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AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 25 of 29 Research Studies DisplayedDecker SL, Zuvekas SH
AHRQ Author: Decker SL, Zuvekas SH
A nationally representative summary of 2020 changes in the use of health care in the United States.
The authors used Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data to summarize changes in all types of health care from 2018 to 2020. The results showed that outpatient and emergency department visits, as well as inpatient admissions each fell ~35% in April 2020; dental visits fell by over 80%, and mammograms 82%. By the end of 2020, specialist physician visits recovered, though primary care and dental visits remained 12% lower than in 2019. Psychiatric visits, however, rose slightly.
AHRQ-authored.
Citation: Decker SL, Zuvekas SH .
A nationally representative summary of 2020 changes in the use of health care in the United States.
J Ambul Care Manage 2024 Apr-Jun; 47(2):64-83. doi: 10.1097/jac.0000000000000488.
Keywords: Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), COVID-19, Healthcare Delivery, Public Health
Atkinson MK, Biddinger PD, Chughtai MA
Assessing health care leadership and management for resilience and performance during crisis: the HERO-36.
The authors developed a Healthcare Emergency Response Optimization survey to examine health care organizations’ resilience and performance during crisis. The survey was administered to health care administrators and frontline staff involved in hospitals’ emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eight measures emerged to assess crisis leadership and management; informal practices mattered most for resilience, while formal practices mattered for performance. The authors identified specific practices for resilience and performance. They concluded that organizations using these measures may modify their preparedness and planning approaches to improve management in future crises.
AHRQ-funded; HS028240.
Citation: Atkinson MK, Biddinger PD, Chughtai MA .
Assessing health care leadership and management for resilience and performance during crisis: the HERO-36.
Health Care Manage Rev 2024 Jan-Mar; 49(1):14-22. doi: 10.1097/hmr.0000000000000387..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health
Adams DR
Availability and accessibility of mental health services for youth: a descriptive survey of safety-net health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The goal of this study was to assess the availability of outpatient mental health services for children and adolescents at safety-net health centers in a large metropolitan county. A comprehensive sample of Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) received a 5-minute survey approximately one year after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The response indicated that 10% of health centers had closed and 20% reported that they were not offering outpatient mental health services. Reported wait times were longer at CMHCs than FQHCs. The author concluded that these findings suggested that online directories such as the SAMHSA Treatment Locator are often inaccurate or out-of-date.
AHRQ-funded; HS000084.
Citation: Adams DR .
Availability and accessibility of mental health services for youth: a descriptive survey of safety-net health centers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community Ment Health J 2024 Jan; 60(1):88-97. doi: 10.1007/s10597-023-01127-9..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Behavioral Health, Access to Care, COVID-19, Public Health
Meyer AND, Singh H, Zimolzak AJ
Cancer evaluations during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study using National Veterans Affairs data.
This observational study examined the reasons why fewer cancer diagnoses have been made during the COVID-19 pandemic using electronic health record data from the Department of Veterans Affairs before (March 10, 2019-March 7, 2020) and during (March 8, 2020-March 6, 2021) the pandemic. Electronic triggers were applied to 8,021,406 veterans' electronic health records to identify follow-up delays for abnormal results warranting evaluation for 5 cancers: bladder, breast, colorectal, liver, and lung cancers. Between the prepandemic and pandemic periods, test quantities decreased by 12.6%-27.8%, and proportions of abnormal results lacking follow-up decreased for urinalyses by 0.8%, increased by 2.3% for fecal occult blood tests/fecal immunochemical test and 1.8% for chest imaging, and remained constant for the other diagnostic tests (mammograms for breast cancer and elevated alpha-fetoprotein for liver cancer). This significant decrease in diagnostic testing may have led to reduced cancer rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS027363.
Citation: Meyer AND, Singh H, Zimolzak AJ .
Cancer evaluations during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study using National Veterans Affairs data.
Am J Prev Med 2022 Dec;63(6):1026-30. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.07.004..
Keywords: COVID-19, Cancer, Public Health
Crnich CJ
Reimagining infection control in U.S. nursing homes in the era of COVID-19.
This paper provides an overview of nursing home (NH) infection and control, reviews the 2016 CMS changes to federal regulations, and proposes recommendations to sustain improvements. COVID-19 put further pressure on nursing homes who were already strained by rising numbers of infections from C. difficile and multidrug-resistant organisms. The author puts out a call for reimagining infection prevention and control using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety framework. Additional recommendations are made to enhance NH infection prevention and control programs in the areas of people, tasks, tools, organization, built environment, and external environment.
