Research in the USA on COVID-19's long-term effects: measures needed to ensure black, indigenous and Latinx communities are not left behind.

The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to expose underlying inequities in healthcare for black, indigenous and Latinx communities in the USA. The gaps in equitable care for communities of colour transcend the diagnosis, treatment and vaccinations related to COVID-19. We are experiencing a continued gap across racial and socioeconomic lines for those who suffer prolonged effects of COVID-19, also known as 'Long COVID-19'. What we know about the treatment for Long COVID-19 so far is that it is complex, requires a multidisciplinary approach and there is still much research needed to fully understand the effects. In this paper, we discuss pragmatic considerations for including affected communities, relevant stakeholders, and leaders from communities of colour in the planning and implementation of Long COVID-19 research.

Developing patient-centered outcomes research infrastructure in a rural community through patient and stakeholder engagement and education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to facing numerous healthcare disparities, rural America is chronically underrepresented in clinical research. This gap was made more evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. St Lawrence Health, located in rural Upstate New York, established its Clinical and Rural Health Research Department in 2015 to help close this gap. The research department then launched the DISRUPTS (Developing InfraStructure for Research to Utilize Patient-centered Techniques at St Lawrence Health System) program to build the infrastructure to conduct Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (PCOR). Together with a diverse committee, the team used proven methods and frameworks to develop a model for engagement, content creation, and education delivery that was successfully used to create educational programs on PCOR and COVID-19. The resulting DISRUPTS webinars had a combined total of over 450 live attendees and over 1,110 views on recordings. Furthermore, nearly one-third of those who participated in the COVID-19 vaccines webinar indicated they were more likely to receive a COVID-19 vaccine after taking part. DISRUPTS can serve as an important model for other rural communities that aim to increase access to and engagement in PCOR, and which hope to improve outreach and education efforts in their communities.