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Background: The war in Ukraine has posed significant challenges to the healthcare system. This paper draws upon expert consultations, held between December 2022 and February 2023, focused on HIV/AIDS, addiction, and mental health service delivery during the first year of this war, and following the Global Mental Health Humanitarian Coalition panel discussion in May 2022. Objectives: This commentary presents the experiences of frontline healthcare workers in Ukraine, challenges, and local adaptations to meet the increased mental health needs of healthcare providers. We aimed to document the adaptations made in the addiction healthcare system and to acknowledge the changes in vulnerabilities and lessons learned. Results: Burnout among healthcare providers delivering addiction, HIV/AIDS and mental health services became more visible after the second half of 2022. Challenges included increased workload, contextual threats, lack of job relocation strategies, and money-follow-the-patient policies. Recommendations: The lessons from the first year of war in Ukraine hold significant generalizability to other contexts. These include enabling bottom-up approaches to tailoring services and allowing healthcare providers to respond to the dynamics of war in an effective and active manner. Other recommendations include departmental-specific resources and strategies, particularly as vulnerable groups and challenges are unstable in humanitarian contexts. Conclusions: Globally and in Ukraine, healthcare workers need more than applause. Along with monetary incentives, other strategies to prevent burnout, ensure sustainable capacity building, job relocation opportunities, and bespoke adaptations are imperative to protect healthcare providers' wellbeing and overall public health.
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Síndrome da Imunodeficiência Adquirida , Serviços de Saúde Mental , Humanos , Atenção à Saúde , Pessoal de Saúde/psicologia , Saúde Mental , UcrâniaRESUMO
Pregnant people with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have a higher risk of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes compared with pregnant people without COVID-19. In 2021, large increases in maternal mortality were reported in Jamaica, almost half of which were attributable to COVID-19. COVID-19 vaccination has been shown to reduce these risks, but low- and middle-income countries lack free, publicly available data, known as open data, on COVID-19 vaccine uptake for their pregnant populations. The objectives of this paper were to: review how high-income countries use open data to detect trends in COVID-19 vaccine uptake among pregnant people and develop vaccination distribution strategies; outline barriers to making open data available for maternal COVID-19 vaccination in the Caribbean; and propose a multipronged strategy that would increase the availability of open data on maternal COVID-19 vaccination in the Caribbean. A multipronged strategy to fill the data void would involve: (i) utilizing existing Caribbean maternal immunization data collection entities; (ii) adapting digital software tools to establish maternal electronic immunization registries; and (iii) collaborating with local partners skilled in data analytics. Making open data available for COVID-19 vaccine uptake among pregnant people in the Caribbean could offer substantial benefits, including the development of measurable maternal COVID-19 vaccination goals and the facilitation of vaccine decision-making discussions between providers and pregnant people.
Las embarazadas con la enfermedad por coronavirus del 2019 (COVID-19) tienen un mayor riesgo de resultados maternos y fetales adversos que aquellas libres de la enfermedad. En el 2021, en Jamaica se notificó un gran aumento de la mortalidad materna, del cual casi la mitad fue atribuible a la COVID-19. Se ha demostrado que la vacunación contra la COVID-19 reduce tales riesgos, pero los países de ingresos bajos y medianos carecen de datos gratuitos y de carácter público, conocidos como datos abiertos, sobre la aceptación de la vacuna contra la COVID-19 por parte de las mujeres durante el embarazo. Los objetivos del presente artículo consistieron en examinar cómo los países de ingresos altos utilizan los datos abiertos para detectar las tendencias de aceptación de la vacuna contra la COVID-19 entre las mujeres durante el embarazo y formular estrategias de distribución de las vacunas; señalar los obstáculos que dificultan la disponibilidad de los datos abiertos sobre la vacunación materna contra la COVID-19 en el Caribe; y proponer una estrategia múltiple que permita aumentar la disponibilidad de datos abiertos sobre la vacunación materna contra la COVID-19 en el Caribe. Una estrategia múltiple para llenar este vacío de información implicaría: a) utilizar las entidades de recopilación de datos sobre inmunización materna ya existentes en el Caribe; b) adaptar las herramientas informáticas digitales para crear registros electrónicos de vacunación materna; y c) colaborar con asociados locales especializados en el análisis de datos. Facilitar el acceso a los datos abiertos sobre la aceptación de la vacuna contra la COVID-19 entre las mujeres durante el embarazo en el Caribe podría ofrecer beneficios considerables, tales como el establecimiento de objetivos cuantificables en materia de vacunación materna contra la COVID-19, y propiciar las deliberaciones sobre la toma de decisiones en materia de vacunación entre los prestadores de atención de salud y las embarazadas.
