Establishing a SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Drive-Through Collection Site: A Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership With a Federally Qualified Health Center.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected underserved and minority populations in the United States. This is partially attributable to limited access to diagnostic testing from deeply rooted structural inequities precipitating higher infection and mortality rates. We describe the process of establishing a drive-through collection site by leveraging an academic-community partnership between a medical institution and a federally qualified health center in Minnesota. Over 10 weeks, 2006 COVID-19 tests were provided to a socioeconomically disadvantaged population of racial/ethnic minorities and low-income essential workers.

The Role of Social Media in Enhancing Clinical Trial Recruitment: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Recruiting participants into clinical trials continues to be a challenge, which can result in study delay or termination. Recent studies have used social media to enhance recruitment outcomes. An assessment of the literature on the use of social media for this purpose is required. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to answer the following questions: (1) How is the use of social media, in combination with traditional approaches to enhance clinical trial recruitment and enrollment, represented in the literature? and (2) Do the data on recruitment and enrollment outcomes presented in the literature allow for comparison across studies? METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature search across 7 platforms to identify clinical trials that combined social media and traditional methods to recruit patients. Study and participant characteristics, recruitment methods, and recruitment outcomes were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: We identified 2371 titles and abstracts through our systematic search. Of these, we assessed 95 full papers and determined that 33 studies met the inclusion criteria. A total of 17 studies reported enrollment outcomes, of which 9 achieved or exceeded their enrollment target. The proportion of participants enrolled from social media in these studies ranged from 0% to 49%. Across all 33 studies, the proportion of participants recruited and enrolled from social media varied greatly. A total of 9 studies reported higher enrollment rates from social media than any other methods, and 4 studies reported the lowest cost per enrolled participant from social media. CONCLUSIONS: While the assessment of the use of social media to improve clinical trial participation is hindered by reporting inconsistencies, preliminary data suggest that social media can increase participation and reduce per-participant cost. The adoption of consistent standards for reporting recruitment and enrollment outcomes is required to advance our understanding and use of social media to support clinical trial success.

Emergency Preparedness and Risk Communication Among African American Churches: Leveraging a Community-Based Participatory Research Partnership COVID-19 Initiative.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis has disproportionately affected the African American population. To mitigate the disparities, we deployed an emergency preparedness strategy within an existing community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership among African American churches to disseminate accurate COVID-19 information. We used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication framework to conduct a needs assessment, distribute emergency preparedness manuals, and deliver COVID-19-related messaging among African American churches via electronic communication platforms. A needs assessment showed that the top 3 church emergency resource needs were financial support, food and utilities, and COVID-19 health information. During an 8-week period (April 3-May 31, 2020), we equipped 120 churches with emergency preparedness manuals and delivered 230 messages via social media (Facebook) and email. For reach, we estimated that 6,539 unique persons viewed content on the Facebook page, and for engagement, we found 1,260 interactions (eg, likes, loves, comments, shares, video views, post clicks). Emails from community communication leaders reached an estimated 12,000 church members. CBPR partnerships can be effectively leveraged to promote emergency preparedness and communicate risk among under-resourced communities during a pandemic.

Club Fit: Development of a Physical Activity and Healthy Eating Intervention at a Boys & Girls Club After School Program.

Children and adolescents from minority and low income backgrounds face social and environmental challenges to engaging in physical activity and healthy eating to maintain a healthy weight. In this study, we present pilot work to develop and implement a multi-component physical activity and healthy eating intervention at a Boys & Girls Club (BGC) afterschool program. Using a community-based participatory approach, BGC staff and academic researchers developed intervention components informed by formative studies and based on a Social Ecological Theory framework. Components included healthy eating and physical activity policy implementation, staff training, a challenge and self-monitoring program for healthy behaviors, a peer-coaching program for healthy behaviors, and a social marketing campaign. We assessed pilot feasibility through a single group, pre-post study design with measures collected at baseline and 6 months. The sample included 61 children with a mean age of 10.4 years. Mean (SD) body mass index (BMI) percentile was 72.8 (28.9); 47.5% were in the healthy weight range for their age. We found statistically significant improvements of self-efficacy and motivation for physical activity. Self-efficacy and motivation for fruit and vegetable consumption, sugary beverage consumption, and screen time improved but were not statistically different from baseline. We found no improvements of perceived social support, objectively measured physical activity, or self-reported dietary quality. Though BMI did not improve overall, a dose effect was observed such that attendance in Club Fit specific programming was significantly correlated with decreased BMI z scores. Processes and products from this study may be helpful to other communities aiming to address childhood obesity prevention through afterschool programs.