AHRQ-funded; HS022465.
Citation: Crnich CJ .
Reimagining infection control in U.S. nursing homes in the era of COVID-19.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2022 Dec;23(12):1909-15. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.10.022..
Keywords: Elderly, COVID-19, Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Nursing Homes, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention
Shover CL, Rosen A, Mata J
Engaging same-day peer ambassadors to increase coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination among people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County: a hybrid feasibility-evaluation study.
This study’s goal was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of engaging unhoused peer ambassadors (PAs) in COVID-19 vaccination efforts to reach people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County. A total of 117 PAs were enrolled at 103 events, participating for an average of 2 hours. Findings showed that 197 additional people were vaccinated over 167 PA hours, accounting for >25% of all vaccines given at these events, indicating that recruiting same-day unhoused PAs is a feasible, acceptable, and preliminarily effective technique to increase COVID-19 vaccination in unsheltered settings.
AHRQ-funded; HS026407.
Citation: Shover CL, Rosen A, Mata J .
Engaging same-day peer ambassadors to increase coronavirus disease 2019 vaccination among people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in Los Angeles County: a hybrid feasibility-evaluation study.
J Infect Dis 2022 Oct 7;226(suppl 3):S346-s52. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiac291..
Keywords: COVID-19, Vaccination, Vulnerable Populations, Public Health
Sonik RA, Herrera AL
Associations between inspections for unsafe housing conditions and evictions in New York City public housing buildings.
The authors sought to examine the relationship between evictions and formal housing safety inspections triggered by tenant complains about poor conditions. Studying residential buildings within New York City Housing Authority developments, they found that these buildings were in areas with greater social vulnerability than 90% of other census tracts in the state. Further, adjusted predicted probabilities of an eviction increased from 34 to 43% in the presence of a rodent inspection and from 34 to 46% in the presence of an indoor environmental inspection, indicating that inspections for unsafe housing conditions were associated with evictions at the building level.
AHRQ-funded; HS026317.
Citation: Sonik RA, Herrera AL .
Associations between inspections for unsafe housing conditions and evictions in New York City public housing buildings.
J Community Health 2022 Oct;47(5):849-52. doi: 10.1007/s10900-022-01114-3..
Keywords: Social Determinants of Health, Public Health
Richmond J, Sanderson M, Shrubsole MJ
Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 among adults in the southeastern United States.
The authors investigated factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), their results overall suggested that individuals in fair/poor health, living alone, and/or experiencing decreased physical activity and vegetable/fruit consumption have higher risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms. They recommended clinical and public health interventions to support individuals experiencing depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS026122.
Citation: Richmond J, Sanderson M, Shrubsole MJ .
Psychosocial impact of COVID-19 among adults in the southeastern United States.
Prev Med 2022 Oct;163:107191. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107191..
Keywords: COVID-19, Anxiety, Depression, Behavioral Health, Public Health
Shankar LG, Habich M, Rosenman M
Mental health emergency department visits by children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigators described pediatric mental health emergency department (ED) visit rates and visit characteristics before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. They found that mental health ED visit rates by children increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Shankar LG, Habich M, Rosenman M .
Mental health emergency department visits by children before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Sep-Oct;22(7):1127-32. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.05.022..
Keywords: COVID-19, Children/Adolescents, Emergency Department, Behavioral Health, Healthcare Utilization, Public Health
Adams C, Chamberlain A, Wang Y
The role of staff in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in long-term care facilities.
The purpose of this study was to assess the role of long-term care facility (LTCF) staff in transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. From March 2020 to September the researchers evaluated residents and staff of 60 LTCFs in Georgia. The study found that after vaccines were first distributed to LTCFs in December 202, case counts, outbreak size and duration, and time-varying reproduction number [R(t)] declined rapidly. Staff cases were six times more infectious than resident cases, and unvaccinated resident cases were more infectious than vaccinated resident cases. The researchers concluded that staff were the primary drivers of COVID-19 transmission in LTCFs and vaccines slowed the transmission of the virus and contributed to a reduction in cases in LTCFs.
AHRQ-funded; HS025987.
