Priority setting in times of crises: an analysis of priority setting for the COVID-19 response in the Western Pacific Region.

BACKGROUND: While priority setting is recognized as critical for promoting accountability and transparency in health system planning, its role in supporting rational, equitable and fair pandemic planning and responses is less well understood. This study aims to describe how priority setting was used to support planning in the initial stage of the pandemic response in a subset of countries in the Western Pacific Region (WPR). METHODS: We purposively sampled a subset of countries from WPR and undertook a critical document review of the initial national COVID-19 pandemic response plans. A pre-specified tool guided data extraction and the analysis examined the use of quality parameters of priority setting, and equity considerations. RESULTS: Nine plans were included in this analysis, from the following countries: Papua New Guinea, Tonga, The Philippines, Fiji, China, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and Taiwan. Most commonly the plans described strong political will to respond swiftly, resource needs, stakeholder engagement, and defined the roles of institutions that guided COVID-19 response decision-making. The initial plans did not reflect strong evidence of public engagement or considerations of equity informing the early responses to the pandemic. CONCLUSION: This study advances an understanding of how priority setting and equity considerations were integrated to support the development of the initial COVID-19 responses in nine countries in WPR and contributes to the literature on health system planning during emergencies. This baseline assessment reveals evidence of the common priority setting parameters that were deployed in the initial responses, the prioritized resources and equity considerations and reinforces the importance of strengthening health system capacity for priority setting to support future pandemic preparedness.

Stakeholder participation in the COVID-19 pandemic preparedness and response plans: A synthesis of findings from 70 countries.

Stakeholder participation is a key component of a fair and equitable priority-setting in health. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for fair and equitable priority setting, and hence, stakeholder participation. To date, there is limited literature on stakeholder participation in the development of the pandemic plans (including the priority setting plans) that were rapidly developed during the pandemic. Drawing on a global study of national COVID-19 preparedness and response plans, we present a secondary analysis of COVID-19 national plans from 70 countries from the six WHO regions, focusing on stakeholder participation. We found that most plans were prepared by the Ministry of Health and acknowledged WHO guidance, however less than half mentioned that additional stakeholders were involved. Few plans described a strategy for stakeholder participation and/or accounted for public participation in the plan preparation. However, diverse stakeholders (including multiple governmental, non-governmental, and international organizations) were proposed to participate in the implementation of the plans. Overall, there was a lack of transparency about who participated in decision-making and limited evidence of meaningful participation of the community, including marginalized groups. The critical relevance of stakeholder participation in priority setting requires that governments develop strategies for meaningful participation of diverse stakeholders during pandemics such as COVID-19, and in routine healthcare priority setting.

A global comparative analysis of the the inclusion of priority setting in national COVID-19 pandemic plans: A reflection on the methods and the accessibility of the plans.

BACKGROUND: Despite the swift governments' response to the COVID-19 pandemic, there remains a paucity of literature assessing the degree to which; priority setting (PS) was included in the pandemic plans and the pandemic plans were publicly accessible. This paper reflects on the methods employed in a global comparative analysis of the degree to which countries integrated PS into their COVID-19 pandemic plans based on Kapiriri & Martin's framework. We also assessed if the accessibility of the plans was related to the country's transparency index. METHODS: Through a three stage search strategy, we accessed and reviewed 86 national COVID-19 pandemic plans (and 11 Canadian provinces and territories). Secondary analysis assessed any alignment between the readily accessible plans and the country's transparency index. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: 71 national plans were readily accessible while 43 were not. There were no systematic differences between the countries whose plans were readily available and those whose plans were 'missing'. However, most of the countries with 'missing' plans tended to have a low transparency index. The framework was adapted to the pandemic context by adding a parameter on the need to plan for continuity of priority routine services. While document review may be the most feasible and appropriate approach to conducting policy analysis during health emergencies, interviews and follow up document review would assess policy implementation.

Whoever wants better healthcare simply pays more: citizens' perception about voluntary private health insurance in Colombia.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the perceptions that Colombians have about voluntary private health insurance plans (VPHI) in the health system to identify the tensions that exist between the public and private systems. METHODS: A qualitative case study approach with 46 semi structured interviews of patients, healthcare workers, healthcare administrators, decision-makers, and citizens. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, anonymized, digitally stored, and analyzed following grounded theory guidelines. RESULTS: We developed a paradigmatic matrix that explores how, in a context mediated by both the commodification of health and social stratification, perceptions about the failures in the public health system related to lack of timely care, extensive administrative procedures, and the search for privileged care led to positioning VPHI as a solution to these failures. The interviewees identified three consequences of using VPHI: first, the worsening of problems of timely access to care in the public system; second, higher costs for citizens translated into double payment for technologies and services to which they are entitled; third, the widening of inequity gaps in access to health services between people with similar needs but different payment capacities. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can help decision makers to understand citizens´ perceptions about the implications that VPHI may have in worsening equity gaps in the Colombian health system. It also shows, how VPHI is perceived as a double payment for services covered within social security plans and suggests that the perceived lack of timely access to care in the public systems and the fear that citizens have for themselves or their family members when using suboptimal healthcare are important drivers to purchase these private insurances.

