Implementing a Teaching Rural Mobile Health Clinic: Challenges and Adaptations.

In 2022, Penn State College of Medicine launched the LION Mobile Clinic, a teaching mobile health clinic offering preventive health services in rural Snow Shoe, Pennsylvania. We outline four challenges the clinic team faced in implementation, along with adaptations made to tailor the model to Snow Shoe's needs and opportunities.

[The Mission Migrants of the Samu social de Paris, a mobile healthcare service for exiles]. / La Mission Migrants du Samusocial de Paris, dispositif mobile d'accès aux soins pour les exilés.

Since its creation in 1993, Samusocial de Paris has been working with homeless people as part of its "outreach" approach. Mission Migrants, a mobile healthcare access service, works throughout the inner suburbs of Paris, helping precarious exiles wherever they are, and wherever they are at (in their pathways and access to healthcare). Its teams of nurses and mediator-interpreters visit camps, squats, shelters, day shelters and temporary accommodation centers to mediate, assess and guide them towards the care they need.

Last-mile delivery increases vaccine uptake in Sierra Leone.

Less than 30% of people in Africa received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine even 18 months after vaccine development1. Here, motivated by the observation that residents of remote, rural areas of Sierra Leone faced severe access difficulties2, we conducted an intervention with last-mile delivery of doses and health professionals to the most inaccessible areas, along with community mobilization. A cluster randomized controlled trial in 150 communities showed that this intervention with mobile vaccination teams increased the immunization rate by about 26 percentage points within 48-72 h. Moreover, auxiliary populations visited our community vaccination points, which more than doubled the number of inoculations administered. The additional people vaccinated per intervention site translated to an implementation cost of US $33 per person vaccinated. Transportation to reach remote villages accounted for a large share of total intervention costs. Therefore, bundling multiple maternal and child health interventions in the same visit would further reduce costs per person treated. Current research on vaccine delivery maintains a large focus on individual behavioural issues such as hesitancy. Our study demonstrates that prioritizing mobile services to overcome access difficulties faced by remote populations in developing countries can generate increased returns in terms of uptake of health services3.

Implementación ágil: un proyecto de respuesta rápida a COVID-19

Webinar organizado por la Red Centroamericana de Informática en Salud (RECAINSA), con la participación de Juan Pablo Hurtado (Compunet Colombia) y Daniela Naranjo (Elsevier Clinical Solutions), realizado el 15 de mayo de 2020.

Role of nurses in a field hospital aimed at patients with Covid-19.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the role of nurses in field hospitals aimed at patients with Covid-19. METHODS: Qualitative research based on Alfred Schütz's social phenomenology. Twenty nurses working in São Paulo were interviewed between May and June 2020. The testimonies were organized and analyzed based on the theoretical-methodological and thematic framework. RESULTS: The following categories emerged: "Nurses' challenges in field hospital care", "Visibility of nursing in the Covid-19 pandemic scenario" and "Covid-19 post-pandemic professional valorization". FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The reflection on the results that emerged in this study may contribute to support improvements in training, working conditions and valuing nurses, considering the importance of this professional category in the scope of health services. New investigations may increase knowledge in the area, providing subsidies for professional role in this and other health situations that require nursing intensity and excellence.

Lessons Learned From Implementing Rehabilitation at a COVID-19 Field Hospital.

ABSTRACT: Rehabilitation experts play an important role in preventing hospital-acquired debility, increasing patients' abilities to safely perform activities of daily living, and facilitating discharge to the home setting for patients with COVID-19. Surges in COVID-19 hospitalization rates combined with increases in length of hospital stay and decreases in postacute care placements have necessitated the opening of COVID-19 field hospitals around the country. Most field hospitals lack the resources to offer a full suite of rehabilitation services, but there are opportunities for small teams of rehabilitation experts to increase their reach by using innovative strategies. This article describes the implementation of a small team of rehabilitation experts in a COVID-19 field hospital and strategies used by this team to maximize patient activity and mobility, facilitate timely discharge, and maximize the number of patients discharged to the home setting. Strategies include training nonclinical staff to assist with activity and mobility promotion and using a rehabilitation triage system to determine needs of individual patients and facilitate efficient resource utilization. The authors reflect on successful aspects of these strategies, as well as barriers to rehabilitation implementation, and make recommendations for other field hospitals seeking to implement rehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic or future health crises.

The worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak: Advice and recommendation on radiology management and infection control from makeshift hospitals in Wuhan.

ABSTRACT: To describe and advise on management protocols and infection-protection experience of the radiology department in makeshift hospitals in Wuhan during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.Based on the literature review and the experience in the frontline, we retrospectively reviewed the configuration of the radiology department, human resource, personal protection, examination procedures for patients confirmed with COVID-19 in Wuhan fangcang shelter hospital.From February 11, 2020 to March 10, 2020, 2730 and 510 CT examinations were performed in the Hanjiang shelter hospital and Hanyang Sports School shelter hospital, respectively, including initial examinations and re-examinations. The maximum number of daily CT examinations reached 289. The CT scanned a patient approximately once every 13 mins.Fangcang shelter radiology department could be powerful components of both global and national responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mobile methadone dispensing in Delhi, India: implementation research.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the implementation of a mobile dispensing service to improve opioid users' access to methadone maintenance therapy. METHODS: In March 2019, we started mobile methadone dispensing in an urban underprivileged locality in Delhi, India. The doctor was available only at the main community drug treatment clinic for clinical services, while the nurse dispensed methadone from a converted ambulance. We involved patients in identifying community leaders for sensitization and in deciding the location and timings for dispensing. We conducted a retrospective chart review of the programme data collected during delivery of clinical services. We compared the numbers of patients registered for methadone therapy and their retention and adherence to therapy in the 12-month periods before and after implementation of the mobile service. FINDINGS: The number of patients registered for therapy at the clinic increased from 167 in the year before implementation to 671 in the year after. A significantly higher proportion of patients were retained in therapy at 3, 6 and 9 months after enrolment; 9-month retention rates were 19% (32/167 patients) and 45% (44/97 patients) in the year before and after implementation, respectively. There was no significant difference in patients' adherence to therapy between the two periods. Challenges included providing suitable dispensing hours for patients in employment and concerns of local community near to the dispensing sites. CONCLUSION: It is feasible to dispense methadone by a mobile team in an urban setting, with better retention rates in therapy compared with dispensing through a stationary clinic.

