University of Michigan, USA.
J Health Polit Policy Law. 2012 Apr;37(2):297-328. doi: 10.1215/03616878-1538629. Epub 2011 Dec 5.
We report the results of a study designed to assess and evaluate how the law shapes the public health system's preparedness activities. Based on 144 qualitative interviews conducted in nine states, we used a model that compared the objective legal environment with how practitioners perceived the laws. Most local public health and emergency management professionals relied on what they perceived the legal environment to be rather than on an adequate understanding of the objective legal requirements. Major reasons for the gap include the lack of legal training for local practitioners and the difficulty of obtaining clarification and consistent legal advice regarding public health preparedness. Narrowing the gap would most likely improve preparedness outcomes. We conclude that there are serious deficiencies in legal preparedness that can undermine effective responses to public health emergencies. Correcting the lack of legal knowledge, coupled with eliminating delays in resolving legal issues and questions during public health emergencies, could have measurable consequences on reducing morbidity and mortality.
我们报告了一项旨在评估法律如何影响公共卫生系统准备活动的研究结果。基于在九个州进行的 144 次定性访谈，我们使用了一种将客观法律环境与从业者对法律的看法进行比较的模型。大多数当地公共卫生和应急管理专业人员依赖于他们所认为的法律环境，而不是对客观法律要求的充分理解。造成这种差距的主要原因包括缺乏对当地从业者的法律培训，以及在澄清和获得一致的公共卫生准备法律意见方面存在困难。缩小这一差距很可能会改善准备工作的结果。我们的结论是，法律准备方面存在严重缺陷，这可能会影响到对公共卫生突发事件的有效应对。纠正法律知识的不足，同时消除公共卫生突发事件期间解决法律问题和疑问的延误，可能会对降低发病率和死亡率产生可衡量的影响。
