Training and Education

The Decrease Epidemiological Threats with Environmental Controls and Testing (DETECT) program consisted of a four month initiative to provide a two-day in-depth training modified from the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) Epi-Ready training. In each Public Health Area, Central Office Epidemiology (EPI), Environmental, and Laboratory staff presented FBO information to county and area Public Health staff. To train and equip field staff in the management of foodborne outbreak processes, to establish a Foodborne Outbreak (FBO) Team in each Public Health Area, to establish defined processes and protocols for FBO for improved response.

Cardiovascular event prediction has long been of interest in the practice of intensive care. It has been approached using signal-processing of vital signs [1-4], including the use of graphical models [3,4]. Our approach is novel in making data segmentation as well as hidden state segmentation an unsupervised process, and in simultaneously tracking evolution of multiple vital signs. The proposed models are adaptable to the individual patient's vitals online and in real time, without requiring patient-specific training data if the patient-specific feedback signal is available. Additionally, they can incorporate expert interventions, produce explanations for alarm predictions, and consider effects of medication on state changes to reduce false alert probability.

Objective

To enable prediction of clinical alerts via joint monitoring of multiple vital signs, while enabling timely adaptation of the model to particulars of a given patient.

This study assessed the performance of the core function activities (CFA) of the Communicable Disease Surveillance system and response (CDSs) existing in Gazera State. The first assessment of disease surveillance being conducted in the area during 2008-2009. The assessment findings facilitate the identification of exact areas for improvement and consequently was used in surveillance system improvement as well as a baseline for future reform plans (1). Communicable diseases in Gazera State continue to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality (2). The State was one of the states that experienced epidemics of serious diseases such as Acute Watery Diarrhoea, Cerebro-spinal Meningitis, Rift valley Fever..etc. During the last decade, the state has witnessed more than twenty epidemics resulting in high morbidity and mortalities, as reported in 2006-2007(1). This was coupled with struggling health services and health information system and this was stated in the Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) annual report 2008 (2).

Objective

The aim of this study is to assess the impact of staff qualification and training on the performance of Core Function Activities (CFA) Of Communicable Disease Surveillance System in Gazera State, Sudan.

To inform health professionals and the public directly about real-time utilization of local Emergency Departments for respiratory and gastrointestinal illness to enable enhanced communication and collaboration between Public Health and health care workers.

58 medical licensure boards require between 12 and 50 hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) for re-licensure of physicians. 28 states as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Mariana Islands, require continuing nursing education (CNE) for nursing re-licensure, with requirements varying from 5 hours per year to 45 hours every 3 years. Continuing education requirements may include self-directed educational programs, academic education, or research and professional activities. To the best of our knowledge, although there are online public health preparedness programs and journal articles that provide continuing education credits, there is no currently available online course on syndromic surveillance available for CME or CNE.

Objective

The Education and Training Committee of the International Society for Disease Surveillance is developing an introductory online CME curriculum in syndromic surveillance for physicians and other health practitioners. This curriculum would also be available for public health practitioners new to syndromic surveillance. The goal of the curriculum is to provide an introductory knowledge of syndromic surveillance for interested practitioners and stimulate healthcare provider cooperation and involvement with syndromic surveillance.