2018 Theme:
Ensuring Health for Generations to Come: Science Matters
Overview of Theme
The focus of this year's Symposium is "Ensuring Health for Generations to Come: Science Matters." The theme shines a light on the external or upstream influences on health, many of which are outside of an individual's control. Upstream factors, also considered fundamental causes, are complex and play an important role in poor health and inequities. They comprise the social and structural influences on health and health systems, government policies, and the social, physical, economic, and environmental factors that influence health.
The USPHS Symposium offers a forum to showcase initiatives and activities that address upstream influences on health. The conference wants to highlight ways in which USPHS officers and other public health professionals work to ensure health for generations to come, and how they protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our nation.
The USPHS Symposium offers a forum to showcase initiatives and activities that address upstream influences on health. The conference wants to highlight ways in which USPHS officers and other public health professionals work to ensure health for generations to come, and how they protect, promote, and advance the health and safety of our nation.
Scientific Tracks
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Track 1
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Track 2
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Track 3
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Track 4
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Track 5
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Track 6
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Track 1: Preparedness, Deployments, Response, and Recovery
Detailed Track Agenda
This track will highlight readiness, workforce capacity-building programs, and strategies at the national, state, tribal, local, and community levels to increase effective preparedness and response to public health emergencies within the United States and globally.
This track will highlight readiness, workforce capacity-building programs, and strategies at the national, state, tribal, local, and community levels to increase effective preparedness and response to public health emergencies within the United States and globally.
Abstracts may include a broad range of topics, such as:
- Capacity building strategies at the national, state, tribal, local, territorial, or international levels to support resiliency, recovery, and future responses
- Programs to assist responders with maintaining emotional well-being, health eating, and physical activity while on deployments
- All-hazards preparedness including anticipating, responding to, mitigating, and recovering from responses to infectious diseases, or chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear emergencies
- Strategies and approaches to increase resiliency of responders and reduce barriers to deployment (e.g., employer support, psychological first aid)
- Strategies for effective communication during current or future responses and the impact of those strategies on collaboration and cooperation of responding groups and organizations
- Strategies for improving pre-deployment family preparedness and post-deployment integration
Track 2: Prescription for Wellness
Detailed Track Agenda
This track will highlight the ever-expanding role of pharmacists as an integral member of the healthcare team. Presentations should focus on pharmacist-driven translational research or programs that address current public health issues, innovative strategies in the delivery of pharmaceutical care, and the implementation of policies to advance pharmacy practice.
This track will highlight the ever-expanding role of pharmacists as an integral member of the healthcare team. Presentations should focus on pharmacist-driven translational research or programs that address current public health issues, innovative strategies in the delivery of pharmaceutical care, and the implementation of policies to advance pharmacy practice.
Abstracts may include a broad range of topics, such as:
- Interventions led by pharmacists and other public health professionals in the nation's fight against the opioid epidemic, including current programs, initiatives, pain management guidelines, and policies
- Pharmacist-led programs and interventions supporting national health initiatives (e.g., Healthy People 2020, immunizations, infectious diseases, behavioral health)
- Policies and legislation for achieving recognition for pharmacists as clinical providers, seeking reimbursement for pharmacy services, reducing medication costs, and improving transitions of care within the community
- Identifying and overcoming barriers to expanding current pharmacist roles in providing comprehensive pharmacy services and the management of various disease states
- Strategies in incorporating population health data outcomes to drive the expansion of innovative pharmacy clinical services
- Incorporating screeners or questionnaires in the clinic or pharmacy workflow for the management and/or identification of disease states, such as depression, asthma, diabetes, or heart disease
- Pharmacist-focused strategies for identifying the needs of vulnerable populations and spearheading quality improvement initiatives to address identified needs
Track 3: Environment and Social Factors
Detailed Track Agenda
This track will highlight public and environmental health conditions and social factors that may be affected by environmental conditions that include natural disasters and weather events. Submissions should reflect activities at the national, state, tribal, local, and community levels that seek to promote the development of healthy people, communities, and environments. Proposals may include current research, public health programs, program evaluations, prevention, strategies, and policies derived at improving environmental conditions and environmental health capacity, social conditions, and/or the implementation of programs.
This track will highlight public and environmental health conditions and social factors that may be affected by environmental conditions that include natural disasters and weather events. Submissions should reflect activities at the national, state, tribal, local, and community levels that seek to promote the development of healthy people, communities, and environments. Proposals may include current research, public health programs, program evaluations, prevention, strategies, and policies derived at improving environmental conditions and environmental health capacity, social conditions, and/or the implementation of programs.