Multimedia Appendix Correction: Technological Innovations in Disease Management: Text Mining US Patent Data From 1995 to 2017.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2196/13316.].

Technological Innovations in Disease Management: Text Mining US Patent Data From 1995 to 2017.

BACKGROUND: Patents are important intellectual property protecting technological innovations that inspire efficient research and development in biomedicine. The number of awarded patents serves as an important indicator of economic growth and technological innovation. Researchers have mined patents to characterize the focuses and trends of technological innovations in many fields. OBJECTIVE: To expand patent mining to biomedicine and facilitate future resource allocation in biomedical research for the United States, we analyzed US patent documents to determine the focuses and trends of protected technological innovations across the entire disease landscape. METHODS: We analyzed more than 5 million US patent documents between 1995 and 2017, using summary statistics and dynamic topic modeling. More specifically, we investigated the disease coverage and latent topics in patent documents over time. We also incorporated the patent data into the calculation of our recently developed Research Opportunity Index (ROI) and Public Health Index (PHI), to recalibrate the resource allocation in biomedical research. RESULTS: Our analysis showed that protected technological innovations have been primarily focused on socioeconomically critical diseases such as "other cancers" (malignant neoplasm of head, face, neck, abdomen, pelvis, or limb; disseminated malignant neoplasm; Merkel cell carcinoma; and malignant neoplasm, malignant carcinoid tumors, neuroendocrine tumor, and carcinoma in situ of an unspecified site), diabetes mellitus, and obesity. The United States has significantly improved resource allocation to biomedical research and development over the past 17 years, as illustrated by the decreasing PHI. Diseases with positive ROI, such as ankle and foot fracture, indicate potential research opportunities for the future. Development of novel chemical or biological drugs and electrical devices for diagnosis and disease management is the dominating topic in patented inventions. CONCLUSIONS: This multifaceted analysis of patent documents provides a deep understanding of the focuses and trends of technological innovations in disease management in patents. Our findings offer insights into future research and innovation opportunities and provide actionable information to facilitate policy makers, payers, and investors to make better evidence-based decisions regarding resource allocation in biomedicine.

Skill Sets for Family Members and Friends to Help Motivate a Smoker to Seek Treatment: Research to Practice.

Translation of effective behavioral interventions is a key challenge for the addictions treatment field. With the goal of disseminating an effective behavioral intervention to practice, this narrative study describes tobacco cessation coaches' skills sets and provides an illustrative case study of a 1-session phone intervention between a coach and a concerned family member who wants to help their smoker quit. Delivered through a quitline by quitline coaches, the intervention consisted of a 15-30 minute phone session and written materials. The goal of the intervention was for family members and friends (support persons) to encourage their smoker to use a quitline. Data were collected from transcripts of 193 audiotapes of the one session phone intervention from a previous trial (Patten et al., In Print). Using content analysis, major themes regarding barriers and challenges within the sessions and coaches' solutions assisted in selecting case study illustrating the dialogue between a coach and a support person, as well as demonstrating the coaches' skill sets used to deliver the session. In addition, the barriers and challenges among support persons (i.e., uncertainty about how to approach the smoke, the smoker is not ready to quit) and the coaches' responses and suggestions are illustrated. These types of data could be useful to clinicians, providers and others interested in implementing a behavioral intervention for nonsmokers who want to support a smoker to quit.