Gestantes com a doença pelo coronavírus 2019 (COVID-19) têm maior risco de desfechos maternos e fetais adversos em comparação com gestantes sem COVID-19. Em 2021, foi registrado um aumento acentuado da mortalidade materna na Jamaica, e quase metade era atribuível à COVID-19. Foi demonstrado que a vacinação contra a COVID-19 reduz esses riscos, mas os países de baixa e média renda não dispõem de dados gratuitos e publicamente disponíveis (os chamados dados abertos) sobre a adesão à vacina contra a COVID-19 entre gestantes. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: analisar como os países de alta renda usam dados abertos para detectar tendências na adesão à vacina contra a COVID-19 entre gestantes e desenvolver estratégias de distribuição da vacina; descrever os obstáculos para disponibilizar dados abertos sobre a vacinação materna contra a COVID-19 no Caribe; e propor uma estratégia multifacetada que aumente a disponibilidade de dados abertos sobre a vacinação materna contra a COVID-19 no Caribe. Uma estratégia multifacetada para obter dados a fim de preencher essa lacuna envolveria: (i) utilização das entidades existentes que coletam dados de imunização materna no Caribe; (ii) adaptação de ferramentas de software para estabelecer registros eletrônicos de imunização materna; e (iii) colaboração com parceiros locais especializados em análise de dados. A disponibilização de dados abertos sobre a adesão de gestantes à vacinação contra a COVID-19 no Caribe poderia oferecer benefícios substanciais, incluindo o desenvolvimento de metas mensuráveis de vacinação materna contra a COVID-19, e facilitar discussões entre profissionais de saúde e gestantes para a tomada de decisões sobre vacinas.
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BACKGROUND: Injection drug use and needle sharing remains a public health concern due to the associated risk of HIV, HCV and skin and soft tissue infections. Studies have shown gendered differences in the risk environment of injection drug use, but data are currently limited to smaller urban cohorts. METHODS: To assess the relationship between gender and needle sharing, we analyzed publicly available data from the 2010-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) datasets. Chi-square tests were conducted for descriptive analyses and multivariable logistic regression models were built adjusting for survey year, age, HIV status, and needle source. RESULTS: Among the entire sample, 19.8% reported receptive needle sharing, 18.8% reported distributive sharing of their last needle, and 37.0% reported reuse of their own needle during last injection. In comparison with men, women had 34% increased odds (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.11-1.55) of receptive needle sharing and 67% increased odds (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.41-1.98) of distributive needle sharing. Reuse of one's own needle did not differ by gender. CONCLUSIONS: In this nationally representative sample, we found that women are more likely in comparison with men to share needles both through receptive and distributive means. Expansion of interventions, including syringe service programs, to increase access to sterile injection equipment is of great importance.
