Igiene e sanità pubblica
-
Igiene e sanità pubblica · Mar 2020
[Transmission of Sars-Cov-2 and ventilation of indoor environments. Technical notes and preventive measures].
Knowledge about the new infectious disease COVID-19, which first spread in the city of Wuhan in China, in December 2019, is based on the evidence retrieved from coronaviruses previously known to humans. The main transmission ways of the new SARS-CoV-2 virus are respiratory droplets and direct and close contact with infected individuals and contaminated surfaces. To date, some scientific publications provide initial evidence that SARS-CoV-2 can be detected in the air, thus assuming a further route of infection, that airborne, although these results are to be considered preliminary and they need careful interpretation. ⋯ Indeed, by generating jets of air at different speeds, they can interfere with the mission of respiratory particles and determine an environmental diffusion of the potentially contaminating droplet. Therefore, ventilation systems could provide a potential transmission channel for the viral load able to spread out in indoor air. Nonetheless, good management, technical and operational practices may lead to a low risk of contagion, both in community and health environments.
-
Igiene e sanità pubblica · Sep 2019
[Telemedicine and improvement in care quality. The experience of Rome 3 Healthcare Local Autority in home care of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)].
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that results in progressive muscle weakness, disability, and ultimately death. Remote evaluation of ALS patients in home care, by using telemedicine, has been shown to be safe and effective. This study showed improvements in the perceived quality of care in 24 SLA patient, improved patient satisfaction and a 15% reduction in care costs.
-
Igiene e sanità pubblica · May 2019
[Policy changes introduced by the national vaccine prevention plan and the mandatory vaccination law of 2017: opinions and attitudes of Italian healthcare workers].
The Italian National Vaccine Prevention Plan (PNPV) of 2017-19 and subsequent mandatory vaccination law (Law 119/2017) both occurred in the context of a progressive decrease in vaccine coverage levels in Italy and led to important policy changes, including the introduction of new vaccine recommendations and increasing the number of mandatory vaccinations in childhood from four to ten. A survey on a sample of 446 Italian health care workers (HCW) was carried out in order to assess their opinions on policy changes introduced by the PNPV and by the mandatory vaccination law. ⋯ The large majority of participants expressed overall satisfaction about the policy changes introduced by the PNPV but some highlighted pitfalls related to its implementation. Moreover, the majority of HCW believe that vaccination coverage for both recommended and mandatory vaccinations has increased thanks to Law 119/2017, therefore expressing a positive attitude towards the enforcement of vaccine mandates.
-
Igiene e sanità pubblica · Mar 2019
[Omic sciences and capacity building of health professionals: a distance learning training course for Italian physicians, 2017-2018].
Nowadays, a strategy to manage the current "omic revolution" is needed in Italy. Actions aimed to improve genetic/omics "literacy" among health professionals and citizens are necessary, based on recommendations outlined in the Italian 2013 Guidelines on genomics in public health, and the 2018 National Plan for the innovation of the health system based on the omic sciences. ⋯ In the current context, characterized by the "omic revolution", physicians must be able to understand its potential implications for the diagnosis, control and treatment of diseases. It is therefore necessary to work on capacity building of all health professionals involved in various ways in the use of the "omic sciences". Distance-learning training in genetic/genomic practices represents a low-cost, satisfactory and clinically applicable method to improve physicians' knowledge.
-
Igiene e sanità pubblica · Mar 2019
Review[Vaccination among healthcare workers in Italy: a narrative review].
Vaccination of healthcare workers (HCWs) is a public health tool of the utmost importance and the Italian National Vaccine Prevention Plan (PNPV) 2017-2019 recommends several vaccinations in this population group. Nevertheless, vaccine hesitancy is influencing HCWs' attitude towards vaccination. Moreover, a large number of measles cases have been reported in Italy among HCWs in 2017 and 2018. ⋯ Our findings confirm that low vaccination coverage levels among HCWs exist in several Italian regions and cities, highlighting a relevant gap towards targets set by the PNPV. Studies that evaluated the effectiveness of multicomponent interventions to increase vaccination coverage found only minimal to moderate increases in uptake levels. It is therefore crucial to tackle vaccine hesitancy in HCWs, by identifying effective strategies able to significantly increase vaccine coverage, in order to decrease the risk of nosocomial infections, prevent transmission of preventable diseases to patients, and reduce indirect costs related to HCW absenteeism due to illness.