691: Building Trust Takes Time, Science Supports Health Equity

ROBERT JOHNSON:   

This is the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition for Monday, June 24, 2024. I'm Robert Johnson. Now, today's news from the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. 

TARA KIRK SELL:   

I think that public health officials should prioritize trust building to mitigate the impacts of misinformation. 

JOHNSON:   

Dr. Tara Kirk Sell at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security offers straightforward advice to ASTHO members who want to manage online misinformation. 

SELL:   

This is a long process. It takes a lot of community investment but if your community sees you, knows who you are, understand your process and trusts you, then you have a head start when it comes to mitigating the impacts of misinformation.  

JOHNSON:   

More guidance about misinformation is included in a digital playbook released by Johns Hopkins earlier this year. 

SELL:   

It walks people through preparing for misinformation, deciding what to respond to, figure out how to respond, and then evaluation with a lot of those hands on easy to use tools that are available in it. 

JOHNSON:   

You can download your copy of the playbook using the link in the show notes. 

Science can help advance health equity. The CDC has Locola Hayes says that's the focus of a new article she helped write for the Journal of Public Health Management and practice. 

LOCOLA HAYES:   

I think the key things we really wanted to emphasize was investigating those root causes of inequities, being focused on making actionable change, and then making sure that we're actually moving towards elimination of the inequities rather than documenting and saying these disparities exist. 

JOHNSON:   

Hayes says a scientific approach raises and attempts to answer several important questions.  

HAYES:   

How do we start to think through the phases in the lifecycle of science to really make sure that we think about the social determinants of how those systemic factors, those racial and public health inequities, and the other disparities that contribute to the underlying causes of health inequities.  

JOHNSON:   

And success according to Hayes requires everyone to go all in. 

HAYES:   

Is that whole of us approach from our state, local partners, tribal partners to CDC, really creating a roadmap and thinking about how do we think about health equity at every stage of the research science lifecycle, and every aspect of our public health? 

JOHNSON:   

Read the journal article by clicking the link in the show notes.  

Also today, June is pride month. This is ASTHO CEO, Dr. Joseph Kanter.  

JOSEPH KANTER:   

I think we all at ASTHO believes strongly that every individual deserves the right to lead a life with optimal health. And it's important to take stock and remember marginalized communities, individuals that face challenges towards that goal of optimal health that other people or populations or communities don't face. 

JOHNSON:   

HHS has developed a list of actions taken or proposed to advance LGBTQI+ policies, you can download the document using the link in the show notes. 

Finally, this morning, learn how Medicaid enrolled tobacco users in Washington State access healthcare during an ASTHO webinar on Wednesday, July 17. There's a link to sign up in the show notes.  

Before we go, a reminder also to follow this newscast on your podcast player and connect with ASTHO on social media. We're on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X. That'll do it for today. We're back tomorrow morning with more ASTHO news and information. I'm Robert Johnson. You're listening to the award-winning Public Health Review Morning Edition. Have a great day