Addressing the Community Resource and Social Service Needs of Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives of Home Visiting Staff and Clients in Georgia.

INTRODUCTION: Home visiting programs provide support services to families and their children to promote positive health outcomes. This study sought to describe strategies employed by home visiting programs during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to address the community resource and social service needs of home visiting clients in Georgia. METHODS: We conducted a mixed methods study between December 2020 and April 2021 using online surveys and key informant interviews of home visiting staff and clients from 21 program sites. Structured content analysis was conducted of the triangulated data to elicit thematic findings. RESULTS: Due to the pandemic-induced economic conditions, clients expressed increased demand for housing, employment, and childcare support services. Staff experienced challenges with client referrals to these services because of interruptions in social service availability and transitions to virtual services. In response to these challenges, home visiting programs strengthened existing community partnerships and created new collaborations with local agencies to fill any gaps in services. DISCUSSION: Home visiting programs in Georgia provided critical linkages to community resources for families during the early phase of the pandemic. Preserving this essential home visiting service in future national emergencies will require improved coordination of community resources and social services.

A Qualitative Study of Perceptions, Strengths, and Opportunities in Cardiometabolic Risk Management During Pregnancy and Postpartum in a Georgia Safety-Net Hospital, 2021.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the strong link between cardiometabolic pregnancy complications and future heart disease, there are documented gaps in engaging those who experience such conditions in recommended postpartum follow-up and preventive care. The goal of our study was to understand how people in a Medicaid-insured population perceive and manage risks during and after pregnancy related to an ongoing cardiometabolic disorder. METHODS: We conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with postpartum participants who had a cardiometabolic conditions during pregnancy (chronic or gestational diabetes, chronic or gestational hypertension, or preeclampsia). We recruited postpartum participants from a single safety-net hospital system in Atlanta, Georgia, and conducted virtual interviews during January through May 2021. We conducted a content analysis guided by the Health Belief Model and present themes related to risk management. RESULTS: From the 28 interviews we conducted, we found that during pregnancy, advice and intervention by the clinical care team facilitated management behaviors for high-risk conditions. However, participants described limited understanding of how pregnancy complications might affect future outcomes, and few described engaging in postpartum management behaviors. CONCLUSION: Improving continuity and content of care during postpartum may improve uptake of preventive behaviors among postpartum patients at risk of heart disease.