RESUMEN: OBJETIVOS: Explorar las percepciones que tienen los colombianos sobre los planes de seguro de salud privados voluntarios (VPHI) en el sistema de salud para identificar las tensiones que existen entre los sistemas público y privado. MéTODOS: Un estudio cualitativo de caso con 46 entrevistas semiestructuradas a pacientes, trabajadores de la salud, administradores de salud, tomadores de decisiones y ciudadanos. Las entrevistas se grabaron, transcribieron y almacenaron de manera anónima. El análisis se hizo siguiendo conceptos de la teoría fundamentada. RESULTADOS: Desarrollamos una matriz paradigmática que explora cómo, en un contexto mediado tanto por la mercantilización de la salud como por la estratificación social, las percepciones sobre las fallas en el sistema de salud público relacionadas con la falta de atención oportuna, procedimientos administrativos extensos y la búsqueda de atención privilegiada llevaron a posicionar los VPHI como una solución a estas fallas. Los entrevistados identificaron tres consecuencias del uso de los VPHI: primero, el empeoramiento de los problemas de acceso oportuno a la atención en el sistema público; segundo, mayores costos para los ciudadanos, traducidos en un pago doble por tecnologías y servicios a los que tienen derecho; tercero, el aumento de las brechas de equidad en el acceso a los servicios de salud entre personas con necesidades similares pero diferentes capacidades de pago. CONCLUSIONES: Estos hallazgos pueden ayudar a los tomadores de decisiones a comprender las percepciones de los ciudadanos sobre las implicaciones que el VPHI puede tener en el empeoramiento de las brechas de equidad en el sistema de salud colombiano. También muestra cómo el VPHI se percibe como un pago doble por servicios cubiertos dentro de los planes de seguridad social y sugiere que la falta percibida de acceso oportuno a la atención en los sistemas públicos y el miedo que los ciudadanos tienen por sí mismos o por sus familiares cuando utilizan una atención sanitaria subóptima son factores importantes para adquirir estos seguros privados.

A global comparative analysis of the criteria and equity considerations included in eighty-six national COVID-19 plans.

Systematic priority setting (PS), based on explicit criteria, is thought to improve the quality and consistency of the PS decisions. Among the PS criteria, there is increased focus on the importance of equity considerations and vulnerable populations. This paper discusses the PS criteria that were included in the national COVID-19 pandemic plans, with specific focus on equity and on the vulnerable populations considered. Secondary synthesis of data, from a global comparative study that examined the degree to which the COVID-19 plans included PS, was conducted. Only 32 % of the plans identified explicit criteria. Severity of the disease and/or disease burden were the commonly mentioned criteria. With regards to equity considerations and prioritizing vulnerable populations, 22 countries identified people with co-morbidities others mentioned children, women etc. Low social-economic status and internally displaced population were not identified in any of the reviewed national plans. The limited inclusion of explicit criteria and equity considerations highlight a need for policy makers, in all contexts, to consider instituting and equipping PS institutions who can engage diverse stakeholders in identifying the relevant PS criteria during the post pandemic period. While vulnerability will vary with the type of health emergency- awareness of this and having mechanisms for identifying and prioritizing the most vulnerable will support equitable pandemic responses.

How did European countries set health priorities in response to the COVID-19 threat? A comparative document analysis of 24 pandemic preparedness plans across the EURO region.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments across the world to consider how to prioritise the allocation of scarce resources. There are many tools and frameworks that have been designed to assist with the challenges of priority setting in health care. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which formal priority setting was evident in the pandemic plans produced by countries in the World Health Organisation's EURO region, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This compliments analysis of similar plans produced in other regions of the world. Twenty four pandemic preparedness plans were obtained that had been published between March and September 2020. For data extraction, we applied a framework for identifying and assessing the elements of good priority setting to each plan, before conducting comparative analysis across the sample. Our findings suggest that while some pre-requisites for effective priority setting were present in many cases - including political commitment and a recognition of the need for allocation decisions - many other hallmarks were less evident, such as explicit ethical criteria, decision making frameworks, and engagement processes. This study provides a unique insight into the role of priority setting in the European response to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participación de pacientes en la guía de práctica clínica de baja visión / Involvement of patients in the clinical practice guideline for low vision / Participação de pacientes na diretriz de prática clínica de visão subnormal

