Demographic Determinants and Geographical Variability of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Underserved Communities: Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths disproportionately affect underserved and minority populations, emphasizing that vaccine hesitancy can be an especially important public health risk factor in these populations. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to characterize COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in underserved diverse populations. METHODS: The Minority and Rural Coronavirus Insights Study (MRCIS) recruited a convenience sample of adults (age≥18, N=3735) from federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) in California, the Midwest (Illinois/Ohio), Florida, and Louisiana and collected baseline data in November 2020-April 2021. Vaccine hesitancy status was defined as a response of "no" or "undecided" to the question "Would you get a coronavirus vaccine if it was available?" ("yes" categorized as not hesitant). Cross-sectional descriptive analyses and logistic regression models examined vaccine hesitancy prevalence by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geography. The expected vaccine hesitancy estimates for the general population were calculated for the study counties using published county-level data. Crude associations with demographic characteristics within each region were assessed using the chi-square test. The main effect model included age, gender, race/ethnicity, and geographical region to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. Interactions between geography and each demographic characteristic were evaluated in separate models. RESULTS: The strongest vaccine hesitancy variability was by geographic region: California, 27.8% (range 25.0%-30.6%); the Midwest, 31.4% (range 27.3%-35.4%); Louisiana, 59.1% (range 56.1%-62.1%); and Florida, 67.3% (range 64.3%-70.2%). The expected estimates for the general population were lower: 9.7% (California), 15.3% (Midwest), 18.2% (Florida), and 27.0% (Louisiana). The demographic patterns also varied by geography. An inverted U-shaped age pattern was found, with the highest prevalence among ages 25-34 years in Florida (n=88, 80.0%,) and Louisiana (n=54, 79.4%; P<.05). Females were more hesitant than males in the Midwest (n= 110, 36.4% vs n= 48, 23.5%), Florida (n=458, 71.6% vs n=195, 59.3%), and Louisiana (n= 425, 66.5% vs. n=172, 46.5%; P<.05). Racial/ethnic differences were found in California, with the highest prevalence among non-Hispanic Black participants (n=86, 45.5%), and in Florida, with the highest among Hispanic (n=567, 69.3%) participants (P<.05), but not in the Midwest and Louisiana. The main effect model confirmed the U-shaped association with age: strongest association with age 25-34 years (OR 2.29, 95% CI 1.74-3.01). Statistical interactions of gender and race/ethnicity with the region were significant, following the pattern found by the crude analysis. Compared to males in California, the associations with the female gender were strongest in Florida (OR=7.88, 95% CI 5.96-10.41) and Louisiana (OR=6.09, 95% CI 4.55-8.14). Compared to non-Hispanic White participants in California, the strongest associations were found with being Hispanic in Florida (OR=11.18, 95% CI 7.01-17.85) and Black in Louisiana (OR=8.94, 95% CI 5.53-14.47). However, the strongest race/ethnicity variability was observed within California and Florida: the ORs varied 4.6- and 2-fold between racial/ethnic groups in these regions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the role of local contextual factors in driving vaccine hesitancy and its demographic patterns.

The Minority and Rural Coronavirus Insights Study: Design and Baseline Characteristics of a Minority Cohort.

The Minority and Rural Coronavirus Insights Study (MRCIS) is an ongoing prospective cohort study examining health disparities associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among medically underserved populations. This report describes procedures implemented to establish the MRCIS cohort and examines the factors associated with the molecular and serological assessment of SARS-CoV-2 infection status at participant enrollment. Participants were recruited from 5 geographically dispersed federally qualified health centers between November 2020 and April 2021. At baseline, participants completed a detailed demographic survey and biological samples were collected for testing. SARS-CoV-2 infection status was determined based on the combined molecular and serological test results. Chi-squared and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between sociodemographic factors, COVID-19 safety measures, existing comorbidities, and SARS-CoV-2 infection status. The final cohort included 3238 participants. The mean age of participants was 50.2 ± 15.8 years. Most participants identified as female (60.0%), heterosexual or straight (93.0%), White (47.6%), and Hispanic or Latino (49.1%). Approximately 26.1% of participants had at least one positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. The main effect model included age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Compared with adults ≥65 years, participants in all other age groups had ∼2 times increased odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 test result. In addition, racial/ethnic minorities had ∼2 times increased odds of a positive SARS-CoV-2 infection status compared with non-Hispanic Whites. A unique cohort of a traditionally medically underserved minority population was established. Significant racial and ethnic disparities in SARS-CoV-2 infection status at baseline were discovered.

Role of a psychiatric pharmacist in a Los Angeles "Skid-Row" safety-net clinic.