Citation: Adams C, Chamberlain A, Wang Y .
The role of staff in transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in long-term care facilities.
Epidemiology 2022 Sep 1;33(5):669-77. doi: 10.1097/ede.0000000000001510..
Keywords: COVID-19, Respiratory Conditions, Long-Term Care, Public Health
Jin DP, Samuel S, Bowden K
Just-in-time electronic health record retraining to support clinician redeployment during the COVID-19 surge.
The purpose of this study was to examine the use of training in ICU-specific electronic health record (EHR) workflows prior to redeployment of certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) as ICU clinicians during the COVID-19 surge. The researchers utilized clinical informatics (CI) fellows to lead a multidisciplinary team to deploy a customized HER curriculum consisting of in-person classes and online video modules. Eighteen CRNAs participated, with 15 completing surveys immediately after the in-person training session, and 12 participants completing a post-deployment survey. The study found that all respondents of the post-training survey thought the training was useful and improved their EHR skills. Of the 12 participants who completed the post-deployment survey, all said that the training both increased their comfort in the ICU and that the concepts learned would be useful in their anesthesia role, and 91% indicated the training prepared them to work in the ICU with minimal guidance. The researchers concluded that CI fellows are uniquely prepared to deliver EHR training for clinician deployment in operational crisis response.
AHRQ-funded; HS02373.
Citation: Jin DP, Samuel S, Bowden K .
Just-in-time electronic health record retraining to support clinician redeployment during the COVID-19 surge.
Appl Clin Inform 2022 Aug 29;13(5):949-55. doi: 10.1055/a-1933-1798..
Keywords: COVID-19, Electronic Health Records (EHRs), Health Information Technology (HIT), Public Health, Training, Workforce
Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in assisted living communities: neighborhood deprivation and state social distancing policies matter.
Investigators examined the association between COVID-19 cases in assisted living communities (ALCs) and the proportion of Medicare-Medicaid (dual) eligible minority residents, neighborhood area deprivation, and state COVID-19 policy stringency. They found that ALCs with higher proportions of dual-eligible minority residents were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks within their communities. Further, ALCs located in more socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods, and in states with less stringent state social distancing policies, tended to have more COVID-19 cases.
AHRQ-funded; HS026893.
Citation: Guo W, Li Y, Temkin-Greener H .
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in assisted living communities: neighborhood deprivation and state social distancing policies matter.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2022 Aug;43(8):1004-09. doi: 10.1017/ice.2022.46..
Keywords: COVID-19, Elderly, Long-Term Care, Policy, Public Health
Adams C, Wortley P, Chamberlain A
Declining COVID-19 case-fatality in Georgia, USA, March 2020 to March 2021: a sign of real improvement or a broadening epidemic?
This article examined whether declines in the crude US COVID-19 case fatality ratio is due to improved clinical care and/or other factors. The authors used multivariable logistic regression to examine associations between report month and mortality among confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases and hospitalized cases in Georgia from March 2020 through March 2021. Mortality risk was lowest in November 2020 compared to August 2020 and remained lower until March 2021. Among hospitalized cases, mortality risk increased in December 2020 and January 2021 before declining in March 2021. The authors concluded that improved clinical management may have contributed to lower mortality risk.
AHRQ-funded; HS025987.
Citation: Adams C, Wortley P, Chamberlain A .
Declining COVID-19 case-fatality in Georgia, USA, March 2020 to March 2021: a sign of real improvement or a broadening epidemic?
Ann Epidemiol 2022 Aug;72:57-64. doi: 10.1016/j.annepidem.2022.05.008..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health, Mortality
Beeber AS, Hoben M, Leeman J
Developing a toolkit to improve resident and family engagement in the safety of assisted living: Engage-A stakeholder-engaged research protocol.
This paper describes an AHRQ-funded study protocol (Engage) to develop a toolkit for increasing resident and family engagement in assisted living (AL) safety. The study goals are to engage AL residents and family caregivers, AL staff, and other AL stakeholders to (1) identify common AL safety problems; (2) prioritize safety problems and identify and evaluate existing PFE interventions with the potential to address safety problems in the AL setting; and (3) develop a testable toolkit to improve PFE in AL safety. Methods, including qualitative interviews, a scoping review of persona and family engagement (PFE) interventions, and stakeholder panel meetings are discussed. The authors also detail how the protocol was modified to address the unique challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS026473.