Objetivo: como parte de la elaboración de una guía de práctica clínica (GPC) para el cuidado de personas con baja visión en Colombia, se recomienda incluir la participación de pacientes. El objetivo fue identificar los aspectos de la vida cotidiana que se ven más afectados por la baja visión, los cuales se deben trabajar en un proceso de rehabilitación de la visión y así reconocer las barreras para acceder a ese proceso. Además, se pretende calificar la importancia de los desenlaces para los pacientes y sus cuidadores. Metodología: pacientes con baja visión y sus familiares fueron invitados a participar en un grupo focal que indagó por sus percepciones sobre los aspectos más afectados por la baja visión, los elementos más importantes de los procesos de rehabilitación de la visión y sus barreras más frecuentes. Resultados: se reportaron dificultades en la realización de las actividades instrumentales, como el uso del computador o celular, el uso del transporte público, el manejo del dinero, ir de compras, la movilidad y la orientación. La rehabilitación de la visión exitosa fue definida como aquella que les permite recuperar la independencia y ganar confianza en sí mismos. Las intervenciones de rehabilitación que mejoren las capacidades de orientación y movilidad, que incluyan acompañamiento psicológico para el paciente y la familia y que cuenten con enfoques grupales fueron altamente apreciadas. Las barreras administrativas fueron las más mencionadas. Conclusión: estos resultados apoyaron la toma de decisiones en el desarrollo de las recomendaciones de la GPC para personas con baja visión en Colombia.

Objective: As part of the development of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the care of individuals with low vision in Colombia, it is recommended to include patient involvement. The objective was to identify aspects of daily life most affected by low vision, which should be addressed in a vision rehabilitation process, and to recognize barriers to accessing that process. Additionally, the aim was to assess the importance of outcomes for patients and their caregivers. Methodology: Patients with low vision and their family members were invited to participate in a focus group that explored their perceptions regarding the most affected aspects of low vision, the key elements of vision rehabilitation processes, and the most common barriers they face. Results: Difficulties were reported in performing instrumental activities such as computer or cellphone use, using public transportation, handling money, shopping, mobility, and orientation. Successful vision rehabilitation was defined as the ability to recover independence and gain self-confidence. Rehabilitation interventions that improve orientation and mobility skills, include psychological support for patients and their families, and incorporate group approaches were highly valued. Administrative barriers were the most frequently mentioned.

Objetivo: Como parte do desenvolvimento de uma diretriz de prática clínica (CPG) para o atendimento de pessoas com baixa visão na Colômbia, recomenda-se incluir a parti-cipação dos pacientes. O objetivo foi identificar os aspectos do cotidiano mais afetados pela baixa visão, que devem ser trabalhados em um processo de reabilitação da visão e assim reconhecer as barreiras para acessar esse processo. Além disso, pretende-se qualificar a importância dos desfechos para os pacientes e seus cuidadores. Metodologia: os pacientes com baixa visão e seus familiares foram convidados a par-ticipar de um grupo focal que indagou sobre suas percepções sobre os aspectos mais afetados pela baixa visão, os elementos mais importantes dos processos de reabilitação da visão e suas barreiras mais frequentes. Resultados: foram relatadas dificuldades na realização de atividades instrumentais, como uso do computador ou celular, uso de transporte público, administração do dinheiro, compras, locomoção e orientação. A reabilitação visual bem-sucedida foi definida como aquela que lhes permite recuperar a independência e ganhar autoconfiança. Intervenções de reabilitação que melhoram as habilidades de orientação e mobilidade, que incluem apoio psicológico para o paciente e a família e que têm abordagens em grupo foram muito apreciadas. As barreiras administrativas foram as mais mencionadas. Conclusão: estes resultados apoiaram a tomada de decisões no desenvolvimento das recomendações CPG para pessoas com baixa visão na Colômbia.

Was priority setting included in the Canadian COVID-19 pandemic planning and preparedness? A comparative analysis of COVID-19 pandemic plans from eight provinces and three territories.