Limited access to a psychiatrist prompted a collaborative practice agreement between a psychiatric pharmacist, a psychiatric pharmacy resident, and primary care physicians at the Center for Community Health, a safety-net clinic providing comprehensive care to the homeless in Skid Row, Los Angeles, CA, USA. From July 2009 to February 2010, 36 (75%) of the 48 patients referred to the psychiatric pharmacy resident met the criteria for the chart review. Twenty-six (54%) were seen for regular follow-up care over 7 months. Most referrals were for depression, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The types of drug therapy problems, pharmacist interventions, and clinical mental health outcomes are discussed.

Psychiatric pharmacist and primary care collaboration at a skid-row safety-net clinic.

PURPOSE: There is limited access to psychiatric medication follow-up services at safety-net clinics serving the largely homeless minority population of Los Angeles' skid-row district. This paper describes the process of establishing a pharmacist-run psychiatric medication management service, the types of interventions provided by the psychiatric pharmacist, and patient and provider satisfaction with the service. METHODS: The establishment of a collaborative practice agreement between primary care physicians and psychiatric pharmacists is described along with the patient demographics and types of pharmacist interventions. Primary care physicians were surveyed regarding their comfort level with managing psychiatric illness and prescribing psychotropic medications. They were also asked about their opinion of psychiatric pharmacist medication management services. An anonymous patient satisfaction survey was also administered. RESULTS: The development of psychiatric pharmacy services is described. The types of interventions included initiating drug therapy, adjusting dosages, discontinuing drug therapy, and providing medication education. Primary care providers were not comfortable in providing psychiatric medication follow-up for patients beyond uncomplicated depression and anxiety disorders. They expressed an overall positive view of psychiatric pharmacist services for their patients with established psychiatric diagnoses. Patient satisfaction ratings were high. CONCLUSIONS: A psychiatric pharmacist-run medication management service in collaboration with primary care providers can improve access to mental health services in safety-net clinics with good provider and patient satisfaction.

The impact of clinical pharmacy services integrated into medical homes on diabetes-related clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacist services have expanded in the US health-care system from traditional roles to include comprehensive clinical services, but many studies lack comparison groups to evaluate outcomes of these clinical services. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of uninsured or underinsured patients with type 2 diabetes who received care from pharmacists in local "safety net" clinic medical homes compared to outcomes of patients from clinics receiving usual care without the services of clinical pharmacists. METHODS: Pharmacists provided comprehensive pharmacy services in safety net clinic medical homes for uninsured patients in a major urban city. Referred patients had poor diabetes control (hemoglobin A(1c) [A1C] >9%). Pharmacists conducted comprehensive evaluations of medications, made adjustments, monitored adherence, and provided education and follow-up. Intervention patients were compared to similar patients who were receiving usual care but were not seen by a pharmacist. Outcomes evaluated were the change in A1C levels and achievement of treatment goals. Data were derived from chart reviews retrospectively. Multivariate least-squares and logistic regression models were used to estimate the impact of the intervention. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-two intervention and 262 control patients were evaluated. Patients receiving care from pharmacists had adjusted A1C levels reduced by 1.38% relative to usual care, increasing the likelihood of achieving an A1C <7% by 3-fold (p < 0.001 for both estimates). CONCLUSIONS: The integration of clinical pharmacy services into safety net medical homes was associated with improvement in clinical outcomes of patients with diabetes.

Effects of a nurse-managed program on hepatitis A and B vaccine completion among homeless adults.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection constitutes a major health problem for homeless persons. Ability to complete an HBV vaccination series is complicated by the need to prioritize competing needs, such as addiction issues, safe places to sleep, and food, over health concerns. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-case-managed intervention compared with that of two standard programs on completion of the combined hepatitis A virus (HAV) and HBV vaccine series among homeless adults and to assess sociodemographic factors and risk behaviors related to the vaccine completion. METHODS: A randomized, three-group, prospective, quasi-experimental design was conducted with 865 homeless adults residing in homeless shelters, drug rehabilitation sites, and outdoor areas in the Skid Row area of Los Angeles. The programs included (a) nurse-case-managed sessions plus targeted hepatitis education, incentives, and tracking (NCMIT); (b) standard targeted hepatitis education plus incentives and tracking (SIT); and (c) standard targeted hepatitis education and incentives only (SI). RESULTS: Sixty-eight percent of the NCMIT participants completed the three-series vaccine at 6 months, compared with 61% of SIT participants and 54% of SI participants. NCMIT participants had almost 2 times greater odds of completing vaccination than those of participants in the SI program. Completers were more likely to be older, to be female, to report fair or poor health, and not to have participated in a self-help drug treatment program. Newly homeless White adults were significantly less likely than were African Americans to complete the vaccine series. DISCUSSION: The use of vaccination programs incorporating nurse case management and tracking is critical in supporting adherence to completion of a 6-month HAV/HBV vaccine. The finding that White homeless persons were the least likely to complete the vaccine series suggests that programs tailored to address their unique cultural issues are needed.