Supervised, Vigorous Intensity Exercise Intervention for Depressed Female Smokers: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Few studies have evaluated exercise interventions for smokers with depression or other psychiatric comorbidities. This pilot study evaluated the potential role of supervised vigorous exercise as a smoking cessation intervention for depressed females. METHODS: Thirty adult women with moderate-severe depressive symptoms were enrolled and randomly assigned to 12 weeks of thrice weekly, in person sessions of vigorous intensity supervised exercise at a YMCA setting (EX; n = 15) or health education (HE; n = 15). All participants received behavioral smoking cessation counseling and nicotine patch therapy. Assessments were done in person at baseline, at the end of 12 weeks of treatment, and at 6 months post-target quit date. Primary end points were exercise adherence (proportion of 36 sessions attended) and biochemically confirmed 7-day point prevalence abstinence at Week 12. Biomarkers of inflammation were explored for differences between treatment groups and between women who smoked and those abstinent at Week 12. RESULTS: Treatment adherence was high for both groups (72% for EX and 66% for HE; p = .55). The Week 12 smoking abstinence rate was higher for EX than HE (11/15 [73%] vs. 5/15 [33%]; p = .028), but no significant differences emerged at 6-month follow-up. Interleukin-6 levels increased more for those smoking than women abstinent at Week 12 (p = .040). CONCLUSIONS: Vigorous intensity supervised exercise is feasible and enhances short-term smoking cessation among depressed female smokers. Innovative and cost-effective strategies to bolster long-term exercise adherence and smoking cessation need evaluation in this population. Inflammatory biomarkers could be examined in future research as mediators of treatment efficacy. IMPLICATIONS: This preliminary study found that vigorous intensity supervised exercise is feasible and enhances short-term smoking cessation among depressed female smokers. This research addressed an important gap in the field. Despite decades of research examining exercise interventions for smoking cessation, few studies were done among depressed smokers or those with comorbid psychiatric disorders. A novel finding was increases in levels of a pro-inflammatory biomarker observed among women who smoked at the end of the intervention compared to those who did not.

Linking smokers to a quitline: randomized controlled effectiveness trial of a support person intervention that targets non-smokers.

Evidence-based treatments (e.g. quitlines) are greatly underutilized by smokers limiting their public health impact. A three-session phone intervention for nonsmoking family members and friends (i.e. support persons) was successful for increasing smoker quitline enrollment. To enhance the intervention's potential translatability, in this study, we delivered treatment for the non-smoker within ongoing quitline services and compared the efficacy of the three-call intervention to a streamlined version (one call). A total of 704 adult non-smokers (85% female, 95% White) wanting to help a smoker quit and recruited statewide in Minnesota participated in this randomized controlled trial with parallel groups. Non-smokers received mailed written materials and were randomly assigned to a control condition (no additional treatment, n = 235), or to a one- (n = 233) or three-call (n = 236) intervention delivered by quitline coaches. The main outcome was smoker quitline enrollment through 7-month follow-up. Smoker quitline enrollment was similar for those linked to non-smokers in the one- and three-call interventions (14.6% [34/233] and 14.8% [35/236]), and higher than for smokers linked to control participants (6.4% [15/235]), P = 0.006. Just one quitline coaching call delivered to non-smokers increased treatment enrollment among smokers. The reach of quitlines could be enhanced by targeting the social support network of smokers.

Employment Status as an Indicator of Recovery and Function One Year after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

Employment after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is an indicator of post-transplantation recovery and function, with economic and social implications. As survival rates for HSCT continue to improve, greater emphasis can be placed on factors affecting the quality of post-transplantation survival, including the ability to resume employment. A sample of recipients of autologous or allogeneic HSCT was accrued (n = 1000) to complete a longitudinal lifestyle survey before transplantation and at 1 year after transplantation. The present study examines associations between employment and patient characteristics, disease variables, illness status, and quality of life among 1-year survivors (n = 702). Participants had a mean age of 55 years (range, 18 to 78) and were predominately male (59.7%), married/partnered (77.1%), and non-Hispanic Caucasian (89.5%); most (79.4%) had received autologous transplantation. Of the 690 participants reporting some form of employment before illness diagnosis, 62.4% had returned to work by 1 year after HSCT. Full-time employment at 1 year after HSCT was significantly associated with remission of illness, improved illness, fewer post-transplantation hospitalizations, less fatigue and pain, higher quality of life, and higher rating of perceived health. Those unemployed because of their health reported the highest rates of fatigue and pain and lowest quality of life, and they were most likely to report poor perceived health. These findings highlight work reintegration as an important outcome and marker of survivors' overall adjustment after transplantation. Identifying factors affecting post-transplantation employment offers opportunities for behavioral interventions to target modifiable risk factors to optimize post-transplantation survivorship, inclusive of increased rates of return to work and decreased rates of associated disability.

Stories for change: development of a diabetes digital storytelling intervention for refugees and immigrants to minnesota using qualitative methods.

