1:30 PM



DISCUSSION 1: 10:30-11:30 AM

Story 1 (30 minutes)

Imagine a “normal” day in your life. Think about how you get around to where you need to go. For example, how you arrived here today, how you get to medical appointments or how find food and other supplies you need on a daily basis. Now imagine that there is a blizzard, fire, or other public emergency. How would this event change the way you are able to get around? During a flu pandemic, it is possible that just like in any other public emergency, some transportation services may be harder to use or may become temporarily unavailable.

Questions About Story 1

1) How do you normally get to places you need to go to meet your basic needs, such as the following:

• Senior Center

• Shelters

• Medical Providers

• Grocery Store, Food Pantry, or Soup Kitchen

• Pharmacy

2) If your typical way of getting to these places was unavailable do you have a back-up plan? Where would you turn for support?

[IF PARTICIPANTS ARE NOT ABLE TO THINK OF ANY BACK-UP RESOURCES, YOU CAN SAY, “WOULD YOU TURN TO…” THE FOLLOWING:]

•

• Personal VehicleNeighbor

• Family

• Service Providers/Agencies (which ones?)

• Cambridge Health Department

• Taxi Voucher Program

• MBTA

• Other

3) What concerns would you have about getting where you need to go during a public emergency?

4) What suggestions do you have about how to address these concerns?

Story 2 (30 minutes)

Let’s imagine that pandemic flu is starting to spread easily from person to person. The Cambridge Public Health Department wants to be able to communicate with homeless individuals, seniors, and disabled individuals to let them know how to help protect themselves from Pandemic Flu and how to seek medical care if they become ill.

Questions About Story 2

1. What sources do you usually use to get news and other information?

2. Who gives you the most reliable information about healthcare and other health-related issues?

3. What forms of communication are most effective (e.g. door-to-door, written materials, verbal instructions)?

4. In the past, what has kept you from receiving important information?

[IF NO ONE IN YOUR SMALL GROUP HAS INPUT ON ONE OF THESE SUB-POPULATIONS, WRITE N/A ON THE FLIP CHART NEAR THAT QUESTION]

[IF NO IDEAS ARE SUGGESTED, THE FOLLOWING APPROACHES CAN BE PRESENTED TO THE GROUP FOR FEEDBACK:]

• EMAIL

• LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS (WHICH ONES?)

• LOCAL RADIO STATIONS (WHICH ONES?)

• POST INFORMATION ON A SPECIAL WEBSITE

PROVIDE A TELEPHONE HOTLINEPOST FLYERS AT COMMUNITY CENTERS AND SHELTERS

4. For the service providers, what are your organization’s outreach capabilities?

5. What type(s) of communication systems do you have set up to reach your client community(ies)?

Discussion 1 Closing

That was our last question for this first group discussion. Thank you very much for sharing your ideas in this group. We are now going to go back to the large room where we started the meeting today to have some time to discuss these issues with the large group before lunch. We will be having a second discussion in this same group at this same table in the afternoon. I look forward to hearing your thoughts again in the afternoon!

Discussion 2 Introduction

Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to our second small group discussion. Thank you again for sharing your ideas and thoughts. Over the next hour, we will be reviewing a draft brochure that has been developed by the Cambridge Public Health Department to help individuals and families prepare for a possible pandemic. We will be using the same ground rules as this morning. Please remember that everyone’s ideas are important, so I would like everyone to try to participate. Would anyone like me to repeat the ground rules?

Does anyone have any questions before we get started?

[START DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ON PAGE 9]

DISCUSSION 2: 1:00-2:00 PM

Story 3 (60 minutes)

There are many steps that individuals, families, and communities can take now to get prepared for a possible flu pandemic. The more we prepare now, the better we will be able to cope during a pandemic. The Cambridge Public Health Department has developed a draft brochure to help individuals and families prepare for a pandemic.

