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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.
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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Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
This analysis explores regional variation in COVID-19 death rates across America. It unpacks the “two Americas” narrative of some parts of the country having high demand for vaccines and others having widespread vaccine hesitancy, and shows that a divide between rates of exceeds death existed prior to the introduction in vaccines. This difference is likely due to a difference in mask use, social distancing, and other behaviors. Results underscore the importance of excess mortality measures such as wastewater testing to get a more accurate picture.
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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Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
This study analyzes different epidemic models of COVID-19. It demonstrates the variability of models’ ability to predict COVID-19 transmission and outbreak. It advises public health practitioners to exercise caution when formulating public health strategies based on the prediction results of mathematical models due to this variability.
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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Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
This review offers to provide context for the indirect health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic thus far, including its impact on health service delivery and utilization. Results found an overall decrease in utilization of health services for non-COVID-19 related care, which could lead to an increase in chronic diseases in the future as patients are not receiving timely checkups.
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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Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
In an effort to help build the evidence base around social determinants of health (SDOH), the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) engaged RAND in a project to evaluate the current evidence from programs and policies targeting SDOH and identify research questions, data sources, and data gaps. RAND used a multi-methods approach that included an environmental scan of the published and gray literature of SDOH interventions; key informant interviews with subject matter experts; and a convening of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies and operating divisions to review the results of the environmental scan and offer insights on findings.
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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Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
This systematic review examines COVID-19 literature on infections, hospitalizations, or deaths by race and ethnicity in the United States. Results found that Black and Hispanic populations experience higher rates of COVID-19 infection and COVID-19 related mortality, but similar rates of case fatality.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations, Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis
This report discusses a scoping review conducted to identify social determinants of health (SDOH) that are risk factors for, or associated with outcomes of, COVID-19, and to understand the definitions, characteristics, and measures of SDOH data elements as they were used in studies analyzing statistical associations with the risk for COVID-19 infection and COVID-19-related outcomes in the United States. The granular evidence provided by the scoping review findings calls for the standardization of SDOH data across health care, public health, and research.
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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Case Study
During the pandemic, the Minnesota Department of Health created three new teams focused on an equitable COVID-19 response. These teams included the Cultural, Faith, and Disability Communities Branch; the Tribal COVID-19 Healthcare Team; and the Vaccine Equity Branch. These teams created partnerships with community partners, elevated community voices, set equity goals and metrics, and respected tribal sovereignty in their COVID-19 response. This helped to ensure resources were used equitably and that COVID-19 responses were effective within diverse communities.
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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Case Study, Summary Report/Recommendations
This case study describes how the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services implemented a multipronged strategy to prioritize vaccinations on Black and Hispanic North Carolina residents following the disproportionate impact of COVID-19. This intervention included increasing vaccine allocation to these communities, facilitating community partnerships, and mapping these communities with the proportion of persons aged ≥65 years. They also addressed other barriers. During this implementation, vaccination rates doubled among Black residents, and the share of vaccine doses doubled.
Novel Practices that show potential to achieve desirable public health outcomes in a specific real-life setting and are in the process of generating evidence of effectiveness or may not yet be tested.
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Case Study
This case study describes how the Student Response Team (SRT) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center assisted the local health departments in mitigation and response activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. The SRT was a voluntary student-led effort that assisted in health contact tracing, monitoring social media, and education the public. Their experience demonstrates how students can increase the public health surge capacity of local health departments while gaining applied experience during public health emergencies. The recommendations include forming, training, and deploying SRTs throughout academic institutions to implement during and beyond the current pandemic.