Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #108122

Marcus A. Banks, MLIS, Ehrman Medical Library, New York University Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, New York, NY 10016, 212-263-3184, banksm01@library.med.nyu.edu

Following the Oklahoma City bombing in 1995, the medical and public health communities began to focus on how to respond to an incident of bioterrorism. This focus accelerated following the events of 2001.

Many members of the public health community believe that the focus on bioterrorism has diverted attention and resources from other worthy pursuits, and that this represents an unprecedented distortion of the mission of public health.

This belief deserves empirical scrutiny, which is possible through an understanding of the typical publication and funding patterns that emerge following sentinel medical events.

I will first trace the publication and funding patterns for the seven years following the discovery of Legionnaire's and toxic shock in the 1970s, and compare these to publication and funding patterns in the broader domain of public health over the same period. This analysis will serve as one measurement of the way that these discoveries dislocated prevailing priorities. An initial hypothesis is that these two cases will follow a similar arc: rapid and temporary dislocation of public health priorities, followed by a return to previously prevailing concerns.

I will then compare these patterns to the publication and funding arc pertaining to bioterrorism, from 1995 to the present. I hypothesize that this contemporary case will diverge noticeably from the earlier trend. This divergence will portend a profound and lasting transformation in public health practice.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Describe common publication and funding patterns that emerge following sentinel medical events.
• Construct an argument about whether current publication and funding for bioterrorism preparedness follows this pattern.

Keywords: Bioterrorism, Public Health Research

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.