A Local Health Department’s Use of CLAS to Advance Health Equity

Health Equity is the idea that everyone has the opportunity to achieve optimal health regardless of race/ethnicity, educational attainment, sexual orientation, income, religious affiliation, residence, or ability. In 2014, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County (DOH-Orange) deemed health equity one of its three agency priorities. Though there are a number of determinants that influence health outcomes, such as genetics, individual behavior choices, and access to health services, the social determinants tend to be the most complex and influential on quality of life and well-being. The DOH-Orange has implemented the Culturally Linguistically and Appropriate Services standards for Healthcare (CLAS) which offer a framework for healthcare providers to advance health equity by addressing the cultural and linguistic needs of populations that traditionally have received unequal access to healthcare services. Achieving health equity is a challenging process that will likely take at least a generation. However, only by achieving healthy equity can we ensure that health disparities are eliminated and the influence of social determinants of health are negligible

At the Epicenter of a Community-wide Effort to Improve Public Health

This paper describes the All Into Health Project implemented between 2010 and 2012 as part of the Communities Putting Prevention to Work initiative to address smoking in Orange County, Florida. The All Into Health Project exemplifies what can be accomplished through a combination of leadership and community organization. This demonstration project may inspire initiatives elsewhere that can lead to Florida becoming a comprehensive tobacco- free state

Desenvolvimento de ambiente virtual de aprendizagem em eventos adversos em enfermagem

The authors have developed a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) addressing the management of adverse events to promote continuing education for nurses, including the following themes: pressure ulcer, medication errors, phlebitis, fall, and loss of nasogastroenteral probes. The pedagogical framework was grounded on the information processing theory and this applied study used the Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) model to develop the program. The environment was developed with HTML language through Microsoft Office Word 2003®. The authors developed evaluation exercises in each module through the Hot Potatoes program, version 6.0 for Windows. The conclusion is that the methodology utilized was appropriate for achieving the proposed objectives. In the future, the authors will assess the developed product and verify the possibility of using it in nursing services.El estudio tuvo como objetivo desarrollar un ambiente virtual de aprendizaje (AVA) sobre administración en eventos adversos para educación permanente de enfermeros, abordando las temáticas: úlcera por presión, errores de medicación, flebitis, caída y pérdida de sonda nasogastroenteral. El marco pedagógico fue fundamentado en la teoría de procesamiento de información y la metodología, una investigación aplicada, utilizó el Modelo de desarrollo de programas de Instrucción Auxiliado por Computador (IAC). El ambiente fue desarrollado en el lenguaje HTML utilizando el programa Microsoft Office Word 2003®. Los ejercicios de evaluación de cada módulo fueron creados por las autoras de este estudio con la utilización del programa Hot Potatoes versión 6.0 para Windows. Se concluyó que la metodología adoptada fue adecuada para el alcance del objetivo propuesto. Como metas futuras, las autoras evaluaran el producto desarrollado y verificaran la posibilidad de su uso en los servicios de enfermería.O estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem (AVA) sobre gerenciamento em eventos adversos, para educação permanente de enfermeiros, abordando as temáticas: úlcera por pressão, erros de medicação, flebite, queda e perda de sonda nasogastroenteral. O referencial pedagógico foi fundamentado na teoria de processamento de informação e a metodologia, uma pesquisa aplicada, utilizou o modelo de desenvolvimento de programas de instrução auxiliada pelo computador (CAI). O ambiente foi desenvolvido na linguagem HTML, utilizando o programa Microsoft Office Word 2003®. Os exercícios de avaliação, inseridos em cada módulo, foram criados pelas autoras deste estudo, com a utilização do programa Hot Potatoes, versão 6.0, para Windows. Conclui-se que a metodologia adotada foi adequada para o alcance do objetivo proposto. Como metas futuras, as autoras avaliarão o produto desenvolvido e verificarão a possibilidade de seu uso nos serviços de enfermagem

Análisis de precios de productos básicos en tiendas de autoservicio de Pachuca y el Comercio de Zacualtipán, Hidalgo, 2007-2008