BACKGROUND: Variation in priorities during pandemic planning among the federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions are thought to have impacted Canada's ability to effectively control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and protect the most vulnerable. The potential influence of diverse and divergent political, cultural, and behavioural factors, regarding inclusion of priority setting (PS) in pandemic preparedness planning across the country is not well understood. This study aimed to examine how the Canadian federal, provincial and territorial COVID-19 pandemic preparedness planning documents integrated PS. METHODS: A documentary analysis of the federal, eight provincial, three territorial COVID-19 preparedness and response plans. We assessed the degree to which the documented PS processes fulfilled established quality requirements of effective PS using the Kapiriri & Martin framework. RESULTS: While the federal plan included most of the parameters of effective PS, the provinces and territories reflected few. The lack of obligation for the provinces and territories to emulate the federal plan is one of the possible reasons for the varying inclusion of these parameters. The parameters included did not vary systematically with the jurisdiction's context. CONCLUSION: Provinces could consider using the framework of the federal plan and the WHO guidelines to guide future pandemic planning. Regular evaluation of the instituted PS would provide a mechanism through which lessons can be harnessed and improvement strategies developed. Future studies should describe and evaluate what PS mechanisms were implemented.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Concerning Maternal Immunization Among Pregnant/Postpartum Women and Health Care Professionals in Peru.

INTRODUCTION: For pregnant women, vaccination with inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) and tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap) is recommended. In Peru, uptake is nonetheless low. A study was conducted to identify factors affecting maternal vaccination coverage. The study's primary objectives were to describe the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding maternal immunization among pregnant/postpartum women and health care professionals (HCPs). The secondary objective was to determine the vaccination coverage and the impact of Ministry of Health (MOH) recommendations. METHODS: An observational multicenter, cross-sectional survey study was conducted from February 1, 2021 to June 30, 2021 in five cities in Peru. Two surveys were conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes, and practices concerning maternal immunization: one among pregnant/postpartum women and one among HCPs. RESULTS: Participants were 668 pregnant/postpartum women with a mean age of 29.6 years and 219 HCPs-mostly midwives (46.6%) and obstetricians/gynecologists (44.7%). Of the pregnant/postpartum women, 66.9% knew that, in general, vaccinations are given for prevention, and 98.5% believed vaccines are important. Nonetheless, 69.6% of pregnant/postpartum women had poor or moderate knowledge of maternal vaccination. Disease knowledge of influenza (89.1%) and tetanus (87.0%) was high, while knowledge of pertussis (37.7%) was low. Women agreed/strongly agreed that they would get vaccinated with Tdap if a doctor (96.3%), midwife (88.9%), or nurse (72.0%) recommended it. Of the HCPs, 81.3% routinely recommended Tdap vaccination for pregnant women. CONCLUSIONS: To enhance vaccine acceptance in pregnant women in Peru, we must improve knowledge of the diseases, MOH recommendations, and benefits of the offered vaccinations. HCPs could provide this vaccination knowledge and information along with their vaccination recommendation as the pregnant/postpartum women indicated they would take the vaccines if recommended by their HCPs. Our findings are important for the successful implementation of maternal immunization programs in Peru.

Psychometric Properties of Scales for Assessing the Vision-related Quality of Life of People with Low Vision: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To synthesize information on the psychometric properties of scales used to assess vision-related quality of life in people with low vision. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted. The Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Bireme and Epistemonikos databases were consulted in July 2020. Eligibility assessment of abstracts and full texts was performed independently by two investigators.A standardized template was used for data extraction regarding study design, scale and version, clinical condition of participants, and psychometric properties measured, using database-specific controlled vocabulary terms for low vision and keywords for vision-related quality of life and validity. Data was synthesized considering two approaches for scales validations, Classical Test Theory and Rasch Analysis. RESULTS: A total of 53 articles were included in our analysis. In total, 40 studies evaluated the NEI VFQ scale, four evaluated the IVI scale, two evaluated the VA LV VFQ instrument and seven validated the LVQOL scale. This review found that the VRQoL NEI VFQ, IVI, LVQOL and VA LV VFQ-48 scales have adequate psychometric properties, with good internal consistency, when assessed using the CTT approach. The NEI VFQ scale also showed adequate test-retest reliability and adequate construct and content validity. The NEI VFQ and LVQOL scales showed inadequate items and multidimensionality when Rasch analysis was used. The IVI scale showed potential for assessing change in HRQoL after providing interventions to patients with low vision. CONCLUSIONS: Many questionnaires exist to measure vision-related quality of life in people with low vision, but the psychometric properties of the questionnaires are variable.

Examining priority setting in the national COVID-19 pandemic plans: A case study from countries in the WHO- South-East Asia Region (WHO-SEARO).

