Paper Title
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Name of Institution
Caring for Vulnerable Population
Although there are different measures taken by the government to secure the populations from different types of natural disasters. Even then some populations are more vulnerable to different types of natural calamities including flood and earthquake. There are some areas where floods and earthquakes occur more frequently than other parts of the world. Like Japan, Malaysia and United States are some of the recent examples where such calamities occurred, lives were lost and properties were destroyed at a larger scale. There are many factors that contribute towards the vulnerability of such populations. Delayed rescue operation and lose of contact are some of the main factors that lead to the vulnerability. ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"jGnvsniC","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(O\\uc0\\u8217{}Toole, Johnson, Aiello, Kane, & Pape, 2016)","plainCitation":"(O’Toole, Johnson, Aiello, Kane, & Pape, 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":483,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/3WI25E4L"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/3WI25E4L"],"itemData":{"id":483,"type":"article-journal","title":"Tailoring Care to Vulnerable Populations by Incorporating Social Determinants of Health: the Veterans Health Administration’s “Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team” Program","container-title":"Preventing Chronic Disease","volume":"13","source":"PubMed Central","abstract":"Introduction\nAlthough the clinical consequences of homelessness are well described, less is known about the role for health care systems in improving clinical and social outcomes for the homeless. We described the national implementation of a “homeless medical home” initiative in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and correlated patient health outcomes with characteristics of high-performing sites. \n\nMethods \nWe conducted an observational study of 33 VHA facilities with homeless medical homes and patient- aligned care teams that served more than 14,000 patients. We correlated site-specific health care performance data for the 3,543 homeless veterans enrolled in the program from October 2013 through March 2014, including those receiving ambulatory or acute health care services during the 6 months prior to enrollment in our study and 6 months post-enrollment with corresponding survey data on the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (H-PACT) program implementation. We defined high performance as high rates of ambulatory care and reduced use of acute care services.\n\nResults\nMore than 96% of VHA patients enrolled in these programs were concurrently receiving VHA homeless services. Of the 33 sites studied, 82% provided hygiene care (on-site showers, hygiene kits, and laundry), 76% provided transportation, and 55% had an on-site clothes pantry; 42% had a food pantry and provided on-site meals or other food assistance. Six-month patterns of acute-care use pre-enrollment and post-enrollment for 3,543 consecutively enrolled patients showed a 19.0% reduction in emergency department use and a 34.7% reduction in hospitalizations. Three features were significantly associated with high performance: 1) higher staffing ratios than other sites, 1) integration of social supports and social services into clinical care, and 3) outreach to and integration with community agencies.\n\nConclusion\nIntegrating social determinants of health into clinical care can be effective for high-risk homeless veterans.","URL":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4825747/","DOI":"10.5888/pcd13.150567","ISSN":"1545-1151","note":"PMID: 27032987\nPMCID: PMC4825747","shortTitle":"Tailoring Care to Vulnerable Populations by Incorporating Social Determinants of Health","journalAbbreviation":"Prev Chronic Dis","author":[{"family":"O’Toole","given":"Thomas P."},{"family":"Johnson","given":"Erin E."},{"family":"Aiello","given":"Riccardo"},{"family":"Kane","given":"Vincent"},{"family":"Pape","given":"Lisa"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016",3,31]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",1,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (O’Toole, Johnson, Aiello, Kane, & Pape, 2016).
Although research has been done on the health effects of flood and also the characteristics of flood associated with health, little is known about the factors that play major role in the vulnerability of flood victims. Some of the factors that play a major role in such situation are gender, age and also social status. The health impairments as a result of flood and earth quake is tolerated by women and children as compare to the male population. This may be due to the fact that both women and children are physically weak, therefore they become the victims of such disasters than males. It has been noted that any natural disaster has a deep psychological effect on females and children than the male community. Other factors that play a major role in vulnerability are disability and age ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"9jVXldNp","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Du, Ding, Li, & Cao, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Du, Ding, Li, & Cao, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":486,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/EV3RLM3X"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/EV3RLM3X"],"itemData":{"id":486,"type":"article-journal","title":"The role of hazard vulnerability assessments in disaster preparedness and prevention in China","container-title":"Military Medical Research","volume":"2","source":"PubMed Central","abstract":"China is prone to disasters and escalating disaster losses. Effective disaster mitigation is the foundation for efficient disaster response and rescue and for reducing the degree of hazardous impacts on the population. Vulnerability refers to the population’s capacity to anticipate, cope with, and recover from the impact of a hazardous event. A hazard vulnerability assessment (HVA) systematically evaluates the damage that could be caused by a potential disaster, the severity of the impact, and the available medical resources during a disaster to reduce population vulnerability and increase the capacity to cope with disasters. In this article, we summarized HVA team membership, content (disaster identification, probability and consequences), and methods and procedures for an HVA that can be tailored to China’s needs. We further discussed the role of epidemiology in an HVA. Disaster epidemiology studies the underlying causes of disasters to achieve effective disaster prevention and reduction. In addition, we made several recommendations that are already in practice in developed countries, such as the U.S., for future implementation in China and other developing countries. An effective HVA plan is crucial for successful disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.","URL":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657270/","DOI":"10.1186/s40779-015-0059-9","ISSN":"2095-7467","note":"PMID: 26605045\nPMCID: PMC4657270","journalAbbreviation":"Mil Med Res","author":[{"family":"Du","given":"Yan"},{"family":"Ding","given":"Yibo"},{"family":"Li","given":"Zixiong"},{"family":"Cao","given":"Guangwen"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015",11,24]]},"accessed":{"date-parts":[["2019",1,17]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Du, Ding, Li, & Cao, 2015). The effects of age and disability on disaster vulnerability were seen quite clearly in the aged population who were trapped in nursing facilities during many events like flood and earthquake.