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Infecções por HIV , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Humanos , Masculino , Uso Comum de Agulhas e Seringas , Assunção de Riscos , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/epidemiologia , SeringasRESUMO
BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic caused an abrupt disruption in clinical care and medical education, putting patients at increased risk for social stressors and displacing medical students from traditional clerkships. The pandemic also exposed the need for virtual tools to supplement clinical care and an opportunity to create meaningful roles for learners. METHODS: An interdisciplinary group designed a student-led virtual outreach program for patients with HIV whose care was limited by the pandemic. Patients were identified by clinicians and social workers using a clinic-based registry. Students called patients to conduct needs assessments, provide Covid-19 education, and to facilitate connection to services. Students participated in case-based didactics and workshops on motivational interviewing and patient engagement using virtual tools. Facilitated team meetings were held weekly during which themes of calls were identified. RESULTS: During a three-month period, five students participated in the outreach program. Two hundred sixteen patients were identified for outreach calls, of which 174 (75.9%) were successfully reached by telephone. Rate of completed phone call did not differ by age or gender. Sixty patients had a preferred language other than English of which 95.6% were reached in their preferred language. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual proactive outreach can be used as a tool to support patients and engage students in clinical care when access to in-person care is limited. This model of care could be adapted to other ambulatory practices and integrated into pre-clerkship curriculum as an introduction to the social history and structural drivers of health (SDOH) (245/350).
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COVID-19 , Infecções por HIV , Estudantes de Medicina , Centros Médicos Acadêmicos , Boston , Currículo , Infecções por HIV/terapia , Humanos , Pandemias , Projetos PilotoRESUMO
Chronic diseases are complex conditions requiring a range of health professionals to support lifestyle behavior change, with research indicating that interprofessional teams yield the most positive outcomes. Yet, little is known about the factors influencing collaboration between health professionals. This study aims to explore factors influencing interprofessional collaboration in health professionals involved in lifestyle behavior change (psychologists, exercise physiologists, and dietitians). Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a convenience sample of 14 health professionals (four psychologists, seven exercise physiologists, three dietitians), individually or in small groups. Results from thematic analysis highlighted factors influencing collaboration in clinical practice at three levels: Systemic, professional, and client. Subthemes revealed time, financial costs, client consent, attitudes, role understanding, contact with other professions, interpersonal factors, accessibility of services, and profession-specific perspectives influenced collaboration in practice. In addition, psychologists were viewed as useful in specific areas of practice, with some unique barriers identified. The results suggest a need for barriers to interprofessional collaboration to be addressed, such as by co-location, exposure to other health professionals, and direct communication pathways. Implications include possible systemic changes and education to aid interprofessional practice in chronic disease. Further exploration of collaboration in broader professions and sectors, and client factors is recommended.
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Nutricionistas , Comportamento Cooperativo , Pessoal de Saúde , Humanos , Relações Interprofissionais , Pesquisa QualitativaRESUMO
The Dual Motivational Model of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) use intention (DMM) is a new theoretical model recently tested among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United States. The model posits that there are two main motivational pathways to use PrEP: the Protection Motivation Pathway and the Expectancy Motivation Pathway. The Protection Motivation Pathway suggests that the intention to use PrEP is triggered by the desire to protect oneself from HIV, while the Expectancy Motivation Pathway suggests that PrEP use intention is triggered by the expectation to have better sexual experiences on PrEP. Although both motivators have been tested separately, only the DMM of PrEP use intention suggests that both pathways simultaneously influence an individual's intention to use PrEP. We used data from 1078 MSM in Ukraine to test the DMM. Results show that the relationship of the pathways is similar among Ukrainian and American MSM. Potential explanations for minor differences may be related to cultural and contextual differences, and the different trajectories for PrEP roll-out. Successful validation of the DMM for PrEP use intention as a theoretical model suggests that it may be applied to other cultures contemplating PrEP use delivery to target health promotion among high risk MSM.