Background: The World Health Organization- South-East Asia Region (WHO-SEARO) accounted for almost 17% of all the confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 worldwide. While the literature has documented a weak COVID-19 response in the WHO-SEARO, there has been no discussion of the degree to which this could have been influenced/ mitigated with the integration of priority setting (PS) in the region's COVID-19 response. The purpose of this paper is to describe the degree to which the COVID-19 plans from a sample of WHO-SEARO countries included priority setting. Methods: The study was based on an analysis of national COVID-19 pandemic response and preparedness planning documents from a sample of seven (of the eleven) countries in WHO-SEARO. We described the degree to which the documented priority setting processes adhered to twenty established quality indicators of effective PS and conducted a cross-country comparison. Results: All of the reviewed plans described the required resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most, but not all of the plans demonstrated political will, and described stakeholder involvement. However, none of the plans presented a clear description of the PS process including a formal PS framework, and PS criteria. Overall, most of the plans included only a limited number of quality indicators for effective PS. Discussion and conclusion: There was wide variation in the parameters of effective PS in the reviewed plans. However, there were no systematic variations between the parameters presented in the plans and the country's economic, health system and pandemic and PS context and experiences. The political nature of the pandemic, and its high resource demands could have influenced the inclusion of the parameters that were apparent in all the plans. The finding that the plans did not include most of the evidence-based parameters of effective PS highlights the need for further research on how countries operationalize priority setting in their respective contexts as well as deeper understanding of the parameters that are deemed relevant. Further research should explore and describe the experiences of implementing defined priorities and the impact of this decision-making on the pandemic outcomes in each country.

Development of a STandard reporting guideline for Evidence briefs for Policy (STEP): context and study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Evidence briefs for policy (EBP) draw on best-available data and research evidence (e.g., systematic reviews) to help clarify policy problems, frame options for addressing them, and identify implementation considerations for policymakers in a given context. An increasing number of governments, non-governmental organizations and research groups have been developing EBP on a wide variety of topics. However, the reporting characteristics of EBP vary across organizations due to a lack of internationally accepted standard reporting guidelines. This project aims to develop a STandard reporting guideline of Evidence briefs for Policy (STEP), which will encompass a reporting checklist and a STEP statement and a user manual. METHODS: We will refer to and adapt the methods recommended by the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) network. The key actions include: (1) developing a protocol; (2) establishing an international multidisciplinary STEP working group (consisting of a Coordination Team and a Delphi Panel); (3) generating an initial draft of the potential items for the STEP reporting checklist through a comprehensive review of EBP-related literature and documents; (4) conducting a modified Delphi process to select and refine the reporting checklist; (5) using the STEP to evaluate published policy briefs in different countries; (6) finalizing the checklist; (7) developing the STEP statement and the user manual (8) translating the STEP into different languages; and (9) testing the reliability through real world use. DISCUSSION: Our protocol describes the development process for STEP. It will directly address what and how information should be reported in EBP and contribute to improving their quality. The decision-makers, researchers, journal editors, evaluators, and other stakeholders who support evidence-informed policymaking through the use of mechanisms like EBP will benefit from the STEP. Registration We registered the protocol on the EQUATOR network. ( https://www.equator-network.org/library/reporting-guidelines-under-development/#84 ).

An analysis of how health systems integrated priority-setting in the pandemic planning in a sample of Latin America and the Caribbean countries.

BACKGROUND: Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are among those regions most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic has strained health systems in the region. In this context of severe healthcare resource constraints, there is a need for systematic priority-setting to support decision-making which ensures the best use of resources while considering the needs of the most vulnerable groups. The aim of this paper was to provide a critical description and analysis of how health systems considered priority-setting in the COVID-19 response and preparedness plans of a sample of 14 LAC countries; and to identify the associated research gaps. METHODS: A documentary analysis of COVID-19 preparedness and response plans was performed in a sample of 14 countries in the LAC region. We assessed the degree to which the documented priority-setting processes adhered to established quality indicators of effective priority-setting included in the Kapiriri and Martin framework. We conducted a descriptive analysis of the degree to which the reports addressed the quality parameters for each individual country, as well as a cross-country comparison to explore whether parameters varied according to independent variables. RESULTS: While all plans were led and supported by the national governments, most included only a limited number of quality indicators for effective priority-setting. There was no systematic pattern between the number of quality indicators and the country's health system and political contexts; however, the countries that had the least number of quality indicators tended to be economically disadvantaged. CONCLUSION: This study adds to the literature by providing the first descriptive analysis of the inclusion of priority-setting during a pandemic, using the case of COVID-19 response and preparedness plans in the LAC region. The analysis found that despite the strong evidence of political will and stakeholder participation, none of the plans presented a clear priority-setting process, or used a formal priority-setting framework, to define interventions, populations, geographical regions, healthcare setting or resources prioritized. There is need for case studies that analyse how priority-setting actually occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and the degree to which the implementation reflected the plans and the parameters of effective priority-setting, as well as the impact of the prioritization processes on population health, with a focus on the most vulnerable groups.

