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Emerging Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness.
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Peer Review Study
Focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the diversion of resources, attention, and efforts away from other critical public health issues. This diversion has led to missed opportunities and negative consequences for various public health domains, such as chronic disease prevention, mental health services, substance abuse treatment, and environmental health. This article suggests the need for a comprehensive approach that balances the response to COVID-19 with the maintenance and resumption of other essential public health activities. It calls for increased investment in public health infrastructure, workforce capacity, and policy frameworks to mitigate the opportunity costs and ensure a more resilient and equitable public health system in the future.
Best Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes when implemented in multiple real-life settings, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities.
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Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
This review of state data collection and reporting practices during the COVID-19 pandemic found inconsistencies and gaps in data collected by race and ethnicity. Improved standardization across the U.S.–which may come in the form of a federally-operated centralized database–would address some of the concerns in data representation of all Americans.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
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White Paper/Brief
This brief lists interventions to support state public health efforts to address rural disparities and racial discrimination. It emphasizes the importance of localized data on social determinants of health and improving systemic and structural underpinnings of racial disparities. Suggested interventions address data collection and workforce issues, including representativeness and paid family leave.
Best Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes when implemented in multiple real-life settings, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities.
RELEASE DATE:
Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
This article summarizes the factors that place incarcerated people at high risk for COVID-19 infection and the effective strategies to reduce transmission and complications due to COVID-19, informed by other infectious disease outbreaks. The authors highlight the role of interagency collaboration, health communication, screening for contagious diseases, restriction, isolation and quarantine, contact tracing, immunisation programmes, epidemiological surveillance, and prison-specific guidelines in managing any outbreaks.
Best Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes when implemented in multiple real-life settings, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
This study compares the effectiveness of 3 interventions implemented in a correctional facility to determine best practices for limiting the spread of COVID-19 to a vulnerable population. The 3 interventions include depopulation, increased single celling, and widespread testing of asymptomatic incarcerated individuals. Results were compared against a computer model designed to predict cases based on CDC guidelines only. Results indicated a possible 83% reduction in predicted symptomatic cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
RELEASE DATE:
Case Study
This article outlines how Rice County Public Health (RCPH) used a health equity data analysis tool to complete an assessment of internal policies and practices related to health equity. Given this assessment, RCPH developed a health equity plan with seven recommended practices to implement, and RCPH created trainings to increase staff awareness of health equity.
Promising Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities, and are suitable for adaptation by other communities.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
The article presents strategies of how Durham County Department of Public Health operationalized equity into multiple phases of its COVID-19 response through infrastructure changes and how to apply these methods to future public health emergencies to better serve vulnerable populations. This response relied upon robust data collection of demographic data to identify inequities. Infrastructure changes included standing up multiple COVID-19 Task Forces (Homeless, Community, Food Security, African American) and Strike Teams (Long-Term Care Facility, Clusters) targeting vulnerable populations; placing testing sites in targeted locations; collaborating with multisector and community partners for feedback; and providing Health Ambassadors for in-person dissemination of COVID-19 information. The paper reviews results from these interventions and lessons learned.
Best Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes when implemented in multiple real-life settings, as indicated by achievement of aims consistent with the objectives of the activities.
RELEASE DATE:
Case Study
This case study describes how the Virginia Equity Leadership Task Force (ELT) uses data to drive allocation of resources. ELT used a data-driven approach to learn where they should allocate resources to make a maximum impact, with a specific focus on marginalized and underserved populations who are at greatest risk of severe disease from COVID-19. They profiled neighborhoods by equity factors including income, race and ethnicity, comorbidities, crowded housing, and preferred language, and then distributed personal protective equipment with priority given to more vulnerable populations. They used similar analyses of social determinants of health; up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination status; and data on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths to determine where to place vaccine centers and hold mass vaccination events.
Emerging Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
Using public information, the researchers in this study constructed and analyzed a database of incarceration episodes in the city jail system, focusing on what happened March 23-29, 2020, immediately following the mayor’s order to release individuals incarcerated in New York City jails who were at high risk of contracting the disease and at low risk of committing criminal re-offense. They found that being discharged during the focus week was associated with a lower probability of readmission as compared to being discharged during the same calendar week in previous years. Furthermore, comparing the individuals discharged during the focus week of 2020 to those discharged during the same calendar week in previous years, they found that the former group was, on average, slightly older than the latter group, although the difference was not large. Additionally, the individuals in the former group had spent substantially longer in jail than those in the latter group.
Emerging Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and produce early results that are consistent with the objectives of the activities and thus indicate effectiveness.
RELEASE DATE:
Peer Review Study
This study examines the impact that COVID-19 has on incarcerated populations by analyzing systematic data on testing, test positivity, cases, and case fatality. Using data from the COVID Prison Project, the study presents data from 53 prison systems and compares these data with each state’s general population. Many states were not reporting full information on COVID-19 testing with some also not reporting on case fatality. Among those reporting data, there was wide variation between testing, test positivity, and case rates within prison systems and as compared to the general population. However, when more tests were deployed, more cases were identified, with the majority of state prisons having higher case rates than their general population.