How Should Epidemiologists Respond to Data Genocide?This link opens in a new windowData quality for and about American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) people is undermined by deeply entrenched, colonial practices that have become standard in US federal data systems. This article draws on cases of maternal mortality and COVID-19 to demonstrate the ethical and clinical need for inclusive, diverse, and accurate data when researching AI/AN health trends. This article further argues that epidemiologists specifically must challenge implicit bias, question methods and practices, and...Jan 2, 2025
Accountability and objectivity: Humanitarian narratives at the intersection of evidence and localisationThis link opens in a new windowIn the last decade, there has been a push for greater evidence-based practice within the humanitarian sector, alongside an increasing turn towards localising humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian actors and organisations have been increasing their production and use of evidence, while also being encouraged to reflect more critically on power hierarchies and decolonise humanitarian aid. This paper explores the intersection of these two narratives, examining how the use of evidence in humanitarian...Dec 31, 2024
Swab Testing to Optimize Pneumonia treatment with empiric Vancomycin (STOP-Vanc): study protocol for a randomized controlled trialThis link opens in a new windowBACKGROUND: Vancomycin, an antibiotic with activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is frequently included in empiric treatment for community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) despite the fact that MRSA is rarely implicated in CAP. Conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing on nasal swabs to identify the presence of MRSA colonization has been proposed as an antimicrobial stewardship intervention to reduce the use of vancomycin. Observational studies have shown...Dec 28, 2024
The Role of Cultural Safety Within a Human Rights-Based Approach to Improve Indigenous Peoples' Health: A Scoping ReviewThis link opens in a new windowCONCLUSIONS: Despite cultural safety being linked to key elements of the right to health, such as availability, accessibility, and culturally acceptable resources and services, there is still paucity in research on cultural safety within a human rights framework. Evidence supports cultural safety to decolonise practices, embrace Indigenous knowledge and challenge racism. Linking cultural safety to key elements of the right to health compels nations that have ratified the International Covenant...Dec 24, 2024