Priority setting and equity in COVID-19 pandemic plans: a comparative analysis of 18 African countries.

Priority setting represents an even bigger challenge during public health emergencies than routine times. This is because such emergencies compete with routine programmes for the available health resources, strain health systems and shift health-care attention and resources towards containing the spread of the epidemic and treating those that fall seriously ill. This paper is part of a larger global study, the aim of which is to evaluate the degree to which national COVID-19 preparedness and response plans incorporated priority setting concepts. It provides important insights into what and how priority decisions were made in the context of a pandemic. Specifically, with a focus on a sample of 18 African countries' pandemic plans, the paper aims to: (1) explore the degree to which the documented priority setting processes adhere to established quality indicators of effective priority setting and (2) examine if there is a relationship between the number of quality indicators present in the pandemic plans and the country's economic context, health system and prior experiences with disease outbreaks. All the reviewed plans contained some aspects of expected priority setting processes but none of the national plans addressed all quality parameters. Most of the parameters were mentioned by less than 10 of the 18 country plans reviewed, and several plans identified one or two aspects of fair priority setting processes. Very few plans identified equity as a criterion for priority setting. Since the parameters are relevant to the quality of priority setting that is implemented during public health emergencies and most of the countries have pre-existing pandemic plans; it would be advisable that, for the future (if not already happening), countries consider priority setting as a critical part of their routine health emergency and disease outbreak plans. Such an approach would ensure that priority setting is integral to pandemic planning, response and recovery.

Incidence and Mortality Trends of Acute Gastroenteritis and Pneumococcal Disease in Children Following Universal Rotavirus and Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination in Ecuador.

INTRODUCTION: Ecuador introduced routine infant rotavirus (RV) vaccination in 2008 and pneumococcal conjugate vaccination (PCV) in 2011 to manage disease and mortality in children caused by gastroenteritis (GE) and by pneumonia (PNE) and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), respectively. METHODS: This retrospective ecological database study described vaccination coverage as well as the trends in incidence and mortality in the pre- versus post-vaccination periods and used time-trend analysis models to assess the impact of vaccination. RESULTS: RV vaccination coverage of the second dose was between 79-97% from 2008 to 2016. GE incidence and mortality showed a declining trend before vaccination which continued in the post-vaccination period. The model estimated a statistically significant decrease of 72.4% for GE mortality and 51.2% for GE incidence in the post-vaccination period. PCV vaccination coverage remained above 80% (second dose) and 40% (third dose) after 2011. PNE mortality showed a declining trend before vaccination and a continued decline after vaccination, while PNE incidence was more variable (sharp increase from 2005-2009 then decrease and eventual stabilisation). The model estimated a statistically significant decline of 41.1% for PNE mortality and a stable PNE incidence in the post- versus pre-vaccination period. IPD incidence and mortality yearly data showed large variability by year and low numbers, making it difficult to discern a trend. The model estimated a statistically significant reduction of 51.1% for IPD mortality and 31.5% for IPD incidence in the post- versus pre-vaccination period. CONCLUSION: After the first 9 years of routine RV vaccination and 6 years of routine PCV vaccination in Ecuador, significant decreases in incidence and mortality in children < 5 years of age due to GE and pneumococcal disease have been observed.

Acute Gastroenteritis Morbidity and Mortality Trends Following Universal Rotavirus Vaccination in Children in Peru: Ecological Database Study with Time-Trend Analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Rotavirus (RV) infection is the leading cause of severe diarrhea in children worldwide. It is responsible for around 25% of gastroenteritis (GE) cases, 33% of hospitalized GE cases, and an annual mortality rate of 113.4/100,000 in children < 5 years of age in Peru. RV infant vaccination is recommended by the World Health Organization and provides the best public health strategy to manage the disease. Universal RV vaccination was introduced in Peru in 2009. METHODS: Trends in GE ambulatory visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in children < 5 years of age are described in the pre-vaccination (2004-2008) versus post-vaccination (2010-2018) periods. Time-trend analysis was performed (using generalized linear regression models) to assess the impact of vaccination nationwide and by region after adjusting for variables. RESULTS: Between 2009 and 2011, vaccination coverage increased to over 80% in Peru. In infants < 1 year of age, GE ambulatory cases, hospitalizations, and deaths decreased in the post-vaccination period by 40.3%, 46.2%, and 55.5%, respectively (and in children < 5 years of age, by 34.4%, 41.9%, and 54.3%, respectively) compared with the pre-vaccination period. Results of the multivariate time-trend analysis also found significant decreases in the post-vaccination period of 10.7% (GE ambulatory cases), 17.2% (GE hospitalizations), and 37.3% (GE mortality) in children < 5 years of age. Data analyzed by region varied, with Costa and Sierra regions generally in line with the national findings; however, some findings were less robust for Selva due to fewer available data. CONCLUSION: After 9 years of RV vaccination in Peru, there appears to be a statistically significant positive impact of vaccination, in terms of reducing GE-related mortality, hospitalizations, and ambulatory visits in infants and young children. For policymakers to understand regional differences and future vaccination needs, continued improvement in surveillance is needed.

