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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, Summary Report/Recommendations
Article outlines how an opioid treatment program in the Bronx, NY adjusted their clinical practice with COVID-19 and their recommendations for treatment programs going forward. Balancing Covid-19 safety and the need to safely administer medications for opioid use disorder, this program ultimately made changes that allowed for more patient-driven treatment plans that enable fewer in person clinic visits. The article advocates for patient-centered care that encourages people to safely self-manage medication, focusing on patient-centered measures in clinical decision-making, and making appropriate changes to payment/insurance models that allow for such patient-centered care.
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
This report recommends that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) adopt new practices for collecting data on sex, gender, and sexual orientation — including collecting gender data by default, and not conflating gender with sex as a biological variable. The report recommends standardized language to be used in survey questions that ask about a respondent’s sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Better measurements will improve data quality, as well as the NIH’s ability to identify LGBTQI+ populations and understand the challenges they face.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
This resources summarizes the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance use and the experiences of people who used drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights include: the pandemic increased the risk of overdose for people who use drugs, and in response people who use drugs reported using more harm reduction strategies. The pandemic also motivated change in wanting to quit drug use for study participants, but also highlighted the social determinants of health as barriers to sustainable recovery.
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.
RELEASE DATE:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This commentary describes racial disparities in access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) and how pandemic-related changes in access to MAT may exacerbate these disparities. The author also provides specific recommendations, including actions that can be taken by local health departments to reduce race-based inequities in access to MAT during the pandemic.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This article identifies best practices and recommendations for providing gender-affirming telepsychology treatment to transgender and gender diverse individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The article discusses ethical and clinical issues for optimizing care. The practice strategy this article is focused on is gender-affirming mental health care.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This article focuses on post-pandemic treatment for individuals with substance use disorder. Specifically, this article identifies seven pillars to improve treatment for individuals with substance use disorders in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic: (1) telemedicine and digital solutions, (2) hospitalization at home, (3) consultation-liaison psychiatric and addiction services, (4) harm-reduction facilities, (5) person-centered care, (6) promote paid work to improve quality of life in people with substance use disorders, and (7) integrated addiction care. The three “best buys” of the World Health Organization (reduce availability, increase prices, and a ban on advertising) are still valid. Additionally, new strategies must be implemented to systematically deal with (a) fake news concerning legal and illegal drugs and (b) controversial scientific information.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
This article discusses the preliminary data regarding Syringe Services Program (SSP) operational and service delivery changes during the response to the COVID-19 pandemic and provides key policy and service provision implications for SSPs. There is an emphasis on the distribution of services provided at SSPs and highlights the need for SSP support in providing education, prevention, and strategies to avoid emerging infectious disease outbreaks.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
This article presents recommendations for planning and implementing high-quality sexual orientation and gender identity data collection in primary care settings in order to address disparities and care for people within this minority population.
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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Summary Report/Recommendations
This article provides insight and recommendations into how providers and healthcare systems can address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on sexual and gender minority groups by ensuring equitable treatment. Sexual and gender minority populations are an underserved and marginalized demographic that could be affected disproportionately by the social, psychological, financial, physiological, and mental health impacts of COVID-19. The authors provide steps for equitable treatment by healthcare staff, which include: (1) maintain and increase cultural responsiveness training and preparedness for SGM populations, (2) increase use of sexual orientation and gender identity measures in surveillance, (3) conduct research on the impacts of COVID-19 on SGM populations, and (4) include equity-focused initiatives in disaster preparedness plans. These actions toward equity would begin to allow for our current health system to care more appropriately for SGM populations.
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:
Summary Report/Recommendations
To begin bridging the gap in knowledge about COVID-19 risk among sexual minority adults, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention examined disparities between sexual minority and heterosexual adults in the prevalence of underlying conditions with strong or mixed evidence of associations with severe COVID-19-related illness, by using data from the 2017–2019 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Collecting data on sexual orientation in COVID-19 surveillance and other studies would improve knowledge about disparities in infection and adverse outcomes by sexual orientation, thereby informing more equitable responses to the pandemic.