Recommendations to improve maternal health equity among Black women in "The South": A position paper from the SNRS minority health research interest & implementation group.

Black women in the United States experience a higher maternal mortality rate compared to other racial groups. The maternal mortality rate among non-Hispanic Black women is 3.5 times that of non-Hispanic White women and is higher in the South compared to other regions. The majority of pregnancy-related deaths in Black women are deemed to be preventable. Healthy People 2030 directs healthcare providers to advance health equity through societal efforts to address avoidable inequalities, historical and contemporary injustices, and the elimination of health and healthcare disparities. The Southern Nursing Research Society has put forward this position paper to provide recommendations to improve maternal health equity among Black women. Recommendations for nurses, multidisciplinary healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers are discussed.

Regional Workshops to Disseminate Decision Guide to Reduce Potentially Preventable Hospital Transfers: Application of the Diffusion of Innovation Model.

INTRODUCTION: Medically unnecessary, potentially preventable transfers of nursing home (NH) residents to acute care poses multiple risks for residents. Family and resident insistence on these preventable transfers has not been thoroughly addressed in transfer reduction programs. METHODS: The Diffusion of Innovation model guided dissemination of an evidence-based patient decision guide that addressed resident and family insistence on hospital transfer. Twenty workshops were held across eight states of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Region IV. All Medicare-certified NHs in Region IV received emailed invitations to the workshops in their states. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected on workshop attendees, the facilities they represented, and response to the workshop including adoption of the Guide and its effect on hospital readmissions. RESULTS: Altogether, 1124 facility representatives and affiliated professionals attended the workshops. NH administrators rated the program 4.4 out of 5. Of those who responded, 71% said that they were using the Guide as a result of the workshop; 89% of these said that it was helpful, especially to initiate difficult conversations about end-of-life care and to discuss the care a contemporary NH can provide. Readmission rates dropped 30% in the NHs that reported their results. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the Diffusion of Innovation model was effective in delivering information to a large number of facilities in sufficient detail to implement the Decision Guide. However, the workshop format provided little opportunity to respond to concerns that arose after the workshops, to diffuse the innovation further, or to build sustainability.

Cannabinoids and synthetic cannabinoids as a cause of death: Trends and their healthcare implications.

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis remains one of the most widely used illicit substances globally, with 188 million users in 2017. In the United States, nearly 50 million people are reported to have used cannabis in 2020. More research is needed because of the dramatic increase in cannabis use and the perception that its use has minimal risk. DESIGN: The researchers used a retrospective design for this study. METHODS: We used the Florida Department of Law Enforcement data from 2014 to 2020 for this study. We used descriptive statistics to report the characteristics of decedents whose cause of death (COD) was associated with cannabinoid (CB) and synthetic cannabinoid (SC) use. We used a general linear model with repeated measures to examine CB and SC death rate trends. RESULTS: A total of 386 decedents' COD in Florida was associated with CB and SC use. Nearly 28% of decedents were 45-54 years, male (87.8%), and non-Hispanic whites (65.3%). One hundred percent of CB-related decedents died in urban counties. In rural counties, SC decedents accounted for 28.3% of deaths. Of decedents in rural counties, 39.9% were African American. Most decedents (with CB and SC use) died from accidents (98.7%), with 12.6% of cases involving cardiovascular-related illnesses. CONCLUSION: CBs and SCs as a COD pose a legitimate health problem to society. More people ages 45-54 died from CBs and SCs. Drug intoxications (from CBs and SCs) and motor vehicle collisions accounted for most of the accidents reported while under the influence of CBs and SCs. While most decedents from both CBs and SCs were non-Hispanic whites, a substantial proportion of African Americans died from SCs as a COD in rural counties. It is important that the public become aware of the risks for adverse effects of CB and SC. The public needs to be aware that CB and SC use can exacerbate cardiac-related conditions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study has clinical relevance to patient safety. CB and SC use contributes to motor vehicle accidents and can cause adverse effects including death.