![Page 1: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more?
Silvina Mema1, Judy MacDonald2, Rudy Zimmer3, David Strong2, Lynn McIntyre4
1 Public Health and Preventive Medicine, University of Calgary2 Medical Officer of Health, Alberta Health services, Calgary Zone
3 Travel Health Services Consultant, Alberta Health Services4 Professor, Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary
![Page 2: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
2
Travel Health & International Travel
• Travel Health is concerned with*:– Prevention of infectious diseases and environmental risks– Personal safety and responsible travel– Early identification and care of post-travel illness
• Travel Risks: – Preventable, avoidable, manageable, unexpected
• International Travellers:– Tourists, volunteers, immigrants visiting friends and relatives (VFRs)
*Definition from Travel Health Capacity Building Working Group 2013, PHAC
![Page 3: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
3
The Sick Returned Traveller
Costs money• Exotic diseases, misdiagnosed• Multiple visits to doctors/ER• Hospitalization/labs/ treatment• Indirect costs: missed work,
suffering, pain...
Affects others back home• Sexually Transmitted Diseases,
measles, & other diseases• Outbreaks
![Page 4: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
Travel Health in Alberta: Not Publicly Funded
• Urban and rural• Operate at full capacity• Publicly funded vaccines• Nurses (overseen by physician)• Provincial algorithm• Access to medical records • See 35-45% of all clients
• Charge fees• No standards
• Urban• Compete price/customization• Physicians, nurses, pharmacists• Varying standards
Alberta Health Services Private Providers
![Page 5: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
5
Review of Travel Health Program
Purpose:• Define the role of public health • Identify challenges and opportunities • Develop a vision for a new and improved travel health
program
VisionWhy? StrategyWhat? TacticsHow? Outcome
![Page 6: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
6
International Travel, Alberta 2003-2013
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 20130
500000
1000000
1500000
2000000
2500000
3000000
3500000
Tourists & temporary residentsCanadians
Source: Statistics Canada
![Page 7: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
7
Hepatitis A, Malaria & Typhoid 2003-2012
Source, Alberta Health Services
![Page 8: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
8
Traveller’s Profiles: Edmonton Travel Clinic Survey, 2013
VFRs=Visiting Friends and Relatives:• Immigrants who return to their country of birth to visit • Less likely to seek a pre-travel consultation• Barriers include: Cost, risk perception, lack of awarenes, cultural factors
![Page 9: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
9
Travel Program Challenges & Opportunities
• Capacity– AHS clinics at full capacity– Opportunity to see more clients, generate revenue
• Equitable access to travel health– High risk groups not actively targeted– Opportunity to improve equity
• Standards– Varying across Alberta– Opportunity to create uniform service across province/providers
![Page 10: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
10
Strategy Formulation
Target group: • Population• High risk
Service Provided:• Advice based ($)• Client centered ($$)
Strategy Formulation
![Page 11: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
11
Strategy Formulation
![Page 12: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
12
Strategy Formulation
Business opportunity
Opportunity to remove barriers
![Page 13: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
13
Travel Medicine In Alberta:Can Public Health Do More?
• Recognize the growing demand for travel health• Acknowledge burden on high risk groups (VFRs)• Consider a client centered strategy:
– Generate revenue – Save healthcare costs by preventing disease
• Engage private providers:– Build capacity in addressing the demand – Ensure uniform service delivery through provincial standards
![Page 14: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
14
Thank you!
Acknowledgements:
• Katie Meleta, Public Health Officer at Public Health Agency of Canada• Dr. Raymond Tellier, ProvLab, Alberta• Dr. Kevin Fonseca, ProvLab, Alberta• Dr. Olga Petricevic, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary
![Page 15: Travel Medicine In Alberta: Can Public Health Do more? Silvina Mema 1, Judy MacDonald 2, Rudy Zimmer 3, David Strong 2, Lynn McIntyre 4 1 Public Health](https://reader031.vdocuments.us/reader031/viewer/2022032517/56649c925503460f9494cfaf/html5/thumbnails/15.jpg)
15
Resources1. Alberta Health Services. Travel Health Services.2. Alberta Health-Notifiable disease guidelines and related documents. Hepatits A. 20133. Bui, Yen Giang, et al. "Cases of malaria, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever among VFRs, Quebec (Canada)." ‐ Journal of travel medicine
18.6 (2011): 373-378.4. CDC Yellow Book. Chapter#8. Advising clients with special needs. 5. Collis, D. J., & Rukstad, M. G. (2008). Can you say what your strategy is?. harvard business review, 86(4), 82-90.6. Encouraging travellers to take preventive measures against travel related communicable diseases: a rapid review of the literature.
Region of Peel, 20137. Enteric Transmission Risk Assessment. Notifiable disease guidelines and related documents, Alberta Health8. Lee CS, Gregson DB, Church D, Laupland KB, Eckhardt R, Ross T, et al. Population-based laboratory surveillance of imported malaria
in metropolitan calgary, 2000-2011. PLoS One 2013 Apr 15;8(4):e607519. Leggat PA, Franklin R. Risk perception and travelers. J Travel Med 2013 Jan-Feb;20(1):1-2.10. Rota, P. A., Brown, K., Mankertz, A., Santibanez, S., Shulga, S., Muller, C. P., ... & Featherstone, D. (2011). Global distribution of
measles genotypes and measles molecular epidemiology. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 204(suppl 1), S514-S523.11. Statistics Canada12. Travel Health Capacity Building Working Group http://www.wrha.mb.ca/community/travel/files/Conference13-Presentation-09.pdf13. Zimmer, Rudy. "The Pre travel Visit Should Start With a “Risk Conversation”." ‐ Journal of travel medicine 19, no. 5 (2012): 277-280.