Pathways to Health
Asynchronous Session
Featured Experiences of Non-profit Staff when Providing Care to Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons from Uganda and Ethiopia View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Satveer Dhillon
Globally, older adults were more likely to be severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, non-profit organizations played essential roles in supporting those affected. Indeed, Reach One Touch One Ministries (ROTOM), a non-profit organization that holistically supports older adults and their dependents in Uganda and Ethiopia, was central in the provision of COVID-19 care and support. However, with limited resources, non-profit organizations, such as ROTOM, had to adopt innovative ways to manage the costs and demand for services, which likely impacted service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study documents the strategies employed by ROTOM, the impact on older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recovery efforts implemented to build back. Findings from in-depth interviews (n=24) with staff and volunteers from ROTOM revealed several negative impacts of the pandemic and public health mandates on older adults. For example, due to the reverse migration of people in urban centres back to their local communities caused by the pandemic, older adults now had to deal with an increased number of dependent household members, thereby increasing older adults' demands on ROTOM. Importantly, due to the trust beneficiaries had in ROTOM, most seniors supported by ROTOM consented to receive COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as the vaccines became available. This underscored the necessity of involving non-profits and trusted community leaders in encouraging vaccine distribution and tackling misinformation during a pandemic. The paper discusses the policy implications of the findings in relation to a coordinated roadmap for COVID-19 recovery.
Public Health Knowledge and Efforts among Certified Exercise Professionals and Health Coaches: A Qualitative and Qualitative Examination View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Lynn Katherine Herrmann
It has been suggested that certified exercise professionals and health coaches should have an expanded role in public health since these professionals regularly interact directly with the public in a health-related capacity. However, there is little research regarding the extent of public health knowledge among these professionals and if they are equipped to have an expanded role in public health efforts. A survey was developed to assess the following areas: Familiarity with Public Health Terms, Utilization of Public Health Terms, Comfort in Applying Public Health Terms, Public Health Knowledge, and Experience in the Fitness/Health Industry. Open-ended questions followed regarding work in public health. A total of 1,887 of American Council on Exercise certified personal trainers, group fitness instructors, medical exercise specialists, and health coaches were surveyed online. Findings include medical exercise specialists and health coaches have more familiarity, utilization, and comfort in applying public health terms and public health knowledge compared to personal trainers and group fitness instructors. Familiarity, utilization, and comfort in applying public health terms were associated with work experience (public health, health education, or medical profession), academic degrees, additional certifications, and years of experience. Exercise professionals and health coaches expressed efforts related to health promotion, specifically sharing and discussing health promotion topics with participants and clients. Exercise professionals and health coaches have the potential to expand beyond working one on one with individuals to have a larger public health role, which could lead to greater health impacts among the public.
Natural Therapeutic Factors such as Mud and Sulfurous Mineral Therapeutic Waters Used in Neuro-Myo-Arthro-Kinetic Pathology View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Constantin Munteanu
The spectrum of pathological conditions related to Neuro-Myo-Arthro-Kinetic (NMAK) apparatus includes arthroses, arthritis, spondylitis, traumatic injuries, stroke, neurodegenerative diseases, muscle tone dysfunction, and joint mobility – spasticity; peripheral nervous system pathology: discogenic and/or vertebrogenic radiculopathies, poly-radiculoneuritis, limb amputations, post-COVID-19, peripheral nerves or central nervous system sequelae, neurogenic heterotopic ossifications, traumatic musculoskeletal pathology, including degenerative diseases, fractures, endoprostheses for osteoarthritis especially on hip joints, disabling knees, contusions, muscle contractions/retractions, algoneurodystrophies, pressure sores, eschars or burns. Natural therapeutic factors such as mud and sulfurous mineral therapeutic waters are used in sanatoriums and rehabilitation clinics as baths or topical applications on the body for many affections in the Neuro-Myo-Arthro-Kinetic (NMAK) pathology. Topical applications effects of natural factors on healthy and pathological tissues could be explored by electromyography (EMG), pulse-oximetry, biological investigations, using various blood and biochemical parameters, or through indirect clinical methods, using various scales, in a medical evaluation activity, as for pain (VAS-Visual Analog Scale), for motion capacity (Range of Motion), or the improving of performing daily living activities. In contrast to current approaches that take into account only discrete biological parameters, such as hematological or biochemistry laboratory parameters, invasive electromyography, or clinical scales as measuring instruments, using combined data of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) tools with biological investigations for evaluating the therapeutic efficacy of natural therapeutic factors, like mud or natural sulfurous mineral waters, in the field of NMAK pathology, we are exploiting both spatial and spectral correlation and intimate biological information for a better understanding of the effects of natural therapeutic factors.
Can Remote Patient Monitoring Help Close the Health Equity Gap? View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Tonie Marie Gordon
Remote patient monitoring, which has greatly benefitted from recent strides in telehealth, has emerged as a 25-billion-dollar industry. In this paper, I discuss current trends within the remote patient monitoring industry as well as the major initiatives, across government and industry, that will drive future developments in remote patient monitoring. I also address some of the key challenges facing remote patient monitoring including ensuring the data from these frameworks is actionable for healthcare practitioners, that data is used to design interventions that promote behavior and lifestyle change, and that remote patient monitoring decreases healthcare utilization without compromising patient safety, health, or wellbeing. Lastly, I consider the utility of remote patient monitoring specifically within the context of health equity, how such frameworks may widen inequities, and what considerations should be made for underserved, marginalized and/or stigmatized communities. Ultimately, the aim of this paper is to explore the utility and promise of remote patient monitoring while also focusing on the work that needs to be done to ensure that every patient can share in the benefits of these frameworks.
Advancement of Community Health Work Via App and M-health Services: Trends and Challenges View Digital Media
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session Niya Werts
Community health work is a unique domain as it often involves indigenous to the community health workers who may or may not have standard medical training and varying levels of technology resources at their disposal. Community health is most often deployed in areas where access to standard health care is in some way restricted either by physical location or socio-cultural barriers. There is renewed interest in app-based and mobile health (M-health) tools for community health workers due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic. The medical community grappled with better ways to both train community health workers and leverage community health networks for more accurate disease surveillance. Specialized apps/m-health solutions were launched to address these needs. The session will: Compare and contrast community health worker and m-health service models in low, middle, and high-income countries; Discuss M-health efficacy and implementation models within the community health domain; Describe key opportunities and challenges for community health workers and m-health in infectious and chronic disease monitoring.