BACKGROUND: Immigrants and refugees are affected by diabetes-related health disparities, with higher rates of incident diabetes and sub-optimal diabetes outcomes. Digital storytelling interventions for chronic diseases, such as diabetes may be especially powerful among immigrants because often limited English proficiency minimizes access to and affects the applicability of the existing health education opportunities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR), whereby community members and academia partner in an equitable relationship through all phases of the research, is an intuitive approach to develop these interventions. The main objective of this study was to develop a diabetes digital storytelling intervention with and for immigrant and refugee populations. METHODS: We used a CBPR approach to develop a diabetes digital storytelling intervention with and for immigrant and refugee Somali and Latino communities. Building on an established CBPR partnership, we conducted focus groups among community members with type II diabetes for a dual purpose: 1) to inform the intervention as it related to four domains of diabetes self-management (medication management, glucose self-monitoring, physical activity, and nutrition); 2) to identify champion storytellers for the intervention development. Eight participants attended a facilitated workshop for the creation of the digital stories. RESULTS: Each of the eight storytellers, from the Somali and Latino communities with diabetes (four from each group), created a powerful and compelling story about their struggles and accomplishments related to the four domains of diabetes self-management. CONCLUSIONS: This report is on a systematic, participatory process for the successful development of a diabetes storytelling intervention for Somali and Latino adults. Processes and products from this work may inform the work of other CBPR partnerships.

Tobacco cessation treatment for Alaska native adolescents: group randomized pilot trial.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco cessation treatments have not been evaluated among Alaska Native (AN) adolescents. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and the potential efficacy of a targeted cessation intervention for AN youth using a group randomized design. METHODS: Eight villages in western Alaska were randomly assigned to receive the intervention (n = 4 villages) or a delayed treatment control condition (written materials only; n = 4 villages). Ten adolescents aged 12-17 years were targeted from each village with a planned enrollment of 80. The intervention was held over a weekend, and youth traveled from their villages to quit tobacco use with other teens. The intervention comprised 8 hr of group-based counseling. Talking circles, personal stories from elders, and recreational activities were included to enhance cultural acceptability and participation. Newsletters were mailed weekly for 5-weeks postprogram. Assessments were conducted at baseline, week 6 (end-of-treatment), and 6 months. Self-reported tobacco abstinence was confirmed with salivary cotinine. RESULTS: Recruitment targets were met in the intervention (41 enrolled) but not in control villages (27 enrolled). All intervention participants attended the weekend program. Retention was high; 98% of intervention and 86% of control participants completed 6-month follow-up. The 7-day point-prevalence self-reported tobacco abstinence rates for intervention and control participants were 10% (4/41) and 0% (0/27) at both week 6 and 6 months (p = .15). Only 1 adolescent in the intervention condition was biochemically confirmed abstinent at week 6 and none at 6 months. CONCLUSION: The intensive individual-focused intervention used in this study was feasible but not effective for tobacco cessation among AN youth. Alternative approaches are warranted.

Demographics and Social Factors Associated With Persistent Nonuse of Video Appointments at a Multisite Health Care Institution: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 outbreak, video appointments became a popular method for health care delivery, particularly in the early stages of the pandemic. Although Mayo Clinic aimed to reduce face-to-face (F2F) appointments to prevent the spread of the virus, some patients continued seeing their health care providers in person. In the later stages of the pandemic, many patients became comfortable with video appointments, even if they were initially hesitant. However, a subset of patients continued to avoid video appointments. It is not yet clear what sociodemographic factors may be associated with this group of patients. OBJECTIVE: This cross-sectional study aimed to examine demographic and social determinant of health (SDoH) factors associated with persistent nonusers of video appointments among a sample of patients within a multistate health care organization. We also explored patient beliefs about the use of video for health care appointments. METHODS: We conducted a 1-time cross-sectional paper survey, mailed between July and December 2022, of patients matching the eligibility criteria: (1) aged ≥18 years as of April 2020, (2) Mayo Clinic Midwest, Florida, or Arizona patient, (3) did not use video appointment services during April-December 2020 but attended F2F appointments in the departments of primary care and psychiatry/psychology. The survey asked patients, "Have you ever had a video appointment with a healthcare provider?" "Yes" respondents were defined as "users" (adapted to video appointments), and "no" respondents were defined as "persistent nonusers" of video appointments. We analyzed demographics, SDoH, and patient beliefs toward video appointments in 2 groups: persistent nonusers of video appointments and users. We used chi-square and 2-tailed t tests for analysis. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that patients who were older, lived in rural areas, sought care at Mayo Clinic Midwest, and did not have access to the patient portal system were likely to be persistent nonusers of video appointments. Only 1 SDoH factor (not having a disability, handicap, or chronic disease) was associated with persistent nonuse of video appointments. Persistent nonusers of video appointments held personal beliefs such as discomfort with video communication, difficulty interpreting nonverbal cues, and personal preference for F2F appointments over video. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identified demographic (older age and rural residence), sociodemographic factors (not having a disability, handicap, or chronic disease), and personal beliefs associated with patients' decisions to choose between video versus F2F appointments for health care delivery. Health care institutions should assess patients' negative attitudes toward technology prior to introducing them to digital health care services. Failing to do so may result in its restricted usage, negative patient experience, and wasted resources. For patients who hold negative beliefs about technology but are willing to learn, a "digital health coordinator" could be assigned to assist with various digital health solutions.