The outcome of natural disasters varies from population to population. In some population the outcome is relatively severe than others, it also depends on the severity of the event and the country that is hit by the event. If the country is well-developed, like in case of USA when Hurricane Harvey hit then they were able to recover soon as compared to other Asian countries which takes quite longer to get out of the trauma both in terms of economy and healthcare. Less developed countries due to limited resources take longer to cope up with such situations. So in such countries the outcomes are severe, both the physical and mental health is suffered and infrastructure is damaged which causes more causalities so the impact also varies from population to population.
Population hazard vulnerability assessment has been studied comprehensively, and it proved to be quite effective. After the events of 11 September 2011, healthcare experts in the USA suggested that hospitals should be at the lead to organize and react to any such catastrophic event. Nurses were provided with basic training and other facilities and then they were sent to effected areas which were damaged both by man-made and natural disasters. It was suggested that hospitals should be community organization rather than a standalone institution. Whenever there is any natural disaster, then both the governments and the victims rely on the hospitals. So in that case hazard vulnerability assessment is the vital step in the emergency response to any calamity when it strikes.
Hazard vulnerability assessment is an effective step in evaluating the degree of the impact, and also it provides brief background information to create a targeted disaster mitigation plan (Rufat, Tate, Burton, & Maroof, 2015). While it is effective in case of natural disasters but at the same time, it can also be used for human made disasters like terrorist attacks. In addition to these, a community HVA and a hospital HVA should be designed in such a way to complement each other in emergency response and rescue. When such disaster strikes then special care is given to such populations. Whenever any natural disaster happens, then healthcare departments and hospital form a team of experts belonging to every field like healthcare, medical and emergency to cope up with the situation. It is usually developed by a multidisciplinary group depending upon the top hazards which are faced by the community and also on the availability of the resources in that area ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"tRTWhG37","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Alderman, Turner, & Tong, 2012)","plainCitation":"(Alderman, Turner, & Tong, 2012)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":491,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/AFTFMNX5"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/4C6u8dIT/items/AFTFMNX5"],"itemData":{"id":491,"type":"article-journal","title":"Floods and human health: A systematic review","container-title":"Environment International","page":"37-47","volume":"47","source":"ScienceDirect","abstract":"Floods are the most common type of disaster globally, responsible for almost 53,000 deaths in the last decade alone (23:1 low- versus high-income countries). This review assessed recent epidemiological evidence on the impacts of floods on human health. Published articles (2004–2011) on the quantitative relationship between floods and health were systematically reviewed. 35 relevant epidemiological studies were identified. Health outcomes were categorized into short- and long-term and were found to depend on the flood characteristics and people's vulnerability. It was found that long-term health effects are currently not well understood. Mortality rates were found to increase by up to 50% in the first year post-flood. After floods, it was found there is an increased risk of disease outbreaks such as hepatitis E, gastrointestinal disease and leptospirosis, particularly in areas with poor hygiene and displaced populations. Psychological distress in survivors (prevalence 8.6% to 53% two years post-flood) can also exacerbate their physical illness. There is a need for effective policies to reduce and prevent flood-related morbidity and mortality. Such steps are contingent upon the improved understanding of potential health impacts of floods. Global trends in urbanization, burden of disease, malnutrition and maternal and child health must be better reflected in flood preparedness and mitigation programs.","DOI":"10.1016/j.envint.2012.06.003","ISSN":"0160-4120","shortTitle":"Floods and human health","journalAbbreviation":"Environment International","author":[{"family":"Alderman","given":"Katarzyna"},{"family":"Turner","given":"Lyle R."},{"family":"Tong","given":"Shilu"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2012",10,15]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Alderman, Turner, & Tong, 2012).
Such strategies are quite aligned with the “Healthy people 2020” because in both cases the wellbeing and security of the population are kept in mind. One of the main objectives of Healthy People 2020 is the promotion of health through a healthy environment. So by taking care of the population as a result of climate change which includes flooding and other natural disasters, is common between this study and Healthy People 2020.
References
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Alderman, K., Turner, L. R., & Tong, S. (2012). Floods and human health: A systematic review. Environment International, 47, 37–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2012.06.003
Du, Y., Ding, Y., Li, Z., & Cao, G. (2015). The role of hazard vulnerability assessments in disaster preparedness and prevention in China. Military Medical Research, 2. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-015-0059-9
O’Toole, T. P., Johnson, E. E., Aiello, R., Kane, V., & Pape, L. (2016). Tailoring Care to Vulnerable Populations by Incorporating Social Determinants of Health: the Veterans Health Administration’s “Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team” Program. Preventing Chronic Disease, 13. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd13.150567
Rufat, S., Tate, E., Burton, C. G., & Maroof, A. S. (2015). Social vulnerability to floods: Review of case studies and implications for measurement. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 14, 470–486.