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Fármacos Anti-HIV/administração & dosagem , Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Homossexualidade Masculina/psicologia , Intenção , Motivação , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição/métodos , Adulto , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Homossexualidade Masculina/etnologia , Humanos , Masculino , Sexo Seguro , Comportamento Sexual , Ucrânia/epidemiologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Older people with human immunodeficiency virus - HIV (OPWH) defined as ≥50 years old account for a growing proportion of newly diagnosed infections in Ukraine (16% in 2018), but the prevalence of substance use disorder among OPWH in Ukraine remains unknown. Ukraine responded to the Covid-19 pandemic with a comprehensive lockdown in late March 2020. Objectives: We conducted a phone survey among 123 OPWH with substance use disorders (SUD) in Kyiv in May 2020 to learn if these older adults may continue HIV and SUD therapy while coping with the Covid-19 pandemic. Results: Data from the survey demonstrated that while OPWH with SUD maintained HIV and SUD therapy throughout Covid-19 lockdown, social support is critical to avoiding treatment interruption for OPWH with SUD. Conclusions/Importance: During reopening, reduction of support may lead to OPWH feeling even more isolated. Post-Covid-19 pharmacological approaches to SUD treatment without social support are like vehicles without gas. The research agenda for OPWH patients with SUD going forward must include determining the type of telehealth support that will be optimally effective to retain OPWH including people who inject drugs (PWID), provision of support by lay health workers, and cost-effectiveness of such interventions. The lessons learned may be relevant to other countries as well.
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Infecções por Coronavirus , Infecções por HIV/terapia , Pandemias , Pneumonia Viral , Retenção nos Cuidados , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/terapia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Antirretrovirais/uso terapêutico , Betacoronavirus , COVID-19 , Comorbidade , Feminino , Infecções por HIV/epidemiologia , Infecções por HIV/psicologia , Pessoal de Saúde , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , SARS-CoV-2 , Isolamento Social , Apoio Social , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/epidemiologia , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Substâncias/psicologia , Inquéritos e Questionários , Ucrânia/epidemiologiaRESUMO
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To describe models of integrated and co-located care for opioid use disorder (OUD), hepatitis C (HCV), and HIV. RECENT FINDINGS: The design and scale-up of multidisciplinary care models that engage, retain, and treat individuals with HIV, HCV, and OUD are critical to preventing continued spread of HIV and HCV. We identified 17 models within primary care (N = 3), HIV specialty care (N = 5), opioid treatment programs (N = 6), transitional clinics (N = 2), and community-based harm reduction programs (N = 1), as well as two emerging models. Key components of such models are the provision of (1) medication-assisted treatment for OUD, (2) HIV and HCV treatment, (3) HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, and (4) behavioral health services. Research is needed to understand differences in effectiveness between co-located and fully integrated care, combat the deleterious racial and ethnic legacies of the "War on Drugs," and inform the delivery of psychiatric care. Increased access to harm reduction services is crucial.
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Infecções por HIV/prevenção & controle , Redução do Dano , Serviços de Saúde , Hepatite C/prevenção & controle , Programas de Troca de Agulhas , Transtornos Relacionados ao Uso de Opioides/terapia , Atenção Primária à Saúde/métodos , HIV , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Hepacivirus , Hepatite C/tratamento farmacológico , Humanos , Profilaxia Pré-Exposição/métodosRESUMO
In Peru, HIV is concentrated among men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW). Between June 2015 and August 2016, 591 HIV-positive MSM and TGW were recruited at five clinical care sites in Lima, Peru. We found that 82.4% of the participants had achieved viral suppression (VS; VL < 200) and 73.6% had achieved maximal viral suppression (MVS; VL < 50). Multivariable modeling indicated that patients reporting transportation as a barrier to HIV care were less likely to achieve VS (aOR = 0.47; 95% CI = 0.30-0.75) and MVS (aOR = 0.56; 95% CI = 0.37-0.84). Alcohol use disorders were negatively associated with MVS (aOR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.30-0.75) and age was positively associated with achieving MVS (aOR = 1.29; 95% CI = 1.04-1.59). These findings underscore the need for more accessible HIV care with integrated behavioral health services in Lima, Peru.