Citation: Beeber AS, Hoben M, Leeman J .
Developing a toolkit to improve resident and family engagement in the safety of assisted living: Engage-A stakeholder-engaged research protocol.
Res Nurs Health 2022 Aug;45(4):413-23. doi: 10.1002/nur.22232..
Keywords: Patient and Family Engagement, Patient Safety, Caregiving, Public Health, Long-Term Care
Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to explore the author’s previous research findings on trends in pediatric emergency department (ED) visits for mental health (MH) vs non-mental health in light of more recent related data corresponding with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study found that recent research supports the dramatic increase in pediatric MH ED visits found in the author’s previous research and provides additional evidence that the increase has been driven by specific MH diagnoses. The researchers conclude that depressive disorders, self-harm behavior, and non-alcohol substance use disorders should be prioritized for the development of ED- and hospital-based strategies, and that EDs, hospitals, health systems, and the government urgently need to increase capacity for MH services and identify innovative solutions to improve access to high quality MH care for children.
AHRQ-funded; HS026385.
Citation: Cutler GJ, Bergmann KR, Doupnik SK .
Pediatric mental health emergency department visits and access to Inpatient care: a crisis worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acad Pediatr 2022 Aug;22(6):889-91. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2022.03.015..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Behavioral Health, Emergency Department, Access to Care, Public Health, Inpatient Care
Keller SC, Caballero TM, Tamma PD
AHRQ Author: Miller MA
Assessment of changes in visits and antibiotic prescribing during the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use and the COVID-19 pandemic.
This cohort study evaluated the effectiveness of the AHRQ Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use aimed to improve antibiotic prescribing in ambulatory practices by engaging clinicians and staff to incorporate antibiotic stewardship into practice culture, communication, and decision-making. The study ran from December 2019 through November 2020. A total of 389 ambulatory care practices with over 6.5 million visits to 5483 clinicians were compared from the baseline to completion of the program. Participants included 82 primary care practices, 103 urgent care practices, 34 federally supported practices, 21 pediatric-only practices, 39 pediatric urgent care practices, 21 pediatric-only practices, and 14 other practice types. Of the 389 practices who completed the program, 75% submitted completed data. Visits per practice per month decreased from a mean of 1624 at baseline to a nadir of 906 early in the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020) and were 1797 at the end of the program. Total antibiotic prescribing decreased from 18.2% of visits at baseline to 9.5% at completion of the program. Acute respiratory infection (ARI) visits per practice per month decreased from a baseline of 321 to a nadir of 76 early in the pandemic (May 2020) and gradually increased through completion of the program (n = 239). Antibiotic prescribing for ARIs decreased from 39.2% at baseline to 24.7% at completion of the program.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Keller SC, Caballero TM, Tamma PD .
Assessment of changes in visits and antibiotic prescribing during the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Safety Program for Improving Antibiotic Use and the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jul;5(7):e2220512. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.20512..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, COVID-19, Public Health, Respiratory Conditions
Fleming MD, Evans JL, Graham-Squire D
Association of shelter-in-place hotels with health services use among people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some jurisdictions utilized shelter-in-place (SIP) hotels to provide emergency shelter and support services to people experiencing homelessness (PEH) to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association of SIP hotel placements with prior high acute health service use and compare health services use between PEH with prior high service use who did and did not receive a SIP hotel placement. The researchers assessed 25 SIP hotels in San Francisco, California from April 2020 to April 2021 and analyzed data from February 2021 to May 2022. Study participants included PEH who were among the top 10% high users of acute medical, mental health, and substance use services and who had 3 or more emergency department (ED) visits in the 9 months before the implementation of the SIP hotel program. The study reported that the mean number of ED visits decreased significantly in the high-user SIP group compared with high-user controls. The mean number of hospitalizations decreased significantly from 0.41 to 0.14 for SIP guests vs 0.27 to 0.22 for controls. Inpatient hospital days decreased significantly from a mean of 4.00 to 0.81 for SIP guests vs 2.27 to 1.85 for controls as did psychiatric emergency visits, from a mean of 0.03 to 0.01 visits for SIP guests vs no change in the control group. The researchers concluded that placement of PEH in SIP hotels was correlated with significantly reduced acute care use when compared with high acute care users with no SIP placement.
