs are identified as gaps for existing MMs in the sector. Allied to this, it is indicated that the future MMs consider expanding their focus in supply chain, services and applications, monitoring and, mainly, patient safety and care, given the importance that these IFs demonstrated in coping with the pandemic. Copyright © 2023 by Author/s and Licensed by IADiTI.

Wirecard scandal. A commentary on the biggest accounting fraud in Germany's post-war history

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how the Wirecard scandal has highlighted the need for further reforms in Germany and Europe, exposing institutional and market oversight weaknesses, particularly in terms of market integrity and investor protection. Design/methodology/approach: To provide a comprehensive picture of the situation, this paper is based only on relevant studies, which focus on the topic of interest, namely, the context of the Wirecard collapse in June 2020. It also examines how internal and external governance and monitoring mechanisms failed to uncover major fraud within the German payments group earlier. Findings: This study shows that this is by no means an isolated or unpredictable incident, and the allegations of accounting fraud had been known for several years, thanks to warnings from the Financial Times. In addition, the paper reviews the serious shortcomings revealed in the Wambach report. The report provided private details of the Wirecard audit and documents on the relationship between Wirecard management and the auditor. All of this can serve as a reference point for institutional and market oversight architecture in Germany and Europe and pave the way for future research. Originality/value: The paper contributes to the literature by highlighting the implications of the Wirecard scandal and the lessons that can be learned from what was one of Germany's biggest corporate scandals especially at a time when many are already affected by the impact of COVID-19 on the entire financial services industry. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

Dealing with COVID-19: Lessons Learned from the Italian Experience

Italy was the first western nation affected by the pandemic and was observed as a pilot case in the management of the new coronavirus epidemic. The outbreak of COVID-19 disease has been challeng-ing in Italy. On June 25, 2020 there were 239,821 total cases, of which 33,592 were deaths nationwide. Three lessons emerged from this experience that can serve as a blueprint to improve future plans for the outbreak of viruses. First, early reports on the spread of COVID-19 can help inform public health officials and medical practitioners in effort to combat its progression;second, inadequate risk assessment related to the urgency of the situation and limited reporting to the virus has led the rapid spread of COVID-19;third, an effective response to the virus had to be undertaken with coherent system of actions simultaneously.Copyright © 2021 Bentham Science Publishers.

Lessons learned: Development of COVID-19 clinical staging models at a large urban research institution.

Background/Objective: The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), along with many academic institutions worldwide, made significant efforts to address the many challenges presented during the COVID-19 pandemic by developing clinical staging and predictive models. Data from patients with a clinical encounter at UIC from July 1, 2019 to March 30, 2022 were abstracted from the electronic health record and stored in the UIC Center for Clinical and Translational Science Clinical Research Data Warehouse, prior to data analysis. While we saw some success, there were many failures along the way. For this paper, we wanted to discuss some of these obstacles and many of the lessons learned from the journey. Methods: Principle investigators, research staff, and other project team members were invited to complete an anonymous Qualtrics survey to reflect on the project. The survey included open-ended questions centering on participants' opinions about the project, including whether project goals were met, project successes, project failures, and areas that could have been improved. We then identified themes among the results. Results: Nine project team members (out of 30 members contacted) completed the survey. The responders were anonymous. The survey responses were grouped into four key themes: Collaboration, Infrastructure, Data Acquisition/Validation, and Model Building. Conclusion: Through our COVID-19 research efforts, the team learned about our strengths and deficiencies. We continue to work to improve our research and data translation capabilities.

Lessons Learned from a Global Perspective of Coronavirus Disease-2019.

Coronavirus disease-2019 has impacted the world globally. Countries and health care organizations across the globe responded to this unprecedented public health crisis in a varied manner in terms of public health and social measures, vaccination development and rollout, the conduct of research, developments of therapeutics, sharing of information, and in how they continue to deal with the widespread aftermath. This article reviews the various elements of the global response to the pandemic, focusing on the lessons learned and strategies to consider during future pandemics.

A novel approach to utilizing the essential public health functions in Ireland's health system recovery and reform.