Esta investigación se realizó en tiendas de autoservicio de Pachuca y el comercio local de Zacualtipán, Estado de Hidalgo. Se registraron precios de 24 productos: arroz, tortilla, jitomate, limón, chile jalapeño, leche, huevo, jamón, salchicha, carne de res, carne de pollo, papel sanitario, jabón de polvo, jabón de baño, pasta de dientes, frijol, cebolla, papa, aguacate, naranja, plátano, aceite, sal y azúcar. Las fechas de consulta de precios fueron: 26 de julio de 2007, 25 de enero y 29 de mayo de 2008. La importancia del estudio es el análisis comparativo y evolución de precios. Las tiendas de autoservicio ofrecen 9.7% más barato en el 62.5% de los productos. El comercio local ofrece el 12.7% más barato que las tiendas de autoservicio en frijol, cebolla, papa, aguacate, plátano, aceite, sal y azúcar. Durante el 26 de julio de 2007 al 29 de mayo de 2008, los precios aumentaron 19.8% y 19.6% en el comercio local y tiendas de autoservicio, respectivamente. Palabras clave: Precios, productos básicos, pequeñas y medianas empresas, tiendas de autoservicio, análisis comparativo, comercio

Contaminants of emerging concern: a review of biological and economic principles to guide water management policies

Awareness regarding water contamination has increased recently due to the emergence of a multitude of pollutants that pose a high risk to ecosystems and human health. The huge number and heterogeneity of contaminants of emerging concerns (CECs), in terms of their occurrence, bio-chemical behavior, and environmental impacts complicate their monitoring and control. This paper reviews empirical literature on the current situation of CECs to analyze how the identification and control of these emissions have been addressed. The results highlight the need for the risks and impacts of these emerging contaminants to be assessed from an integrated perspective, and for accurate estimates of the cost-efficiency of abatement technologies, taking into account potential side effects, to be provided. Thus, there is an urgent need for economic research that provides guidance for regulating these substances. Furthermore, issues such as developing protocols for measuring their presence and eco-toxicity, the way in which they are introduced into the environment, and their potential impact on aquatic ecosystems have yet to be covered

Learning by getting to know service users

Se presentan tres experiencias de innovación docente realizadas en la asignatura de Iniciación a las Habilidades Profesionales, primer curso del Grado en Trabajo Social, Universidad de Alicante. Objetivos: 1) Implicar en la docencia a las personas usuarias de los servicios, considerándolos expertos por su experiencia personal con Trabajadores Sociales y con la sociedad en general. 2) Proporcionar un contexto de aprendizaje que permita conocer, comprender y aprender a comunicarse profesionalmente con personas usuarias de servicios. Metodología: Aprendizaje significativo basado en la interacción con personas usuarias de los servicios con tres modalidades: a) Diseño conjunto de actividades de enseñanza-aprendizaje entre una entidad social y el profesorado de la asignatura Iniciación a las Habilidades Profesionales del Grado en Trabajo Social de la Universidad de Alicante; b) Diseño con enfoque multidisciplinar (profesorado de Trabajo Social con el profesorado de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y Deporte) y la entidad social; c) Diseño internacional con participación de las universidades Queen’s University, Belfast (Northern Ireland) (coordinadora del proyecto) junto con las universidades de Ljubljana (Slovenia) y Alicante. Los resultados proporcionan evidencias sobre la pertinencia de la colaboración docente de personas expertas por su experiencia y de la utilización de una metodología docente basada en el aprendizaje significativo para la adquisición de competencias.We present here three learning innovation experiences within the course “Initiation to Professional Skills”, a first year course of the Social Work undergraduate degree of the University of Alicante. Objectives: 1) Getting service users involved in teaching roles, considering them experts by their personal experience with Social Workers and society in general 2) Provide with a learning environment that promotes getting to know, understand and learn how to communicate with service users. Methodology: Meaningful learning based on the interaction with service users in three modalities: a) Collaborative design of teaching and learning activities between a social entity and the teaching staff of the course “Initiation to Professional Skills” of the Social Work undergraduate degree of the University of Alicante b) A multidisciplinary approach design including Social Work teaching staff, Physical Activity and Sport Science teaching staff, and the social entity c) International design with participation of Queen’s University, Belfast (Northern Ireland) (project leader), together with the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia) and the University of Alicante. The results of these experiences provide with evidence supporting the relevance of the teaching role of experts by their experience, and also of the implementation of methodologies based on meaningful learning for acquiring competences