Notifiable Infectious Diseases

Scenario

The CDC has designated certain diseases as notifiable diseases. That means, if a local health department confirms a case for one of these diseases, they MUST notify the CDC. This helps the CDC better understand the disease-specific to its epidemiology.

These diseases are broken up into two categories: Notifiable Infectious Diseases (i.e., Legionellosis) and Notifiable Noninfectious Diseases (i.e., Carbon monoxide poisoning). Data associated for both these disease groups is available to the public through the CDC.gov website, through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, and are associated with the MMWR series (Morbidity and Mortality Modulely Report). For this project, you will conduct research on one of the notifiable infectious diseases chosen from a list provided by your instructor.

As a healthcare professional, it is important to be familiar with pathogens of current epidemiological concern. For these organisms, you should be aware of their common characteristics, modes of transmission, etiology/pathology, prevention, treatment, and epidemiology.

For this project, imagine that you work for the local health department and need to present an update on one of the CDC’s notifiable infectious diseases at a local town hall meeting concerning a pathogen of current epidemiological concern. You are asked to create a PowerPoint presentation with a voiceover that includes key information related to your chosen pathogen of current epidemiological concern.

Additionally, you will locate and research incidence data of your chosen pathogen for two separate years: The most recent full year and 5 years prior from today. For example, let’s say it’s January 2022. You would be researching the incidence data from 2021 (the most recent full year) and 2017 (5 years prior).

After collecting the data, you will provide a brief analysis of your findings.

Directions

1. You will be assigned a pathogen by your instructor. Based on your instructor assigned pathogen, create a 4-6-minute PowerPoint presentation with voiceover. The presentation must consist of a minimum of 7 slides and be supported by at least 3 scholarly references.
2. Comment and provide constructive feedback on two of your peers’ presentations.
3. Complete a reflection.

Deadline

Deliverable items for the Portfolio Project will be required at different points during the course. Details for each submission are included below in the Deliverable Descriptions.

Deliverable Descriptions

Module 2: Topic Selection

• Due date — refer to your tracking calendar.
• To acknowledge the pathogen you’ve been assigned, in at least 150 of your own words, discuss what you’re looking forward to learning about your pathogen.

Module 3: Reference Selection

• Due date — refer to your tracking calendar.
• Provide at least three references that will be used to research your topic. These references should include information relevant to the pathogen or the disease it causes and be submitted in APA format.
• Once you’ve chosen three references you think are suitable for this project, submit them to your instructor for approval.

Module 4: Research Questions

• Due date — refer to your tracking calendar.
• Research the following questions and submit your responses in a PowerPoint presentation. Organize information over 4-5 slides.
  • Explain the basic characteristics associated with the organism: type of microbe and morphology and reproductive biology. Include an image of the organism.
  • Describe aspects of the organism’s etiology and pathology:
    • Etiology: Mode of transmission, portal of entry and exit, infectious dose, and key virulence factors.
    • Pathology: Tissue targeted by the pathogen, Signs/symptoms, prevention/treatment.
• Submit your PowerPoint to your instructor for feedback (voiceover is not necessary at this point in the project).
• After you submit your PowerPoint to your instructor, you will post the same PowerPoint to a designated discussion board, where classmates will evaluate and provide comments/feedback on your presentation.

Module 5: Morbidity and Mortality Modulely Report (MMWR) Data Collection and Analysis

• Due date — refer to your tracking calendar.
• Use supplied excel file to collect incidence data from CDC.gov
  • Notifiable Infectious Disease Data Tables o Access’ WONDER Modulely Tables of Infectious Diseases
  • Utilize the ‘Change Year/Module’ button to locate correct data sets
  • Record incidence for ‘U.S. Residents’ for each Module, for your assigned 2 separate years
• Create a 2-line graph to display data. The graph needs a title and an axis labeled.
• Data Analysis:
  • Describe the incidence rate trend.
  • Compare*and contrast the 2 years of incidence data. If a difference is present, explain possible reasons for those differences.

Module 6: Portfolio Project Final Submission

• Due date — refer to your tracking calendar.
• Update your PowerPoint presentation to incorporate instructor feedback on research questions, the MMWR data collection/analysis, as well as voiceover. Your final presentation should contain the following:
  • Your name, the title of this course, and the topic title
  • The required research and data in a clear, easy to follow, and read format (font size at least 10 point)
  • Pictures or graphics as appropriate (with informal citations).
  • Professional language with no spelling or grammatical errors
  • A reference slide written in APA format o Your PowerPoint presentation should consist of 7 slides total, including your cover and references slides.
• Upload your Portfolio Project to the Institutional Outcome in your ePortfolio listed below. Use the following naming convention: BIO120 — Portfolio Project: Microbiology Application
  • Information Literacy and Communication – Utilize appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal and then communicate findings in visual, written, and/or oral formats.

For directions on how to upload your project to your ePortfolio, please see Student Resources in Blackboard on the navigation pane.

Module 7: Project Presentation

• Due date — refer to your tracking calendar.
• Incorporate feedback from your instructor to present a final product. Present the information to classmates via a provided discussion board for peer review.
• Respond and provide constructive feedback to two of your peers’ presentations
  • Using the portfolio project grading rubric as a guide:
    • Provide objective feedback on the presentation design, writing mechanics, spelling or grammatical issues, as well as the resources used.
    • Provide pertinent feedback on the ease of understanding information provided in the presentation for a potential patient.
    • Provide feedback on the thoroughness of the content of the presentation.

Module 8: Reflection

• Due date — refer to your tracking calendar.
• For the final piece of your Portfolio Project, you will reflect upon the course and how it directly relates to your future workplace. Your reflection should be a minimum of 500 words and be in APA format.

For this reflection:

a) Reflect on how this project allows you to demonstrate KSBs associated with institutional outcomes.

b) Analyze the importance of this project to your future career.

c) In your own words, reflect on how this project meets the Program and Institutional outcomes as stated on the first page.

For specific grading information, please refer to the Portfolio Project Grading Rubric