AHRQ-funded; HS027648.
Citation: Fleming MD, Evans JL, Graham-Squire D .
Association of shelter-in-place hotels with health services use among people experiencing homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jul;5(7):e2223891. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.23891..
Keywords: COVID-19, Access to Care, Healthcare Utilization, Public Health
Lee JL, Gustavson AM, Kian L
Reimagining cross-sector collaborations post-pandemic to optimize care for vulnerable homebound older adult populations.
This research letter discusses the development process for cross-sector collaborations post-pandemic to optimize care for vulnerable homebound older adult populations. These collaborations are proposed between health, social, and academic research systems. The authors collaborated with their local Houston Meals on Wheels (MOW) program, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and the Harris County Health System. These organizations formed a Healthy Aging Committee with several healthcare professionals from different healthcare systems participating as volunteers. The goal of the Committee was to identify ways to highlight the potential benefits of nutritious meal delivery. The three institutions worked together through all stages of research, from grant writing to recruiting participants, establishing trust in their relationships, and leveraging their connections and expertise in different areas. In their first research project, they investigated the addition of a home-based exercise program with enhanced meal deliveries to improve frailty status in older adults who were frail and homebound. This pilot study had been stopped during the pandemic. The restarted study was revised so that the MOW drivers delivering frozen and shelf-stable meals in person once a week would now also provide exercise handouts for those in the treatment group to minimize face-to-face contact. Their current second research project is evaluating whether the combination of a virtual assistant device such as Amazon Alexa with meal delivery can improve mental health for homebound older adults with cognitive impairment.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379.
Citation: Lee JL, Gustavson AM, Kian L .
Reimagining cross-sector collaborations post-pandemic to optimize care for vulnerable homebound older adult populations.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2022 Jul; 70(7):1939-41. doi: 10.1111/jgs.17813..
Keywords: Elderly, Home Healthcare, Vulnerable Populations, Public Health
Dube WC, Kellogg JT, Adams C
Quantifying risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection among nursing home workers for the 2020-2021 winter surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia, USA.
This study’s objective was to estimate incidence of risks for COVID-19 infection among nursing home staff in the state of Georgia during the 2020-2021 Winter surge in the US. Staff at fourteen nursing homes were given a survey and serologic testing at 2 time points with 3-month interval exposure assessment. At the first time point, 203 study eligible contracted or employed staff members from these participating nursing homes were seronegative. At the second time point, 72 (35.5%) had evidence of interval infection. Among unvaccinated staff, infection rates were significantly higher among nurses and certified nursing assistants accounting for race and interval infection incidence in both the community and facility.
AHRQ-funded; HS025987.
Citation: Dube WC, Kellogg JT, Adams C .
Quantifying risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection among nursing home workers for the 2020-2021 winter surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia, USA.
J Am Med Dir Assoc 2022 Jun;23(6):942-46.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2022.02.014..
Keywords: COVID-19, Nursing Homes, Provider: Health Personnel, Risk, Public Health
Usher MC, Tignanelli CJ, Hilliard B
Responding to COVID-19 through interhospital resource coordination: a mixed-methods evaluation
Researchers sought to describe a novel hospital system approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, including multihospital coordination capability and transfer of COVID-19 patients to a single, dedicated hospital. They found that, with standardized communication, interhospital transfers were a safe and effective method of cohorting COVID-19 patients, were well-received by health care providers, and had the potential to improve care quality.
AHRQ-funded; HS026379; HS026732.
Citation: Usher MC, Tignanelli CJ, Hilliard B .
Responding to COVID-19 through interhospital resource coordination: a mixed-methods evaluation
J Patient Saf 2022 Jun 1;18(4):287-94. doi: 10.1097/pts.0000000000000916..
Keywords: COVID-19, Hospitals, Healthcare Delivery, Public Health, Care Coordination, Transitions of Care
Michelson KA, Samuels-Kalow ME
Association of elementary school reopening status and county COVID-19 incidence.
This study examined the association between elementary school opening status (ESOS) and pediatric COVID-19 incidence. The authors conducted a cross-sectional study of US counties with school districts with ≥500 elementary school students. The main exposure was ESOS in September 2020 and outcome was county incidence of COVID-19. Among 3220 US counties, 19.2% were remote, 12.1% were hybrid, and 62.8% were in person. In unadjusted models, COVID-19 incidence after school started was higher among children in hybrid or in-person counties compared with remote only counties. After adjusting for local COVID-19 incidence, the incidence rate ratio compared with remote counties was 1.01 in hybrid counties and 0.79 in in-person counties.
