The Secondhand Effects of College Drinking: The Need For Media Relations

Heavy episodic drinking can lead to significant harmful effects for the drinker and others. Rates of heavy alcohol use on college campuses have remained high, despite increased educational interventions. This study examines the coverage of the negative consequences of drinking among college students. This content analysis looks at coverage from1996-2006 in 32 major US newspapers. Of the total 255 articles, 209 covered at least one negative consequence of college drinking. Consequences were framed as individual in nature and did not acknowledge the impact on other individuals and institutions. Those related to damage to self were covered most often in newspapers from this time period, appearing in nearly every article that mentioned a negative consequence. Damage to others and damages to institutions were mentioned very infrequently. In addition, in 2006, damages to self outnumbered damages to others 4:1 and damages to institutions 10:1. While a range of negative consequences of heavy episodic drinking are covered, the most common harm covered is death, which is severe but highly unlikely. Coverage of more commonly occurring negative consequences were far less frequent. Coverage varied by region and was not consistent with where the greatest college drinking problems are found. The focus on individual harms and particularly those that are uncommon could lead readers to inaccurately perceive the issue as episodic and unrelated to environmental determinants. The study concludes that public relations and public health professionals can use media advocacy to work with the media to illuminate the secondhand impact of episodic drinking beyond those affecting the drinker

Improving a Process to Obtain Hepatitis B Serology Among Patients Treated with Infliximab at a Large Urban Children\u27s Hospital

Background: Hepatitis B infection is a significant public health challenge despite improvements in vaccination efforts. Patients such as those on chronic immunosuppressive therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or rheumatic disease may incur greater risk. The risk of reactivation of hepatitis B while on immunosuppressive therapy may have mortality rates up to 25%. These patients should be screened for acute or chronic infection and vaccinated if necessary. Our aim was to reliably complete hepatitis B screenings in patients receiving infliximab at Cincinnati Children\u27s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Methods: Eligible patients included all patients with gastroenterology (GI) IBD and rheumatology receiving infliximab between October 2015 and March 2016. Using quality improvement methodology and the \u27plan-do-study-act\u27 (PDSA) approach, interventions centred around education of clinical providers, previsit planning and the development of \u27talking points\u27 for patients. Results: An initial screen of the IBD population revealed that 48% of the IBD patient population had been screened for anti-HBs alone, but no patients from GI or rheumatology divisions had a complete set of hepatitis B serology prior to the intervention including anti-Hep B Core and Hep B Surface Antigen. Seven PDSA cycles were performed during the 32-week intervention period, resulting in an increase in patients screened from 0% to ~85%. By March 2016, a total of 251 patients (201 GI, 50 rheumatology) had up-to-date hepatitis B serology screening. Automated ordering of the hepatitis B serology and \u27talking points\u27 for the provider had the greatest impact on successful screening. Conclusions: We developed a method to obtain hepatitis B serology on at-risk patients on infliximab within two subspecialty divisions within a large children\u27s hospital. Next steps will be to develop a process to reliably provide vaccines for patients who are seronegative, expand this process to all patients who are identified as immunocompromised within GI and rheumatology and then expand this process to other divisions at the CCHMC

Improving a Process to Obtain Hepatitis B Serology Among Patients Treated with Infliximab at a Large Urban Children\u27s Hospital

Background: Hepatitis B infection is a significant public health challenge despite improvements in vaccination efforts. Patients such as those on chronic immunosuppressive therapy for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or rheumatic disease may incur greater risk. The risk of reactivation of hepatitis B while on immunosuppressive therapy may have mortality rates up to 25%. These patients should be screened for acute or chronic infection and vaccinated if necessary. Our aim was to reliably complete hepatitis B screenings in patients receiving infliximab at Cincinnati Children\u27s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Methods: Eligible patients included all patients with gastroenterology (GI) IBD and rheumatology receiving infliximab between October 2015 and March 2016. Using quality improvement methodology and the \u27plan-do-study-act\u27 (PDSA) approach, interventions centred around education of clinical providers, previsit planning and the development of \u27talking points\u27 for patients. Results: An initial screen of the IBD population revealed that 48% of the IBD patient population had been screened for anti-HBs alone, but no patients from GI or rheumatology divisions had a complete set of hepatitis B serology prior to the intervention including anti-Hep B Core and Hep B Surface Antigen. Seven PDSA cycles were performed during the 32-week intervention period, resulting in an increase in patients screened from 0% to ~85%. By March 2016, a total of 251 patients (201 GI, 50 rheumatology) had up-to-date hepatitis B serology screening. Automated ordering of the hepatitis B serology and \u27talking points\u27 for the provider had the greatest impact on successful screening. Conclusions: We developed a method to obtain hepatitis B serology on at-risk patients on infliximab within two subspecialty divisions within a large children\u27s hospital. Next steps will be to develop a process to reliably provide vaccines for patients who are seronegative, expand this process to all patients who are identified as immunocompromised within GI and rheumatology and then expand this process to other divisions at the CCHMC