Mental health interventions for college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A critical synthesis of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to compare the emotional effects of COVID-19 among three different groups, namely: health personnel, medical students, and a sample of the general population. METHODS: 375 participants were recruited for this study, of which 125 were medical students (preclinical studies, 59; clinical studies, 66), 125 were health personnel (COVID-19 frontline personnel, 59; personnel not related with COVID-19, 66), and 125 belonged to the general population. The PHQ-9, GAD-7, and CPDI scales were used to assess the emotional impact. A multinomial logistic regression was performed to measure differences between groups, considering potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Regarding CPDI values, all other groups showed reduced values compared to COVID-19 frontline personnel. However, the general population, preclinical and clinical medical students showed increased PHQ-9 values compared to COVID-19 frontline personnel. Finally, confounding factors, gender and age correlated negatively with higher CPDI and PHQ-9 scores. CONCLUSIONS: Being frontline personnel is associated with increased COVID-19-related stress. Depression is associated, however, with other groups not directly involved with the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Female gender and younger age correlated with COVID-19-related depression and stress.

Intervenciones para la salud mental de estudiantes universitarios durante la pandemia por COVID-19: una síntesis crítica de la literatura / Mental health interventions for college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a critical synthesis of the literature

RESUMEN Introducción: Los estudiantes de educación superior son una población vulnerable a los trastornos mentales, más aún durante la pandemia por COVID-19. Su salud mental se ha visto afectada por el confinamiento, las dificultades en el desarrollo de las actividades académicas y las exigencias de las nuevas modalidades pedagógicas. Se planteó entonces la pregunta: en las instituciones de educación superior, ¿cuáles acciones en torno a a) promoción y prevención, b) atención a síntomas mentales y c) adaptaciones pedagógicas pueden desarrollarse con el fin de mejorar la salud mental de sus estudiantes? Métodos: Síntesis crítica a partir de la revisión sistemática de la literatura. Se realizó la búsqueda de artículos científicos de alcance descriptivo, analítico, experimental o evaluativo, así como recursos web de organizaciones relacionadas con el tema. Se realizó una síntesis en función de los 3 focos de la pregunta mediante comparación constante, hasta realizar la agrupación de acciones por similitud en los actores que las ejecutarían y recibirían. Se anticipó una baja calidad de la evidencia, por lo que no se realizó evaluación estandarizada. Resultados: Se exploraron 68 artículos y 99 recursos web. Después de la revisión del texto completo se incluyeron 12 artículos científicos y 11 recursos web. Como lineamentos generales, se encontró que la propuesta más frecuente es el diseño de un programa estructurado específico para el tema de salud mental en las instituciones educativas, que sea multidisciplinario, incluyente, dinámico y sensible a la cultura. Las acciones deben ser divulgadas periódicamente para que los estudiantes y demás miembros de la comunidad educativa las tengan claras, e idealmente se propone mantenerlas hasta el periodo pospandémico e incluir a los egresados. Para a) la promoción y prevención, se encontró la psicoeducación por vía electrónica, donde se expliquen estilos de vida saludable, reacciones emocionales en pandemia, estrategias de afrontamiento y signos de alarma. Se propone la participación de los pares como estrategia de apoyo y espacios de interacción social que no se enfoquen únicamente en aspectos académicos. Se reporta la necesidad de cribar síntomas mentales por medio de envío frecuente de formularios en línea o aplicaciones móviles, donde también se indague por la satisfacción de las necesidades básicas y tecnológicas. En cuanto a b) atención de síntomas mentales, una de las acciones que se encontró con mayor frecuencia es disponer de un centro de consultoría que sea capaz de realizar atención en salud mental por vía telefónica, por tecnologías e incluso presencial, con atención permanente las 24 h o equipos de respuesta rápida ante una situación de crisis, como la conducta suicida y la violencia doméstica. Para c) las adaptaciones pedagógicas, se señala como requisito indispensable la comunicación fluida para tener instrucciones claras sobre el desarrollo de las actividades académicas para disminuir la incertidumbre y, por ende, la ansiedad y favorecer la gestión del tiempo por el estudiante. Los profesores y pedagogos de la institución pueden ofrecer asesorías directas (por videollamadas o reuniones de grupos en línea) para proveer apoyo en hábitos de estudios, materias propias de cada carrera y salud mental. Conclusiones: Los recursos incluidos proponen que la institución educativa cree un programa que aborde específicamente la salud mental de los estudiantes. Esta síntesis puede proveer lineamientos que faciliten la toma de decisiones, sin perder de vista que la institución y el estudiante están inmersos en un contexto complejo, con circunstancias y otros actores en varios niveles que también intervienen en la salud mental. Se requieren investigaciones sobre la evolución de la situación de salud mental y el efecto de las acciones que se vayan tomando.