Receptivity and preferences of pancreatic cancer family members for participating in lifestyle programs to reduce cancer risk.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is a shared family experience that might provide an opportunity for lifestyle change among at-risk family members. The purpose of this study was to assess receptivity and preferences for cancer risk reduction programs among at-risk family members with two or more relatives affected with pancreas cancer. METHODS: We surveyed 401 at-risk family members in an existing pancreatic cancer family registry. Participants completed a mailed survey which examined demographic, medical, and psychosocial correlates of willingness to participate in lifestyle cancer risk reduction programs. Multivariable generalized estimating equation approaches were used to model preferences. RESULTS: Overall, 85% (n = 342) of at-risk family members were receptive to lifestyle cancer risk reduction programs. Participant preferred programs focused on nutrition (36%, n = 116) and weight management (33%, n = 108), with Web/Internet (46%, n = 157) being the most preferred delivery channel. Most respondents preferred to participate in programs with their family or friends (74%, n = 182), rather than alone (25%, n = 85). In multivariable analysis, younger age (p = 0.008) and higher perceived likelihood of developing cancer (p = 0.03) were associated with willingness to participate in lifestyle programs. CONCLUSIONS: Family members of those with pancreatic cancer are receptive to cancer risk reduction programs focusing on nutrition and weight management delivered via the internet. Further research is indicated to determine how to best incorporate a family-based approach when designing lifestyle intervention programs.

Development of a tobacco cessation intervention for Alaska Native youth.

Tobacco cessation treatments have not been evaluated among Alaska Native (AN) adolescents. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of a targeted cessation intervention developed for AN youth. Intervention components were informed by prior focus groups assessing treatment preferences among AN youth, a social cognitive theoretical framework and feedback obtained from a teen advisory group. The intervention consisted of a weekend program where youth traveled by small airplane from their villages to stay overnight with other adolescents who quit tobacco use together. The program included recreational activities, talking circles, personal stories from elders and teen advisors, and cognitive behavioral counseling. Two intervention pilots were conducted from October 2010 to January 2011 using a non-randomized, uncontrolled study design with assessments at baseline and six-week follow-up. One village in Western Alaska was selected for each pilot with a targeted enrollment of 10 adolescents each. Participants were recruited for each pilot within five days, but recruitment challenges and ''lessons learned'' are described. The first pilot enrolled nine adolescents (all female) aged 13-16 years; all nine attended the intervention program and 78% (7/9) completed follow-up. The second pilot enrolled 12 adolescents (eight females, four males) aged 12-17 years, of which seven attended the intervention program. Six of these seven participants (86%) completed follow-up. In both pilots, participants rated the intervention as highly acceptable. A targeted cessation intervention was feasible and acceptable to AN youth. The intervention will be tested for efficacy in a subsequent randomized controlled trial.

Community engagement strategies to promote recruitment and participation in clinical research among rural communities: A narrative review.

Residents of rural areas are underrepresented in research. The aim of this narrative review was to explore studies describing the effectiveness of community engagement strategies with rural communities to promote participant recruitment and participation in clinical research. Following PRISMA guidelines, this narrative review was conducted in June 2020. Our search strategy was built around keywords that included community-engaged research, rural community, and recruitment strategies into clinical research. Content-related descriptive statistics were summarized. The selected articles were distributed into categories of levels of community engagement: inform, consult, involve, collaborate, or co-lead. The search resulted in 2,473 identified studies of which forty-eight met inclusion criteria. Of these, 47.1% were randomized controlled trials. The most common levels of engagement were consultation (n = 24 studies) and collaboration (n = 15), while very few focused on informing (n = 2) and co-leadership (n = 2). Strategies, limitations, and findings are discussed for each level of community engagement. This narrative addressed a gap in knowledge regarding participant recruitment in rural communities in relation to assistance from community members. Community engagement contributed to the success of the research, especially in recruitment, participation, and building trust and partnership.