AHRQ-funded; HS026503.
Citation: Michelson KA, Samuels-Kalow ME .
Association of elementary school reopening status and county COVID-19 incidence.
Acad Pediatr 2022 May-Jun;22(4):667-70. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2021.09.006..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, COVID-19, Public Health, Education
Kranz AM, Steiner ED, Mitchell JM
School-based health services in Virginia and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The purpose of this study was to examine how the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted the provision of school health services and related student needs. In May 2021, all 1178 Virginia public elementary schools received a web-based survey regarding the impact of the pandemic on school-based health services, with 65% of schools responding (N=767). Schools reported providing fewer school-based health services during the pandemic than before, with dental screenings declining the most (51% before vs 15% after). The study also reported that mental health as a top concern for students increased from 15% before the pandemic to 27% during the pandemic. The study concluded that schools reported providing fewer health services to students during pandemic in the 2020-2021 school year and increased concern about students' mental health.
AHRQ-funded; HS025430.
Citation: Kranz AM, Steiner ED, Mitchell JM .
School-based health services in Virginia and the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Sch Health 2022 May;92(5):436-44. doi: 10.1111/josh.13147..
Keywords: COVID-19, Children/Adolescents, Public Health, Healthcare Delivery, Community-Based Practice
Murray E, Roosevelt GE, Vogel JA
Screening for health-related social needs in the emergency department: adaptability and fidelity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Researchers sought to evaluate a screening and referral program for health-related social needs (HRSN) in an emergency department. Using the Accountable Health Communities Screening Tool, they found that, during the COVID-19 pandemic, HRSN doubled, likely reflecting the economic impact of the pandemic.
AHRQ-funded; HS023901.
Citation: Murray E, Roosevelt GE, Vogel JA .
Screening for health-related social needs in the emergency department: adaptability and fidelity during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Am J Emerg Med 2022 Apr;54:323.e1-23.e4. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2021.09.071..
Keywords: COVID-19, Social Determinants of Health, Emergency Department, Screening, Public Health
Bartsch SM, O'Shea KJ, Chin KL
Maintaining face mask use before and after achieving different COVID-19 vaccination coverage levels: a modelling study.
This study’s objective was to assess the value of maintaining face mask use indoors according to different COVID-19 vaccination coverage levels in the US. This computational simulation-model study used a Monte Carlo simulation model representing the US population and SARS CoV-2 spread. The investigation found that maintaining face mask use until and a short time after achieving various final vaccination coverage levels can not only be cost-effective, but even cost saving. In all scenarios, it was estimated cost-effective to maintain face mask use for about 2-10 weeks beyond the date of target vaccination coverage achievement.
AHRQ-funded; HS028165.
Citation: Bartsch SM, O'Shea KJ, Chin KL .
Maintaining face mask use before and after achieving different COVID-19 vaccination coverage levels: a modelling study.
Lancet Public Health 2022 Mar 8;7(4):e356-e65. doi: 10.1016/s2468-2667(22)00040-8..
Keywords: COVID-19, Public Health
Riviello ED, Dechen T, O'Donoghue AL
Assessment of a crisis standards of care scoring system for resource prioritization and estimated excess mortality by race, ethnicity, and socially vulnerable area during a regional surge in COVID-19.
Researchers analyzed the association of a crisis standards of care (CSOC) scoring system with resource prioritization and estimated excess mortality by race, ethnicity, and residence in a socially vulnerable area during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using data from 6 hospitals in greater Boston, Massachusetts, they found that a CSOC priority score resulted in lower prioritization of Black patients to receive scarce resources. Also, a model using a random lottery resulted in more estimated excess deaths overall without improving equity by race.
AHRQ-funded; HS024288.
Citation: Riviello ED, Dechen T, O'Donoghue AL .
Assessment of a crisis standards of care scoring system for resource prioritization and estimated excess mortality by race, ethnicity, and socially vulnerable area during a regional surge in COVID-19.
JAMA Netw Open 2022 Mar;5(3):e221744. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.1744..
Keywords: COVID-19, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, Mortality, Public Health, Vulnerable Populations