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Infecções por HIV/virologia , Homossexualidade Masculina , Pessoas Transgênero , Carga Viral , Adulto , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , PeruRESUMO
Breastfeeding has been shown to benefit infants and mothers. Women who have caesarean deliveries (C-sections) are expected to be less likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding than those who have vaginal deliveries. Given the high rate of C-sections in Nicaragua, the importance of breastfeeding, and the centrality of culture in choices about breastfeeding, this study sought to examine if mode of delivery relates with breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity in Nicaragua. Two hundred fifty mothers were surveyed about birth experiences and breastfeeding behaviour in 3 public clinics in León, Nicaragua, between June and August 2015. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the association of mode of delivery with initiation of breastfeeding within 1 hr of birth (early initiation) and exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months post-partum. The rate of early initiation was 68.8% and that of exclusively breastfeeding for 6 months was 12.7%. Mode of delivery was not significantly associated with early initiation (p = .383) or exclusive breastfeeding (p = .518). Early initiation was negatively associated with prelacteal feeding, AOR = 0.30, 95% CI [0.16, 0.58]; p = .001. Mothers who had perceived their infants as large at birth were significantly less likely to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, AOR (95%CI) = 0.25 (0.06-0.97); p = 0.046. Mode of delivery was not significantly associated with optimal breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity among mothers in Nicaragua. The 2 risk factors identified for delayed initiation of breastfeeding and lack of exclusive breastfeeding were prelacteal feeding and maternal perception of a large infant at birth, respectively.
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Aleitamento Materno , Cesárea/efeitos adversos , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Nutrição do Lactente , Mães , Saúde da População Urbana , Adulto , Peso ao Nascer , Alimentação com Mamadeira/etnologia , Aleitamento Materno/etnologia , Estudos Transversais , Autoavaliação Diagnóstica , Métodos de Alimentação , Feminino , Conhecimentos, Atitudes e Prática em Saúde/etnologia , Humanos , Fenômenos Fisiológicos da Nutrição do Lactente/etnologia , Recém-Nascido , Transtornos da Lactação/diagnóstico , Transtornos da Lactação/etnologia , Transtornos da Lactação/etiologia , Transtornos da Lactação/fisiopatologia , Masculino , Nicarágua , Inquéritos Nutricionais , Gravidez , Atenção Primária à Saúde , Pesquisa Qualitativa , Estudos Retrospectivos , Saúde da População Urbana/etnologiaRESUMO
In the past few decades, neuropathology has experienced several paradigm shifts with the introduction of new technologies. Deep learning, a rapidly progressing subfield of machine learning, seems to be the next innovation to alter the diagnostic workflow. In this review, we will explore the recent changes in the field of neuropathology and how this has led to an increased focus on molecular features in diagnosis and prognosis. Then, we will examine the work carried out to train deep learning models for various diagnostic tasks in neuropathology, as well as the machine learning frameworks they used. Focus will be given to both the challenges and successes highlighted therein, as well as what these trends may tell us about future roadblocks in the widespread adoption of this new technology. Finally, we will touch on recent trends in deep learning, as applied to digital pathology more generally, and what this may tell us about the future of deep learning applications in neuropathology.
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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected congregate care (CC) facilities due to communal living, presence of vulnerable populations, inadequate preventive resources, and limited ability to respond to the pandemic's rapidly evolving phases. Most facilities function independently and are not organized for collaborative learning and operations. Methods: We formed a learning health system of CC facilities in our 14-county metropolitan region, coordinated with public health and health care sectors, to address challenges driven by COVID-19. A CC steering committee (SC) was formed that represented diverse institutions and viewpoints, including skilled nursing facilities, transitional care facilities, residential facilities, prisons, and shelters. The SC met regularly and was guided by situational awareness and systems thinking. A regional CC COVID-19 dashboard was developed based on publicly available data and weekly data submitted by participating facilities. Those experiencing outbreaks or supply shortages were quickly identified. As the pandemic progressed, the role of the SC shifted to address new and forecasted needs. Results: Over 60 facilities participated in data sharing. The SC shared new guidelines, regulations, educational material, and best practices with the participating facilities. Information about testing sites, supplies, vaccination rollout, and facilities that had the capacity to accept COVID-19 patients was regularly disseminated. The SC was able to direct resources to those facilities experiencing outbreaks or supply shortages. Conclusions: A novel learning health system of regional CC facilities enabled preparedness, situational awareness, collaboration, and rapid dissemination of best practices across pandemic phases. Such collaborative efforts can play an important role in addressing other public and preventive health challenges.