Factors Associated With COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Among Patients Receiving Care at a Federally Qualified Health Center.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the United States is high, with at least 63 million unvaccinated individuals to date. Socioeconomically disadvantaged populations experience lower COVID-19 vaccination rates despite facing a disproportionate COVID-19 burden. OBJECTIVE: To assess the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among under-resourced, adult patients. METHODS: Participants were patients receiving care at a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in St. Paul, Minnesota. Data were collected via multiple modes over 2 phases in 2020 (self-administered electronic survey) and 2021 (study team-administered survey by telephone, self-administered written survey) to promote diversity and inclusion for study participation. The primary outcome was COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. Using logistic regression analysis, associations between vaccine acceptance and factors including risk perception, concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine, social determinants of health (SDOH), co-morbidities, pandemic-induced hardships, and stress were assessed by adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: One hundred sixty-eight patients (62.5% female; mean age [SD]: 49.9 [17.4] years; 32% <$20 000 annual household income; 69%

Use of Live Community Events on Facebook to Share Health and Clinical Research Information With a Minnesota Statewide Community: Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Community engagement can make a substantial difference in health outcomes and strengthen the capacity to deal with disruptive public health events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Social media platforms such as Facebook are a promising avenue to reach the broader public and enhance access to clinical and translational science, and require further evaluation from the scientific community. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to describe the use of live community events to enhance communication about clinical and health research through a Facebook platform case study (Minnesota [MN] Research Link) with a Minnesota statewide community. We examined variables associated with video engagement including video length and type of posting. METHODS: From June 2019 to February 2021, MN Research Link streamed 38 live community events on its public Facebook page, MN Research Link. Live community events highlighted different investigators' clinical and health research in the areas of mental health, health and wellness, chronic diseases, and immunology/infectious diseases. Facebook analytics were used to determine the number of views, total minutes viewed, engagement metrics, and audience retention. An engagement rate was calculated by the total number of interactions (likes, shares, and comments) divided by the total length of the live event by the type of live community event. RESULTS: The 38 live community events averaged 23 minutes and 1 second in duration. The total time viewed for all 38 videos was 10 hours, 44 minutes, and 40 seconds. Viewers' watch time averaged 23 seconds of content per video. After adjusting for video length, promotional videos and research presentations had the highest engagement and retention rates. Events that included audience participation did not have higher retention rates compared to events without audience participation. CONCLUSIONS: The use of live community events showed adequate levels of engagement from participants. A view time of 23 seconds on average per video suggests that short informational videos engage viewers of clinical and translational science content. Live community events on Facebook can be an effective method of advancing health promotion and clinical and translational science content; however, certain types of events have more impact on engagement than others.

Patient Telemedicine Perceptions During the COVID-19 Pandemic Within a Multi-State Medical Institution: Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, to prevent the spread of the virus, federal regulatory barriers around telemedicine were lifted, and health care institutions encouraged patients to use telemedicine, including video appointments. Many patients, however, still chose face-2-face (f2f) appointments for nonemergent clinical care. OBJECTIVE: We explored patients' personal and environmental barriers to the use of video appointments from April 2020 to December 2020. METHODS: We conducted qualitative telephone interviews of Mayo Clinic patients who attended f2f appointments at the Mayo Clinic from April 2020 to December 2020 but did not utilize Mayo Clinic video appointment services during that time frame. RESULTS: We found that, although most patients were concerned about preventing COVID-19 transmission, they trusted Mayo Clinic to keep them safe when attending f2f appointments. Many expressed that a video appointment made it difficult to establish rapport with their providers. Other common barriers to video appointments were perceived therapeutic benefits of f2f appointments, low digital literacy, and concerns about privacy and security. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides an in-depth investigation into barriers to engaging in video appointments for nonemergent clinical care in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings corroborate many barriers prevalent in the prepandemic literature and suggest that rapport barriers need to be analyzed and problem-solved at a granular level.

Development and initial cognitive testing of the Digital Equity Screening Tool (DEST): Community participatory approach to assessing digital inequality.

COVID-19 has widened the existing digital divide, especially for people from socially and economically deprived communities. We describe a program evaluation using a community participatory approach to develop self-reported items of patient experience with technology inclusive of digital access and literacy. The feedback received from Community Advisory Boards and Community Engagement Studio members led to the evaluation and refinement of the individual items. The community-based participatory approach highlighted in our paper to develop these items could serve as a model for other screening tool development for enhancing equity and inclusiveness in clinical care and research.