ABSTRACT Background: College and university students are a population vulnerable to mental disorders, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their mental health has been affected by confinement, difficulties in the development of academic activities, and the demands of new pedagogical modalities. We aimed to respond to the question: what are the actions around a) promotion and prevention, b) mental symptoms care, and c) pedagogical adaptations that can be developed in order to improve the mental health of college and university students? Methods: We conducted a critical synthesis from a systematic review of the literature. A search was made for scientific articles with descriptive, analytical, empirical or evaluative designs, as well as web resources of organizations related to the topic. A synthesis was carried out based on the three aspects of the question by means of a constant comparative method, until the aggregation of actions by similarity in the actors. We anticipated low evidence quality; therefore, a standardized evaluation was not performed. Results: We explored 68 articles and 99 web resources. After reviewing the full text, 12 scientific articles and 11 web resources were included. As general guidelines, we found that the most frequent suggestion is the design of a specific structured mental health program within universities, one that should be multidisciplinary, inclusive, dynamic and culturally sensitive. All actions taken by the university should be reported and published periodically so that students and other members of the university community are clear about them. Ideally, it is suggested to keep them until the post-pandemic period and include alumni. Regarding a) promotion and prevention, digital psychoeducation was recommended, with information about healthy lifestyles, common emotional reactions to epidemics, coping strategies and warning signs. Peer participation is suggested as a support strategy, as well as spaces for social interaction that focus not only on academic aspects but also on leisure. Screening for mental symptoms is suggested through frequent submission of online forms or mobile applications. In addition to mental health, it is important to inquire about the degree of satisfaction of basic and technology-related needs. For b) the care of mental symptoms, one of the actions commonly identified was a consulting centre that can provide mental health care by telephone, by technology, and even in person -if required -, with permanent availability with rapid response teams for crisis situations, such as suicidal behavior and domestic violence. For c) pedagogical adaptations, fluent communication is an indispensable requirement; having clear instructions on academic activities can reduce uncertainty and therefore anxiety. The teaching and pedagogical staff at the institution can offer direct advice (via video calls or online group meetings) to provide support in study habits, degree-specific material and mental health. Conclusions: Included resources suggest the creation of a program that specifically addresses the mental health of students. This synthesis can provide guidelines that facilitate decision-making by the university, without losing sight of the fact that the institution and the student are immersed in a complex context, with circumstances and other actors at various levels that also intervene in mental health. Research is required on the evolution of the mental health situation and the effect of the actions that are being taken.

Adaptations for rehabilitation services during the COVID-19 pandemic proposed by scientific organizations and rehabilitation professionals.

OBJECTIVE: To describe adaptations in the provision of rehabilitation services proposed by scientific and professional rehabilitation organizations to avoid interruptions to patients rehabilitation process and delays in starting rehabilitation in patients with COVID-19. METHODS: A narrative review approach was used to identify the recommendations of scientific and professional organizations in the area of rehabilitation. A systematic search was performed in the main data-bases in 78 international and regional web portals of rehabilitation organizations. A total of 21 publications from these organizations were identified and selected. RESULTS: The results are presented in 4 categories: adequacy of inpatient services, including acute care services and intensive care unit for patients with and without COVID-19; adequacy of outpatient services, including home-based rehabilitation and tele-rehabilitation; recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19; and regulatory standards and positions during the COVID-19 pandemic expressed by organizations for protecting the rights of health workers and patients. CONCLUSION: Health systems around the world are rapidly learning from actions aimed at the reorganization of rehabilitation services for patients who are in the process of recovery from acute or chronic conditions, and the rapid response to the rehabilitation of survivors of COVID-19, as well as from efforts in the prevention of contagion of those providing the services.