• PASS OUT COPIES OF DRAFT BROCHURE TO PARTICIPANTS

• READ THE DRAFT BROCHURE TO PARTICIPANTS

• DESCRIBE ANY PICTURES THAT ARE ON THE BROCHURE

Questions Story 3

1. Do you have any questions about anything that is included in the brochure?

[IF QUESTIONS ARE ABOUT TECHNICAL CONTENT, PLEASE RAISE THE YELLOW CARD TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM A TECHNICAL EXPERT]

2. Was anything in the brochure that you didn’t understand?

3. Are the messages in the brochure realistic and appropriate for homeless individuals? Seniors? Individuals with disabilities?

[PLEASE NOTE SPECIFIC COMMENTS FOR EACH GROUP]

4. What messages are missing that would help homeless individuals, seniors, and individuals with disabilities prepare for a pandemic?

[PLEASE NOTE SPECIFIC COMMENTS FOR EACH GROUP]

5. Is there anything else about the brochure that should be changed to make it more useful for homeless individuals, seniors, and individuals with disabilities?

6. What other resources would help homeless individuals, seniors, and individuals with disabilities prepare for a pandemic?

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS

[IF YOUR GROUP FINISHES EITHER DISCUSSION EARLY, YOU CAN BEGIN DISCUSSING THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS. IF YOU ALSO FINISH THESE QUESTIONS BEFORE THE GROUP ENDS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR YELLOW CARD AND THE EVENT FACILITATOR WILL COME AND ASSIST YOU]

Story 4

During a pandemic, people will still need to receive care for regular health conditions in addition to treatment for pandemic flu. The Cambridge Public Health Department and other community agencies want to make sure that homeless individuals, seniors, and individuals with disabilities are able to get the medical care they need during a pandemic. These groups may have difficulties getting around or may not have access to transportation to bring them to medical services. Additionally, because of the increased demand for services from the general population, medical care may be provided in different locations than now, such as in schools or office buildings.

Questions Story 4

1. What would be the best way to help homeless individuals, seniors, and individuals with disabilities get medical care during a possible pandemic?

2. What would be the barriers to services for these groups?

3. Do you have any suggestions on how to overcome these barriers?

4. Would it be better to provide mobile medical services or to try to bring these groups to the regular medical care sites?

Story 5

During a pandemic, there will be a greater need in the general population for medical care and other support services. There is a possibility that certain resources such as medication and food, will be temporarily hard to find. Additionally, the hospitals may be used only for intensive care units for those individuals who are the most ill. People who are less ill may need to receive medical care in places outside of the hospital called triage sites, such as in schools or medical office buildings.

Questions Story 5

1. What challenges or needs do you think homeless individuals, seniors, and individuals with disabilities may face during a pandemic with regards to the following issues:

• Medications

• Food

• Feeding and caring for service animals, bringing service animals to triage sites

• Support staff

[IF THE GROUP HAS TROUBLE THINKING OF CHALLENGES OR NEEDS, REFRAME THE QUESTION TO ASK PARTICIPANTS WHAT THEIR CONCERNS ARE ABOUT THESE ISSUES]

2. What suggestions do you have about how to address these challenges?

3. What could the Cambridge Public Health Department and other community agencies do to address these challenges? What could other service providers do to address these challenges?

4. What could you do now to plan for these issues?

Discussion 2 Closing

That was our last question for this second group discussion. Thank you very much for sharing your ideas in this group. Your input is very important to the success of the pandemic planning process. The ideas that you shared today will be written up into a report on today’s event. This report will be shared with local, state, and possibly federal policy makers in addition to local community agencies. Your feedback will help these policy makers and service providers as they continue to plan for a possible flu pandemic or other public emergency.

Because our time was limited this afternoon, you may have other ideas that you did not have a chance to share. In your folders is a green form labeled “Feedback Form.” If you think of other comments that you would like to share, please write them on this form. Please let me know if I can help you fill out this form. There is also contact information for the Cambridge Public Health Department included on the form in case you have ideas that you would like to share after our meeting today.

We are now going to go back to the large room where we started the meeting today to continue with the final part of today’s agenda.

Thank you again!

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download