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In clinical oncology, many diagnostic tasks rely on the identification of cells in histopathology images. While supervised machine learning techniques necessitate the need for labels, providing manual cell annotations is time-consuming. In this paper, we propose a self-supervised framework (enVironment-aware cOntrastive cell represenTation learning: VOLTA) for cell representation learning in histopathology images using a technique that accounts for the cell's mutual relationship with its environment. We subject our model to extensive experiments on data collected from multiple institutions comprising over 800,000 cells and six cancer types. To showcase the potential of our proposed framework, we apply VOLTA to ovarian and endometrial cancers and demonstrate that our cell representations can be utilized to identify the known histotypes of ovarian cancer and provide insights that link histopathology and molecular subtypes of endometrial cancer. Unlike supervised models, we provide a framework that can empower discoveries without any annotation data, even in situations where sample sizes are limited.
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Neoplasias do Endométrio , Neoplasias Ovarianas , Humanos , Feminino , Neoplasias do Endométrio/patologia , Neoplasias Ovarianas/patologia , Aprendizado de Máquina , Aprendizado de Máquina Supervisionado , Algoritmos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador/métodosRESUMO
Medical Complications of Injection Drug Use - Part IIDuring the past 2 decades, the risk of death, as well as the prevalence of hospitalizations in the United States, has increased substantially among people who inject drugs, mainly because of the opioid epidemic. In Part Two of this two-part review, the authors review complications observed in people who inject drugs and strategies to reduce harm.
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Epidemias , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa , Humanos , Estados Unidos , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/complicações , Analgésicos Opioides , PrevalênciaRESUMO
Medical Complications of Injection Drug Use - Part IDuring the past 2 decades, the risk of death and the prevalence of hospitalizations in the United States have increased substantially among people who inject drugs, in large part because of the opioid epidemic. This article reviews the complications observed in people who inject drugs as well as strategies to reduce harm.
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Epidemias , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa , Humanos , Estados Unidos , Abuso de Substâncias por Via Intravenosa/complicações , Analgésicos Opioides , PrevalênciaRESUMO
Background and Aims: Individuals who are incarcerated often have limited access to first-line treatment and comprehensive health care. In this study, we aimed to compare the frequency of readmissions among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) receiving care at a community hospital who were and were not incarcerated at the time of hospitalization. Methods: We analyzed records from Lemuel Shattuck Hospital for all patients admitted between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2019. Patients with IBD were identified using International Classification of Diseases codes. The primary outcome was all-cause readmission at 1 year following an IBD-related admission. Secondary outcomes were (1) all-cause readmission at 30 days, (2) IBD-related readmission at 30 days, and (3) IBD-related readmission at 1 year. Our indicator of interest was incarceration. Multivariable logistic regression models were built to describe predictors of all-cause readmissions at 1 year. Results: Among the 6511 individuals hospitalized at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital between 2011 and 2019, 90 individuals (1.4%) had International Classification of Diseases codes for IBD, either ulcerative colitis (n = 44) and/or Crohn's disease (n = 39). Half (n = 46) of patients with IBD were incarcerated during hospital admission. Individuals who were incarcerated had a higher rate of all-cause readmissions at 1 year than those who were not incarcerated at the time of hospitalization (76.0% vs 41.5%, P = .005). Multivariable analysis showed patients who were incarcerated had 3.98 (95% confidence interval: 1.39-12.78) increased odds of all-cause readmission within 1 year. Conclusion: Our results suggest individuals with IBD who are incarcerated may experience worse health outcomes than individuals who are not incarcerated, adding to a body of literature documenting the negative impact of incarceration on health.
