Vibrio Control Program EVALUATION RESEARCH PROPOSAL XINGYI HAN

The problem of Vibrio

Massachusetts’s Vibrio Problem

Mission ◆ To prevent Vibrio-related illness in Massachusetts ◆ To monitor the sanitation of shellfish industry ◆ To educate and train practitioner of shellfish business ◆ To investigate and report Vibrio-related illness in Massachusetts ◆ To protect shellfish resources directly and inirectly of Vibrio Control Program

◆ Enhance regulations and policy every year ◆ Reduce prevalence of Vibrio-related illness ◆ Advance refrigeration technology and popularize application of new technology ◆ Improve the risk perception among the public ◆ Make sure practitioners’ awareness of regulations and policy Objectives of Vibrio Control Program

◆ Massachusetts Government ◆ Food and Drug Administration Target Funders of Vibrio Control Program ◆ Food Health Organization

All the dealers, harvesters and growers will take part in the program The program will be supported by consistent and enough funding and appropriations There is no disagreements between FDA and Massachusetts Public Health Department Technology is advanced enough to supply a sanitary situation Every illness case can be discovered by Public Health Department Need to explain the plan in different language Cooking tradition in different ethnical group Festival need for shellfish Culture of eating raw shellfish Can’t intervene the reproduction of vibrio too much.(keep ecological equilibrium) External Factors Assumptions Logic Model

Input s Epidemiologist Investigator Funding Refrigeration technology Educator Dealer facilities Shellfish dealers Shellfish harvesters Drivers Consumers Policies and regulations Industrial Standard Outputs Foodborne illness investigations Publish Licenses for wholesale dealers Conducts dealer sanitary inspections Conducts trace back of shellfish in confirmed cases Collects, reviews and interprets epidemiological data for confirmed Vp illness Recall implicated shellfish Retail establishments Publish Licenses and Permits for harvesters Classification and monitoring of growing areas Conducts inspections of landing sites Closure of beds Report cases Interview and collect data Train and educate Take part in working meetings and listening sessions Technical assistance Seizure/citation FDA DP H DMF MA Environmental Police LBOH Local shellfish constables BIDS Patients Doctors Local health nurses CDC Wholesale dealers and retailers Harvesters Growers General populations

Outcomes-Impact Short Refresh the oyster registration technology Perception of vibrio risk Cut down the source of contamination Awareness of regulations and policy Standardize the procedure of transformation and storage Motivate dealers and harvesters to enhance their working environment Medium Regulations enhancement New Policy focus on new problem Decrease the incidence of foodborne illness Develop a model ordinance for all the states Prevent disease outbreak Assess new Recommendations Long Develop a healthy and sanitary shellfish industry Promote the development of shellfish market Develop a detailed and completed policy that can be used in nationwide Protect food culture Logic Model

Impact Evaluation The goal of the control plan is making enhanced policies and regulations for shellfish industry. DPH and DMF are responsible for collect feedbacks and make new recommendations. A impact evaluation can determine whether the previous plan is effective and efficient. We can find out the deficiencies and revise the previous regulations and policies by making outcome evaluation. The evaluation will focus on the following questions: ◆ Is there any important factors not mentioned by existing policies and regulations (qualitative methods) ◆ Did the existing policies and regulations improve any facets of shellfish industry?(qualitative methods) ◆ Which goal is not reached(qualitative method) ◆ How much did we improve the vibrio control by enforcing the existing policies and regulations(Quantitative methods)

Sample strategy Harvesters Dealers Restaurants Administrators of the plan Excutor of the plan Randomly choose 30, respectively Randomly choose 500 individuals, respectively Companies Institutions

Data Analysis We can use ethnographic method. The researcher is moving from observing a meaningful data trend to discovering facts about outcomes. We also can understand the relationship among different parts of shellfish industry.

◆ Does education make more people realize the risk perception of Vibrio ◆ Is cutting down the source of contamination temporary useful for decreasing infection? ◆ Does meetings and awareness sessions explain the policies and information clearly? ◆ What percent of transformation and storage activities conform the standard ◆ How many dealers and harvesters do not follow the regulations ◆ Does the revised regulations enhance the improve the previous situation ◆ Are new problems solved by new policies ◆ How is incidence curve going ◆ Is there any new advices or recommendations useful ◆ What percent of infection can be decreased by existing refrigeration techniques

Memo ◆ DPH and DMF make policies for missing part (e.g. there is no regulation about consumers protection) ◆ Choose a department to be responsible for popularize advanced technology ◆ Choose a department to support advancement of related technology (e.g. set up funds for related research)