This article is part of the Research Topic 'Health Systems Recovery in the Context of COVID-19 and Protracted Conflict.' The COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge to health systems and exposed weaknesses in public health capacities globally. As Ireland looks to recovery, strengthening public health capacities to support health systems resilience has been identified as a priority. The Essential Public Health Functions (EPHFs) provide an integrated approach to health systems strengthening with allied sectors and their operationalization supports health systems and multi-sectoral engagement to meet population needs and anticipate evolving demands. The Health Systems Resilience team (World Health Organization, HQ) in collaboration with the Department of Health (Ireland) developed a novel approach to the assessment of the EPHFs in Ireland. The approach involved a strategic and focused review of the delivery and consideration of EPHFs in relation to policy and planning, infrastructure, service delivery, coordination and integration, monitoring and evaluation and learning. Informed by a literature review and key document search, key stakeholder mapping and key informant interviews, lessons learned from experience with COVID-19 nationally and internationally, strengths as well as potential areas of improvement to optimize delivery of EPHFs were identified. Mapping of the EPHFs in Ireland revealed that there is evidence of delivery of all 12 EPHFs to varying degrees; however a number of challenges were identified, as well as numerous strengths and opportunities. Recommendations to optimize the delivery of EPHFs in Ireland include to integrate and coordinate EPHFs, increase the visibility of the public health agenda, leverage existing mechanisms, recognize and develop the workforce, and address issues with the Health Information System. There is a public health reform process currently underway in Ireland, with some of these recommendations already being addressed. The findings of this process can help further inform and support the reform process. Given the current focus on strengthening public health capacities globally, the findings in Ireland have applicability and relevance in other WHO regions and member states for health systems recovery and building back better, fairer and more resilient health systems.

Lessons learned by thoracic surgeons during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: The scale of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has necessitated healthcare systems to adapt and evolve, altering physician roles and expectations. Thoracic surgeons have seen practice changes from new COVID-19 consults to necessary delay and triage of elective care. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of COVID-19 on thoracic surgeon experiences in order to anticipate roles and changes in practice in future such circumstances. Methods: Semi-structured, qualitative individual telephone interviews were conducted with thoracic surgeons. Interviews were structured to understand how surgeons were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to record lessons learned. Interviews were conducted until thematic saturation was achieved. Data were analyzed using matrix analysis. Results: Eleven board-certified general thoracic surgeons from nine institutions were interviewed. Thoracic surgeon roles in COVID-19 care included critical care delivery, performing tracheostomies and establishing related protocols, and interventions for long-term airway complications. Attention was called to the impact of the pandemic on thoracic cancer: patients avoided hospitals because of concern over COVID-19, delaying care. Conclusions: Thoracic surgeons played a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic response in both technical patient care and administrative capacities. Primary care responsibilities included the development, administration and delivery of tracheostomy protocols, and the care of down-stream airway complications. Thoracic surgeons were critical in triage decisions to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on thoracic cancer care. Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic may provide insight into opportunities to promote collaboration in thoracic surgery and facilitate improved care delivery in future settings of resource limitation.

Lessons Learned from the Lessons Learned in Public Health during the First Years of COVID-19 Pandemic.

(1) Objectives: to investigate the main lessons learned from the public health (PH) response to COVID-19, using the global perspective endorsed by the WHO pillars, and understand what countries have learned from their practical actions. (2) Methods: we searched for articles in PubMed and CINAHL from 1 January 2020 to 31 January 2022. 455 articles were included. Inclusion criteria were PH themes and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and forty-four articles were finally included in a detailed scoping review. (3) Findings: 78 lessons learned were available, cited 928 times in the 144 articles. Our review highlighted 5 main lessons learned among the WHO regions: need for continuous coordination between PH institutions and organisations (1); importance of assessment and evaluation of risk factors for the diffusion of COVID-19, identifying vulnerable populations (2); establishment of evaluation systems to assess the impact of planned PH measures (3); extensive application of digital technologies, telecommunications and electronic health records (4); need for periodic scientific reviews to provide regular updates on the most effective PH management strategies (5). (4) Conclusion: lessons found in this review could be essential for the future, providing recommendations for an increasingly flexible, fast and efficient PH response to a healthcare emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exploring Italian healthcare facilities response to COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons learned from the Italian Response to COVID-19 initiative.

The COVID-19 pandemic exerted an extraordinary pressure on the Italian healthcare system (Sistema Sanitario Nazionale, SSN), determining an unprecedented health crisis. In this context, a multidisciplinary non-governmental initiative called Italian Response to COVID-19 (IRC-19) was implemented from June 2020 to August 2021 to support the Italian health system through multiple activities aimed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to shed light on the role of NGOs in supporting the SSN during the first pandemic wave by specifically exploring: (1) the main challenges experienced by Italian hospitals and out-of-hospital care facilities and (2) the nature and extent of the IRC-19 interventions specifically implemented to support healthcare facilities, to find out if and how such interventions met healthcare facilities' perceived needs at the beginning of the pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional study using an interviewer administered 32-item questionnaire among 14 Italian healthcare facilities involved in the IRC-19 initiative. Health facilities' main challenges concerned three main areas: healthcare workers, patients, and facilities' structural changes. The IRC-19 initiative contributed to support both hospital and out-of-hospital healthcare facilities by implementing interventions for staff and patients' safety and flow management and interventions focused on the humanization of care. The support from the third sector emerged as an added value that strengthened the Italian response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is in line with the Health-Emergency and Disaster Risk Management (H-EDRM) precepts, that call for a multisectoral and multidisciplinary collaboration for an effective disaster management.