Abstracts may include a broad range of topics, such as:
- Healthy communities, schools, workplaces and housing; indoor and outdoor air quality; border health programs; land reuse and revitalization; and infrastructure, including the built environment
- The role of public health professionals in recognizing and preventing the adverse health effects of environmental changes on a variety of populations
- Changing climate conditions, natural disasters, and extreme weather events and how present and future environmental risks and weather changes may affect human health conditions and community resilience
- The availability of resources to meet daily needs, such as educational and job opportunities, living wages, or healthy foods
- The impact on human health from waterborne and vector-borne infections
- Biomonitoring, exposure pathways, health effects, and interventions; lab safety; food safety and safe drinking water, proper sewage sanitation, and industry hygiene
- Capacity-building activities of health organizations to address environmental disasters and weather-related disasters
- Environmental disasters and their effects on poverty, vulnerable populations, social justice, resource allocation, homelessness, and the social determinants of health
- Changing environmental conditions and how outbreaks, infectious and non-infectious diseases affect vulnerable populations
Track 4: Information Technology, Advances in Tech and Social Media
Detailed Track Agenda
This track highlights the role of information technology (IT), advances in technology, and the impact of new social media on improving the efficiency of healthcare and the delivery of public health services. Topics will cover IT and healthcare; social media as a healthcare monitor or tool; tech-related policies affecting individual and population health; and electronic health records (EHRs). Overall, the track will explore the potential to improve healthcare quality and safety by strategically combining health IT tools and effective health communication processes. The track will also highlight potential challenges with the introduction of EHRs, as well as implementing telemedicine as an alternative to traditional medicine.
This track highlights the role of information technology (IT), advances in technology, and the impact of new social media on improving the efficiency of healthcare and the delivery of public health services. Topics will cover IT and healthcare; social media as a healthcare monitor or tool; tech-related policies affecting individual and population health; and electronic health records (EHRs). Overall, the track will explore the potential to improve healthcare quality and safety by strategically combining health IT tools and effective health communication processes. The track will also highlight potential challenges with the introduction of EHRs, as well as implementing telemedicine as an alternative to traditional medicine.
Abstracts may include a broad range of topics, such as:
- The role of health IT on the effectiveness of treatments and interventions and how informatics strategies can be used to improve public health and clinical service delivery
- Effects of health IT on population health outcomes, healthcare quality, and health disparities
- Evaluation of available social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, blogs, microblogs, Snapchat) as a viable tool for providing evidence-based healthcare information to a larger audience, and monitoring and assessing the impact of new media platforms on public health
- Initiatives addressing improvements in communications through health system patient portals
- Using telemedicine as an alternative to traditional medicine and to improve care coordination and access
- Efforts focused on consultations via telemedicine to improve access to reliable clinical practice for vulnerable populations
- Studies on the acceptability or usefulness of different EHRs in facilities, as well as experiences with the introduction of EHRs, best practices, and challenges
- Use of EHRs for quality improvement projects
Track 5: Evidence for Action in Health Service Delivery
Detailed Track Agenda
This track will focus on a range of health service delivery topics important to public health across generations and the evidence driving innovative action. Topics in this track will focus on the practice, skills, research, and policies that translate science into clinical care and public health practice. Putting evidence into action requires innovation and may involve novel strategies. This track will also highlight health service delivery challenges to promote robust learning and help to advance public health.
This track will focus on a range of health service delivery topics important to public health across generations and the evidence driving innovative action. Topics in this track will focus on the practice, skills, research, and policies that translate science into clinical care and public health practice. Putting evidence into action requires innovation and may involve novel strategies. This track will also highlight health service delivery challenges to promote robust learning and help to advance public health.
Abstracts may include a broad range of topics, such as:
- Overcoming barriers to quality health delivery access, including lack of service availability; structural obstacles within health facilities or among staff; cost; insufficient insurance coverage; policy challenges; and language
- Reducing disparities in health service delivery and related outcomes, including addressing service delivery needs shaped by poverty, homelessness, rural versus urban residence, race, culture, age, gender identity, and sexual orientation
- Improving the service delivery impact for vulnerable populations, such as children in the foster care system, those in substance abuse treatment, people seeking mental health services, and elder care
- Providing precision public health across the generations, specifically novel and emerging strategies that target or refine health service delivery in innovative ways
- Service administration strategies that use evidence for efficient or cost-effective resource use
- Tackling emerging communicable disease concerns through health service delivery
- Launching quality improvement efforts or clinical interventions that aim to improve or better understand the impact of health service delivery
Track 6: Prevention, Health Promotion, and Personal Factors
Detailed Track Agenda
This track will highlight primary and secondary prevention priorities across a range of health outcomes, including chronic diseases, mental health, vaccinations, and violence. Submissions with a focus on economic and social policy and environmental approaches to improving health behaviors and outcomes, particularly among vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents, pregnant women, and aging populations, are strongly encouraged.
This track will highlight primary and secondary prevention priorities across a range of health outcomes, including chronic diseases, mental health, vaccinations, and violence. Submissions with a focus on economic and social policy and environmental approaches to improving health behaviors and outcomes, particularly among vulnerable populations, including children and adolescents, pregnant women, and aging populations, are strongly encouraged.
Abstracts may include a broad range of topics, such as:
- Describing the impact of changes in healthcare policies on primary care and preventive visits
- Evaluating programs that expand access to vaccines and improve vaccination rates
- Describing state, tribal, local, and territorial initiatives for promoting walkable communities
- Examining cost-effectiveness of intensive national school-based, anti-tobacco education
- Evaluating policy approaches to promoting sexual and reproductive health, including HIV prevention and family planning
- Assessing the effectiveness of school-based healthy eating and healthy weight initiatives
- Analyzing large, complex datasets to identify individual behaviors associated with lower health risks and to promote health living in communities
