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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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Op-ed
This op-ed discusses the minimal progress that has been made towards understanding the causes and treatment of long COVID. The main crux of the author’s argument is that long COVID is essentially the same condition as post-infectious syndrome or myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Thus, long COVID is actually not a new condition, but rather something triggered by acute COVID in the same way that many other illnesses can trigger ME/CFS in individuals. ME/CFS itself is not well-understood, but the years of research and patient experiences with the condition could be applied to the body of long COVID research for the advancement of both causes.
Established Practices that show evidence of effectiveness in improving public health outcomes when implemented in multiple real-life settings, as indicated by previous studies that are consistent with the objectives of the activities.
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Peer Review Study
This study assessed differences in COVID-19 cases and mortality rates in traditional nursing homes and Green Houses. Green Houses are smaller, more intimate residential living environments that promote personalized care and more tight-knit communities of residents and care givers. Using CMS data, researchers found that, adjusting for age, gender, and disability status, small and large nursing homes had higher COVID-19 cases and mortality rates compared to Green Houses.
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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Peer Review Study
According to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percentage of individuals reporting Long COVID symptoms has decreased from 19% in June 2022 to 11% in January 2023 among those who have had COVID-19. While this decline is notable, 15% of all US adults have reported experiencing Long COVID symptoms at some point, with 6% currently affected. Long COVID continues to pose challenges, including limitations in daily activities for 79% of those affected and potential long-term disabilities. Efforts to address Long COVID include research initiatives and public health actions, but its full impact and the reasons behind the decline in reported cases remain subjects of ongoing study and concern.
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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White Paper/Brief
This article discusses the need for a disability data justice framework to support health equity goals. Even though 27% of American adults report having a disability, there exists limited COVID-19 data for the disabled community. Some public health surveys administered during the pandemic did not incorporate questions around disability until 2021. The article presents a series of recommendations on ways to achieve disability data justice. These include making disability a core element of all demographic data collection alongside race, ethnicity, and gender identity, increasing representation of disabled people across health professions, collaborating with members of the disabled community when developing and implementing disability data collection, and making health data accessible to all people with disabilities.
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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Peer Review Study
To make sure we’re accurately understanding people’s health, we need to use the same measuring tools in the same way for everyone, no matter who they are. In this study, Cintron and their team checked if a widely used depression test, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), works the same for different groups of people based on their age, gender, education, and race. They found that in about 24% of the cases, the test worked a little differently for these different groups. However, this is just slightly below the 25% limit we usually use to decide if the test is working the same for everyone. So, in general, the PHQ-8 seems to measure depression in a similar way for all the groups they studied. To make sure we’re treating everyone fairly when collecting health data, we should do similar research for other common tests and questionnaires to see if they work the same for different groups of people.
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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Other
This episode from the podcast 99 Percent Invisible reflects on how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the American public to a long-standing problem: the disjointed nature of the U.S. health system. Because state and local health departments largely operate independently and use their own data collection and analysis tools, health systems across the country lack standardized data definitions and systems. These inconsistencies made it nearly impossible to collect and analyze comprehensive, standardized data on COVID-19 cases, deaths, and vaccines administered amid the pandemic. Health experts featured on this episode believe that the pandemic made the need for an overhaul of America’s informatics system very apparent. When rebuilding this system, it’s important to focus on remedying existing inequalities in data collection and classification that in some cases render the health status of certain populations – think Native American communities and other communities of color – completely invisible in the data. By virtue of being small populations, it can be difficult for health departments to collect sufficient and/or statistically significant data on minority communities. Another issue discussed in this episode is the use of broad racial categories like “other,” “multiple races,” or even “Asian American,” which, if not disaggregated, obscures the health status of diverse populations who are grouped under the same category. Without comprehensive and inclusive health data, it’s difficult to identify disparities and implement policies and programming that promote social mobility and 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.
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White Paper/Brief
This study from the American Journal of Managed Care identifies the main factors influencing the implementation and sustainability of cross-sector data sharing between a community-based organization and an academic medical center via a case study of the Mid-Ohio Farmacy (MOF) produce referral program. The MOF is a unique program developed by the Mid-Ohio Food Collective and Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSUWMC) to provide food insecure patients who have a qualifying chronic condition with money to purchase produce from food pantries on a monthly basis. Researchers conducted a series of key informant interviews with OSUWMC and Mid-Ohio Food Collective representatives to characterize the challenges of data sharing between the academic medical center and the community-based organization. Challenges were grouped into three main buckets: data sharing regulations, data exchange capabilities, and cross sector data integration. Some keys findings from this paper include the need for clarification around HIPPA regulations for data exchange between covered and non-covered entities, the importance of incorporating social-risk data (such as a food security screening tool) into the electronic health record, and the need for additional research and guidance around how to create fully integrated shared databases between health care and social service agencies.
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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Implementation Guide
Data Across Sectors for Health (DASH) is a national initiative funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and co-led by the Michigan Public Health Institute and the Illinois Public Health Institute. Created in 2015, DASH promotes and supports multisector data-sharing ecosystems with the goal of fostering more equitable, informed decision-making practices and ultimately improving community health outcomes. They provide financial support, technical assistance, resources, and programming to help foster community collaborations around data-sharing. Their website features information on their two active funding programs, a link to the DASH data-sharing framework and accompanying webinars, as well as information about their knowledge-sharing platform, DASH Knowledge Base, that is still in development. DASH is a great resource for organizations and community leaders seeking guidance on how to foster relationships and enhance data sharing capabilities between governments, community-based organizations, and other local players.
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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Peer Review Study
This article highlights the successful implementation of a pediatric pharmacy team’s strategic plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. The plan, titled “Vision 2020,” aimed to enhance team cohesion, accountability, and service quality. Despite pandemic challenges, the team achieved numerous goals and objectives through effective data gathering, buy-in from management, and progress tracking. The article emphasizes the importance of team-level strategic planning for clinical service lines.
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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Peer Review Study
US public health laboratories (PHLs) faced numerous challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, including operational difficulties, high testing demand, federal mismanagement, material shortages, outdated information systems, workforce issues, and inadequate funding. Clear mandates, improved leadership support, streamlined processes, effective partnerships, robust supply chain management, upgraded systems, enhanced workforce strategies, and adequate funding are crucial for future preparedness.