Giuseppe
Emeritus
Public health crises: the development of a consensus document on their management in Spain (Euro Surveill., abstract, edited)
[Source: Eurosurveillance, full text: <cite cite="http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19841">Eurosurveillance - View Article</cite>. Abstract, edited.]
Eurosurveillance, Volume 16, Issue 15, 14 April 2011
Perspectives
Public health crises: the development of a consensus document on their management in Spain
T Rodrigo 1, J A Cayl? 1, the Working Group of the Network of Public Health Research Centres (RCESP) 2
1. Epidemiology Service, Agencia de Salud P?blica de Barcelona (Public Health Agency), Barcelona, Spain
2. The members of the working group are listed at the end of the article
Citation style for this article: Rodrigo T, Cayl? JA, the Working Group of the Network of Public Health Research Centres (RCESP). Public health crises: the development of a consensus document on their management in Spain. Euro Surveill. 2011;16(15)
ii=19841. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19841
Date of submission: 07 April 2009
Several public health crises in Europe have led to sustained outbreaks, political problems, or have generated social alarm. For this reason, a nationwide study was conducted in Spain with the objective to determine which public health events provoke the most frequent crises, to reach a consensus regarding the appropriate actions to be taken when responding to public health crises, and to provide recommendations for their management. The events which had most frequently provoked crises between 1999 and 2004 were identified. A consensus was obtained by public health experts from the 17 Autonomous Regions of Spain and the National Epidemiological Centre using the RAND/UCLA method which combines the Nominal Groups and Delphi techniques. Legionellosis, foodborne diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), bioterrorism, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis, heat waves, and influenza epidemics were found to be cause for most public health crises. In Spain, 75% of the crises identified by senior public health experts from the Autonomous Regions involved infectious diseases. Factors triggering a crisis included the type of disease, social alarm, population affected, and the course of action taken by public institutions and reporting in the media. There was consensus that correct information, qualified personnel, availability of standardised protocols for investigation and control, information distribution, and setting up of ?crisis offices? were actions with a positive effect regarding crisis resolution. Appropriate management of outbreaks or other situations being perceived as a risk to health can mitigate or even contain the generation of public health crises.
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[Source: Eurosurveillance, full text: <cite cite="http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19841">Eurosurveillance - View Article</cite>. Abstract, edited.]
Eurosurveillance, Volume 16, Issue 15, 14 April 2011
Perspectives
Public health crises: the development of a consensus document on their management in Spain
T Rodrigo 1, J A Cayl? 1, the Working Group of the Network of Public Health Research Centres (RCESP) 2
1. Epidemiology Service, Agencia de Salud P?blica de Barcelona (Public Health Agency), Barcelona, Spain
2. The members of the working group are listed at the end of the article
Citation style for this article: Rodrigo T, Cayl? JA, the Working Group of the Network of Public Health Research Centres (RCESP). Public health crises: the development of a consensus document on their management in Spain. Euro Surveill. 2011;16(15)
ii=19841. Available online: http://www.eurosurveillance.org/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=19841Date of submission: 07 April 2009
Several public health crises in Europe have led to sustained outbreaks, political problems, or have generated social alarm. For this reason, a nationwide study was conducted in Spain with the objective to determine which public health events provoke the most frequent crises, to reach a consensus regarding the appropriate actions to be taken when responding to public health crises, and to provide recommendations for their management. The events which had most frequently provoked crises between 1999 and 2004 were identified. A consensus was obtained by public health experts from the 17 Autonomous Regions of Spain and the National Epidemiological Centre using the RAND/UCLA method which combines the Nominal Groups and Delphi techniques. Legionellosis, foodborne diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), bioterrorism, meningococcal meningitis, tuberculosis, heat waves, and influenza epidemics were found to be cause for most public health crises. In Spain, 75% of the crises identified by senior public health experts from the Autonomous Regions involved infectious diseases. Factors triggering a crisis included the type of disease, social alarm, population affected, and the course of action taken by public institutions and reporting in the media. There was consensus that correct information, qualified personnel, availability of standardised protocols for investigation and control, information distribution, and setting up of ?crisis offices? were actions with a positive effect regarding crisis resolution. Appropriate management of outbreaks or other situations being perceived as a risk to health can mitigate or even contain the generation of public health crises.
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