The fear, uncertainty, and trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have affected how individuals interpret public health messages. With this in mind, this brief outlines recommendations for case investigators and contact tracers to consider as they tailor their public communications strategies to make maximum impact.
In an effort to bolster COVID-19 response efforts, state and territorial health agencies looked to update or implement new digital tools and technologies. In response, ASTHO developed a COVID-19 Technology & Digital Tools Inventory to increase awareness of the technologies in use at health agencies across the country.
ASTHO, with support from CDC, launched the first cohort of the Linking Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System and Clinical Outcomes Data Multi-Jurisdiction Learning Community in October 2021. This brief examines themes that emerged from conversations in the learning community about the challenges encountered during data linking activities and discussed lessons they learned.
ASTHO has been exploring how using GIS and data visualization tools can improve traditional public health work. This brief shares several expert use cases for visualizing and integrating environmental health and electronic health information with the assistance of GIS tools to improve public health decision making.
In October 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Children’s Hospital Association declared a joint national state of emergency in children’s mental health. The declaration stated that the worsening crisis in child and adolescent mental health is “inextricably tied to the stress brought on by COVID-19.”
In collaboration with CDC, ASTHO launched its EPHT Fellowship Program to support state and territorial health agencies without dedicated federal funding in building tracking capacity. This brief shares solutions from Delaware and Kansas that other states and territories can explore in their jurisdictions.
This infographic serves as a tool to foster conversations in health agencies around planning programs, policies, and activities to better serve individuals with disabilities. Available in English and Spanish.
The emPOWER program provides federal data, mapping, and artificial intelligence tools, as well as training and resources, to help communities nationwide protect the health of at-risk Medicare beneficiaries who live independently and rely on electric-powered medical devices or receive certain medical services, such as outpatient dialysis, home-based oxygen service, hospice care or other types of home care medical support.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine hesitancy has increased because of misinformation and disinformation spreading across social and traditional media platforms, targeting vulnerable and underserved communities, and further stalling vaccine uptake. ASTHO hosted representatives from faith- and community-based organizations, universities and colleges, healthcare systems, and other stakeholder groups to discuss the drivers of misinformation and disinformation during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how public health can move forward to address vaccine hesitancy.
Board-certified forensic pathologists play a critical role in public health by investigating death so as to better serve the living. Despite forensic pathology’s contribution to public health surveillance, prevention, and response, the discipline remains largely under-resourced. This brief spotlights a local effort to address financial disincentives for medical graduates entering the field and highlights federal funding opportunities and resources for state partners looking to minimize forensic pathology workforce shortages.
Developing and implementing contact tracing programs in K-12 schools presents a crucial opportunity for both health department and school leaders to keep students healthy, and schools open. This brief shares considerations for health departments working with schools to develop and implement contact tracing programs.
In the United States, suicide and overdose are among the top 10 leading causes of death. At the intersection of suicide and overdose are shared factors that can be assessed to support a comprehensive approach to prevention. The COVID-19 pandemic has created additional stress on communities and individuals, straining resources and exacerbating the suicide and overdose epidemics. This infographic is a tool that can assist states and territories in fostering cross-sector partnerships by demonstrating the intersection of suicide and overdose and how a multi-sector approach can lead to comprehensive prevention. This infographic also reminds us that we can build healthy and supportive communities together, in a strategic and unified way.
The digital divide in health care has created a growing division between communities who have access to digital health technologies and broadband versus those who experience limited access to these resources. Marginalized communities such as communities of color and rural populations are hardest hit by these access challenges. This brief shares information on how federal agencies and states are expanding digital access through funding investments, unique partnerships, and other innovative interventions to improve digital equity and access to care.
ASTHO placed 14 disability and preparedness specialists in health agencies to support inclusivity of people living with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. In this brief, three of these specialists share their experiences with ensuring COVID-19 vaccination sites are accessible to people living with disabilities. They share their perspectives and recommendations for expanding vaccine site accessibility.
While the COVID-19 response has strained tobacco prevention and control efforts, the pandemic has afforded health officials unique opportunities to retool their tobacco prevention response. This brief spotlights new findings on tobacco use and COVID-19, opportunities for tobacco prevention during the pandemic, guidance for communicating risk, and recommendations for engaging state health officials.
This brief highlights how both states are using the Health in All Policies framework to address systemic racism and social inequity between populations of different racial and ethnic groups.
The unintended consequences of substance use disorder policies can be significant for women and families impacted by substance use disorders (SUD).
States and territories can reduce adverse childhood experiences through evidence-based primary prevention strategies designed to reduce risk factors.
To ensure that establishments were abiding by food safety rules during the COVID-19 pandemic and to protect the health of professionals who inspect these facilities, multiple state health agencies implemented virtual inspection protocols.
This brief discusses what peer support is, how it is financed, and how incorporating peer support services into federally qualified health centers can be an especially successful strategy for delivering care to safety-net populations.