Biomedical subjects

Lynda Redwood-Campbell

Publications and source records attributed to Lynda Redwood-Campbell.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

The 1999 international emergency humanitarian evacuation of the Kosovars to Canada: A qualitative study of service providers' perspectives at the international, national and local levels.

BACKGROUND: In response to the Kosovo crisis, Canada received 5,500 Albanian Kosovar refugees in 1999 as part of the emergency humanitarian evacuation and settlement effort. This study attempts to describe the experiences of service providers at the international, national, and local levels, involved in the organization and delivery of health and settlement services in Canada for the Kosovar refugees. METHODS: A qualitative case study design using key informant interviews was used. Nominated sampling was used to identify 17 individuals involved in the organization and delivery of health and settlement. Key themes were identified and recommendations made to provide a framework for the development of policy to guide response to future humanitarian emergencies. RESULTS: Six themes emerged: (1) A sense of being overwhelmed, (2) A multitude of health issues, (3) critical challenges in providing health care, (4) access to health and settlement services, (5) overall successes and (6) need for a coordinated approach to migration health. CONCLUSIONS: For those involved, the experience was overwhelming but rewarding. Interviewees' major concerns were the need for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to the flow of medical information and handling of specific health problems.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2005

Banda Aceh.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Anecdotes as Topic↗

PubMed2002

The syndromic approach to treatment of sexually transmitted diseases in low-income countries: issues, challenges, and future directions.

BACKGROUND: Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major cause of adult morbidity worldwide. In 1991, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced the concept of the "syndromic approach" to managing sexually transmitted diseases in low-income countries, however, there has been some controversy regarding the ongoing use of this approach. OBJECTIVES: (1) To understand the use of the syndromic approach to managing sexually transmitted diseases in low-income countries, and to determine if evidence supports its continued use. (2) To help Canadian doctors understand the past STD management of immigrant patients from low-income countries, and evaluate the direct effect (if any) of such medical practices to the patient's health and perception of health in Canada. METHODS: Medline was searched under the key words "sexually transmitted diseases," "developing nations," and "syndrome," as well as "algorithms," "prevention and control," and "WHO." Research articles and data were also accessed from the Web sites of WHO, UNAIDS, Reproductive Health Online (JHSPH), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USA). Data were selected based on the relevance to the topic, and research articles assessed from a methodological perspective. Most research articles were of Level II-2 evidence or lower as described using the Evaluation of Evidence criteria outlined in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Exam. RESULTS: In resource-poor countries, the use of the syndromic approach is appropriate for high-risk groups and for symptomatic individuals. However, it is still a poor screening approach when applied to asymptomatic cases, particularly in women. Risk scoring and simple laboratory tests help to increase the algorithmic sensitivity of the syndromic approach. CONCLUSION: Syndromic management involves making clinical decisions based on a patient's symptoms and signs. Until inexpensive, simple, and accurate STD diagnostics are developed and made available for use in low-income countries, a modified syndromic approach is the most feasible method of STD management in these countries. It is useful for Canadian physicians to be aware of this approach especially when caring for women from these countries.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

How are new refugees doing in Canada? Comparison of the health and settlement of the Kosovars and Czech Roma.

BACKGROUND: In 1999, a group of Kosovars arrived in Hamilton, Ontario, with a coordinated international pre-migration plan, as part of the United Nations Humanitarian Evacuation Program. Since 1997, a substantial number of Roma refugees from the Czech Republic also arrived in Hamilton, with no special pre-migration planning. This study examined whether the organized settlement efforts led to better adaptation and perceived health for the Kosovars, using the Czech Roma as a comparison group. METHODS: Adult members of 50 Kosovar (n=157 individuals) and 50 Czech Roma (n=76 individuals) randomly selected families completed a questionnaire on sociodemographics, health, well-being, and perceived adaptation to Canada. Differences between groups were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Comparison was made to the Ontario population where possible. RESULTS: There were more Kosovars than Czech Roma over the age of 50 (22.1% vs 10.5%, p=0.03). Nearly one quarter (21.7%) of the Kosovars had a score indicating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ), compared to none of the Roma (p<0.001). After adjustment for age and PTSD, the Kosovars were significantly more likely to report fair or poor adaptation to Canada (OR=10.5, 95% CI=3.6-31.2) and that life is somewhat or very stressful (OR=3.9, 95% CI=2.1-7.4). Differences for other measures were no longer significant after adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: The health and adaptation of the Kosovars was not better than that of the Czech Roma. Reasons for this finding may include differences in demographics, the presence of PTSD, and differing length of time since arrival in Canada.

Acculturation↗