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Importance: Substantial racial inequities exist across the HIV care continuum between non-Hispanic Black and White men who have sex with men (MSM) in the US. Objectives: To project years of life gained (YLG) with improving the HIV care continuum among Black MSM and White MSM in the US and to determine the outcomes of achieving health equity goals. Design, Setting, and Participants: The Cost-Effectiveness of Preventing AIDS Complications microsimulation model was used and populated with 2021 race-specific data to simulate HIV care among Black MSM and White MSM in the US who have acquired HIV. Analyses were completed from July 2021 to October 2023. Intervention: The study simulated status quo care using race-specific estimates: age at infection, time to diagnosis, receipt of care, and virologic suppression. The study next projected the outcomes of attaining equity-centered vs non-equity-centered goals by simulating 2 equal improvements in care goals: (10-point increased receipt of care and 5-point increased virologic suppression), 3 equity-centered goals (annual HIV testing, 95% receiving HIV care, and 95% virologic suppression) and lastly, an equitable care continuum that achieves annual HIV testing, 95% receiving care, and 95% virologic suppression in Black MSM and White MSM. One-way and multiway sensitivity and scenario analyses were conducted. Main Outcomes and Measures: Mean age at death and YLG. Results: In the simulated cohort, the mean (SD) age at HIV infection was 27.0 (10.8) years for Black MSM and 35.5 (13.6) years for White MSM. In status quo, mean age at death would be 68.8 years for Black MSM and 75.6 years for White MSM. The equal improvements in care goals would result in 0.5 YLG for Black MSM and 0.5 to 0.9 YLG for White MSM. Achieving any 1 equity-centered goal would result in 0.5 to 1.7 YLG for Black MSM and 0.4 to 1.3 YLG for White MSM. With an equitable care continuum compared with the nationally reported status quo, Black MSM and White MSM would gain 3.5 and 2.1 life-years, respectively. If the status quo HIV testing was every 6 years with 75% retained in care and 75% virologically suppressed, Black MSM would gain 4.2 life-years with an equitable care continuum. Conclusions and Relevance: In this simulation modeling study of HIV care goals, equal improvements in HIV care for Black and White MSM maintained or worsened inequities. These results suggest that equity-centered goals for the HIV care continuum are critical to mitigate long-standing inequities in HIV outcomes.
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Infecções por HIV , Minorias Sexuais e de Gênero , Masculino , Humanos , Infecções por HIV/tratamento farmacológico , Homossexualidade Masculina , Brancos , Expectativa de VidaRESUMO
As a group of medical professionals, faith-community leaders, and jail staff, we launched a COVID-19 vaccine Q&A initiative across Massachusetts county jails to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake among detained individuals. Here we describe the lessons learned in developing and implementing this initiative.
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COVID-19 , Prisioneiros , COVID-19/prevenção & controle , Vacinas contra COVID-19 , Humanos , Prisões Locais , MassachusettsRESUMO
Ukraine imposed a COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. From April to June 2020, we surveyed 123 older people with HIV (OPWH) by phone to assess their mental health, engagement in HIV and other healthcare, and substance use using standardised scales. Variables of key interest were symptoms of depression and symptoms of anxiety. Univariate and multivariable Firth logistic regression models were built to assess factors associated with: (1) symptoms of depression, and (2) symptoms of anxiety. Findings indicated high suicidal ideation (10.6%); 45.5% met the screening criteria for moderate to severe depression; and 35.0% met the criteria for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD). Independent correlates of having moderate to severe depression included being female (AOR: 2.83, 95%CI = 1.19-7.05), having concerns about potential barriers to HIV treatment (AOR: 8.90, 95%CI = 1.31-104.94), and active drug use (AOR: 34.53, 95%CI = 3.02-4885.85). Being female (AOR: 5.30, 95%CI = 2.16-14.30) and having concerns about potential barriers to HIV treatment (AOR: 5.33, 95%CI = 1.22-28.45) were independently correlated with GAD, and over half (58.5%) were willing to provide peer support to other OPWH. These results highlight the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions in Ukraine on mental health for OPWH and support the need to screen for psychiatric and substance use disorders, potentially using telehealth strategies.