Direct

Observation
of Local
Public Health
(DOLPH):

The Role of Ohio
Local Health
Departments in
Prevention,
Investigation and
Management of
Foodborne
Outbreaks
CONTACT

Direct Observation of Local Public Health
(DOLPH)

Principal Investigator: Scott Frank, MD, MS
Director, Master of Public Health Program
Director, Shaker Heights Health Department

Please contact RAPHI Coordinator
Aylin Drabousky for further information.
10900 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4945
Visitors & Deliveries:
Case Western Reserve University
School of Medicine, WG-74

Phone: 216-368-2826
Fax: 216-368-2286
E-mail: ads17@case.edu




Academic Partners:
University of Cincinnati
Kent State University
Northeast Ohio Medical University,
Ohio State University
University of Toledo
Wright State University
PURPOSE
To investigate the
structure, process,
and outcome of the
Local Health
Department role in
foodborne illness
prevention,
investigation, and
intervention
utilizing a mixed
methods approach,
emphasizing a
direct observation
methodology
proven successful
in other PBRN
disciplines, but not
yet tested in public
health.
The Research Association for Public
Health Improvement is a grantee of Public
Health Practice-Based Research Networks-
a national program of the Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation.
Opportunity to Demonstrate:
What we do
How we do it
Why it matters
Why our approach differs
across districts
Improve quality of services
Identify best practices
Reduce error variation
Build partnerships


Value of Investigating Foodborne
Outbreaks
For many, foodborne illness
is the face of local public
health
Sufficiently common
Involves primary, secondary,
and tertiary prevention
Involves multiple different
actors in multiple different
roles
Requires communication and
coordination within and
across health care sectors
Prevention Component
Local Health Department Profile
Jurisdictional Profile
Registered Sanitarian Profile
Pre-Inspection Interview
Observational Protocol
Post-Inspection Interview

Foodborne Outbreak Case Study
Component
Investigative procedures
Reporting procedures
Laboratory support documentation
Trace-back procedures
Recalls
Media management
Data review and analysis
DOLPH:
A RAPHI Project

Ohios Research Association for Public
Health Improvement (RAPHI) is a
Practice-Based Research Network
(PBRN). A Public Health PBRN is an
organized group of public health
agencies engaged in ongoing
collaborations with a public health
research center to conduct rigorous,
applied studies designed to identify
ways of improving the organization,
financing and delivery of public health
service in real work community
settings. RAPHI seeks to contribute
to the development and translation of
evidence-based practices by
developing an infrastructure so that
Ohio local and state health
jurisdictions and Ohio academic
health programs can work more
efficiently and collaboratively on
practice-based research.