Addressing the Unique Needs of
Individuals with Chronic Health
Conditions
Friday, April 6, 2007
While it is important for everyone to prepare for a public health emergency,
individuals with chronic illnesses must consider how a public health crisis
might affect their well-being. Chronic health conditions such as diabetes,
cancer, asthma and high blood pressure often require routine medical treatments
or medication on a daily basis.
A preparedness poll conducted by the American Public Health Association
(APHA) found that while 90 percent of adults with chronic medical conditions
take medication a few times per week, only 19 percent have a one-month
supply on hand in case pharmacies close during a national crisis. Further,
38 percent stated they would run out of medication in one week or less.
This is of great concern given almost four out of 10 of those with chronic
illnesses reported it would be a ‘very serious problem’ if
drug stores and pharmacies closed during a public health emergency.
Of individuals with chronic illnesses that need to visit health care
facilities on a regular basis for treatments such as kidney dialysis,
49 percent stated it would be a ‘very serious problem’ if
doctors’ offices, hospitals and health clinics closed.
Chronically ill individuals should prepare for emergencies while keeping
their unique health care needs in mind. Some steps people should take
are preparing emergency supplies of essential medications that they may
use if they are unable to visit a pharmacy; identify a back-up treatment
facility in the event their normal place of care is closed; and devise
an evacuation plan in case transportation is limited. Individuals may
create emergency kits that should contain at least a one-month supply
of medication, medical supplies such as glucose tests or a blood pressure
cuff and copies of insurance cards and personal identification, among
other items.
In This Issue
- What’s Happening Today
- Take Action Today!
- NPHW in the News
- American Journal of Public Health online supplement on preparedness
- NPHW Blog Series
- Resources
What’s Happening Today
- The Heat is Rising: What You Need to Know About Climate Change
and Public Health, Baltimore, Md.
- Univ. of S. Florida College of Public Health Dean’s Lecture
Series, Tampa, Fla.
- National Public Health Week at Armstrong Atlantic State University,
Savannah, Ga.
- Take the First Step: Preparing Public Health Workers, South Bend,
Ind.
Other events may be accessed at www.apha.org/nphw/calendar.
There is also a list of government agencies, health organizations,
resources for teachers and other tools.
Take Action Today!
FRIDAY: Including the specific needs of individuals with chronic health
care needs (e.g. diabetes, asthma, cancer and high blood pressure) in
preparedness plans
- Support H.R.882, Representative Gordon’s (D-TN) “Access
to Emergency Medical Services Act of 2007”, which intendeds to meet
the needs of chronically ill populations during emergencies by
improved access to emergency medical services and the quality of care
furnished in emergency departments of hospitals and critical access hospitals
by establishing a bipartisan commission to examine factors that affect
the effective delivery of such services, and by requiring reports on certain
emergency department information as a condition of participation
in the Medicare program. Click here to
contact Congress.
- Support amendments to the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to
appoint a Disability Coordinator to ensure that the needs of
individuals with disabilities are properly addressed in emergency
preparedness and disaster relief efforts in the event of a
major disaster, with specific respect to providing increased
accessibility for such individuals of replacement housing built
with federal funds following major disasters. Click
here to contact Congress.
- Support initiatives to include and address the needs of
the elderly in all federal, state and local preparedness
plans and grants. Click
here to
contact Congress.
The following is a list of legislative policies, programs and initiatives
that correspond with APHA’s National Public Health Week campaign
to address the issue of preparedness for public health threats and emergencies. Click
on the links below to contact your elected officials in support of these
bills and programs.
Policy Asks to Improve Overall Preparedness:
- Invest in the public
health infrastructure. Fully fund comprehensive public health
programs and infrastructure, which ensure access to basic primary health
services for millions of Americans on both a day-to-day and emergency
basis - addressing the diverse needs of urban, rural and underserved
areas; and training health care personnel to provide needed services. Click
here to contact Congress.
- Develop
Trauma Care Planning Systems for States and Localities. Support
H.R. 727, Rep. Gene Green’s (D-TX) ‘‘Trauma Care
Systems Planning and Development Act’’, which directs the
Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop systems of care through
sharing information among agencies and individuals involved in the study
and provision of trauma care; and provide to State and local agencies
technical assistance to develop, implement, and sustain emergency medical
services. Click
here to contact Congress.
- Help first-responders
communicate with one another. Support S.385, Senator Inouye’s
(D-HI) “Interoperable Emergency Communications Act”, which
provides the National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) with guidance as it awards $1 billion in interoperable
emergency communications grants to police, firemen, and emergency
medical personnel. This
bill would establish technology reserves to assist emergency
response agencies in pre-positioning communications equipment
in states or regional facilities. These reserves can be activated
quickly in the event of a major emergency or natural disaster.
Click here to contact Congress.
National Public Health Week in the News
American Journal of Public Health Special Supplement on Public Health Preparedness
National Public Health Week Blog Series
In conjunction with APHA's Get Ready for Flu Campaign, APHA is featuring entries related to the daily themes of National Public Health Week on our Get Ready for Flu blog. Click here to read today's guest entry from Dan Hawkins, National Association of Community Health Centers' Vice President for Federal, State, and Public Affairs and read more about “Legacy of a Disaster: Health Centers and Hurricane Katrina,” NACHC's recent report on the critical role health centers played during Hurricane Katrina.
Click here to sign up to have Get Ready for Flu blog entries delivered right to your e-mail inbox.
NPHW Resources
