Articles: pandemics.
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Navigating a Foodborne Outbreak: Preparation for Interprofessional Practice is an interactive, competency-based, online educational module demonstrating interprofessional practice among health professionals to improve and protect population health, in the context of a foodborne outbreak. Authors reviewed registration data, pre- and post- module knowledge assessments, and module evaluations from the 978 medical students and physicians ("medical learners") who completed the module from July 2018-June 2021, comparing their outcomes as well as assessing potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Analyses were conducted in 2022 and 2024. ⋯ Medical learners reported high satisfaction with the module. Medical students' agreement with statements about the relevance of the module to their current or future responsibilities and awareness of "how clinical care and public health systems work together to protect the health of populations" increased during the pandemic. The module successfully improved knowledge of clinical-public health collaborations to protect population health and is one model of how to integrate PPH content, including physicians' roles in the public health system, into medical education.
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Drug shortages are a persistent public health issue that increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Both the US and Canada follow similar regulatory standards and require reporting of drug-related supply chain issues that may result in shortages. However, it is unknown what proportion are associated with meaningful shortages (defined by a significant decrease in drug supply) and whether differences exist between Canada and the US. ⋯ Drug-related reports of supply chain issues were 40% less likely to result in meaningful drug shortages in Canada compared with the US. These findings highlight the need for international cooperation between countries to curb the effects of drug shortages and improve resiliency of the supply chain for drugs.
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Endotracheal intubation can be difficult or even fail under certain patient and anaesthesiologist conditions. During the COVID-19 pandemic a country-wide lockdown policy was enforced in Thailand which stipulated that anaesthesiologists wear personal protective equipment, powered air purifying respirator, or goggles and surgical/N95 mask during the intubation procedure. Thus, an anaesthesiologist's vision is restricted and grip on the equipment less sure. Under these conditions, the incidence of difficult intubation was expected to increase. ⋯ The decreased incidence of difficult intubation during the lockdown period was contrary to expectation but might be related to the deployment solely of anaesthesiologists and more experienced anaesthetic staff using videolaryngoscopes during lockdown following the recommendation for intubation during respiratory disease pandemics.