Initiation of hepatitis C treatment in two rural Rwandan districts: a mobile clinic approach.

BACKGROUND: To eliminate hepatitis C, Rwanda is conducting national mass screenings and providing to people with chronic hepatitis C free access to Direct Acting Antivirals (DAAs). Until 2020, prescribers trained and authorized to initiate DAA treatment were based at district hospitals, and access to DAAs remains expensive and geographically difficult for rural patients. We implemented a mobile clinic to provide DAA treatment initiation at primary-level health facilities among people with chronic hepatitis C identified through mass screening campaigns in rural Kirehe and Kayonza districts. METHODS: The mobile clinic team was composed of one clinician authorized to manage hepatitis, one lab technician, and one driver. Eligible patients received same-day clinical consultations, counselling, laboratory tests and DAA initiation. Using clinical databases, registers, and program records, we compared the number of patients who initiated DAA treatment before and during the mobile clinic campaign. We assessed linkage to care during the mobile clinical campaign and assessed predictors of linkage to care. We also estimated the cost per patient of providing mobile services and the reduction in out-of-pocket costs associated with accessing DAA treatment through the mobile clinic rather than the standard of care. RESULTS: Prior to the mobile clinic, only 408 patients in Kirehe and Kayonza had been initiated on DAAs over a 25-month period. Between November 2019 and January 2020, out of 661 eligible patients with hepatitis C, 429 (64.9%) were linked to care through the mobile clinic. Having a telephone number and complete address recorded at screening were strongly associated with linkage to care. The cost per patient of the mobile clinic program was 29.36 USD, excluding government-provided DAAs. Providing patients with same-day laboratory tests and clinical consultation at primary-level health facilities reduced out-of-pocket expenses by 9.88 USD. CONCLUSION: The mobile clinic was a feasible strategy for providing rapid treatment initiation among people chronically infected by hepatitis C, identified through a mass screening campaign. Compared to the standard of care, mobile clinics reached more patients in a much shorter time. This low-cost strategy also reduced out-of-pocket expenditures among patients. However, long-term, sustainable care would require decentralization to the primary health-centre level.

T-Minus 10 Days: The Role of an Academic Medical Institution in Field Hospital Planning.

Alternate care sites (ACS) are locations that can be converted to provide either in-patient and/or out-patient health care services when existing facilities are compromised by a hazard impact or the volume of patients exceeds available capacity and/or capabilities. In March through May of 2020, Michigan Medicine (MM), the affiliated health system of the University of Michigan, planned a 500 bed ACS at an off-site location. Termed the Michigan Medicine Field Hospital (MMFH), this ACS was intended to be a step-down care facility for low-acuity COVID-19 positive MM patients who could be transitioned from the hospital setting and safely cared for prior to discharge home, while also allowing increased bed capacity in the remaining MM hospitals for additional critical patient care. The planning was organized into six units: personnel and labor, security, clinical operations, logistics and supply, planning and training, and communications. The purpose of this report is to describe the development and planning of an ACS within the MM academic medical center (AMC) to discuss anticipated barriers to success and to suggest guidance for health systems in future planning.

Practice in Information Technology Support for Fangcang Shelter Hospital during COVID-19 Epidemic in Wuhan, China.

In confronting the sudden epidemic of COVID-19, China and other countries have been under great deal of pressure to block virus transmission and reduce death cases. Fangcang shelter hospital, which is converted from large-scale public venue, is proposed and proven to be an effective way for administering medical care and social isolation. This paper presents the practice in information technology support for a Fangcang shelter hospital in Wuhan, China. The experiences include the deployment strategy of IT infrastructure, the redesign of function modules in the hospital information system (HIS), equipment maintenance and medical staff training. The deployment strategy and HIS modules have ensured smoothness and efficiency of clinical work. The team established a quick response mechanism and adhered to the principle of nosocomial infection control. Deployment of network and modification of HIS was finished in the 48 hours before patient admittance. A repair hotline and remote support for equipment and software were available whenever medical workers met with any questions. No engineer ever entered the contaminated areas and no one was infected by the coronavirus during the hospital operation. Up to now, Fangcang shelter hospital is adopted by many regions around the world facing the collapse of their medical systems. This valuable experience in informatization construction and service in Wuhan may help participators involving in Fangcang shelter hospital get better information technology support, and find more practical interventions to fight the epidemic.

Field Hospital Boston Hope: Defining Culture During Uncertainty.

As hospitals across the world realized their surge capacity would not be enough to care for patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) infection, an urgent need to open field hospitals prevailed. In this article the authors describe the implementation process of opening a Boston field hospital including the development of a culture unique to this crisis and the local community needs. Through first-person accounts, readers will learn (1) about Boston Hope, (2) how leaders managed and collaborated, (3) how the close proximity of the care environment impacted decision-making and management style, and (4) the characteristics of leaders under pressure as observed by the team.

Wuhan mobile cabin hospital: A critical health policy at a critical time in China.

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to systematically analyze the effect of Wuhan mobile cabin hospitals (WMCHs) on the novel coronavirus-caused pneumonia (COVID-19) prevention and control in China. Between February 5, 2020 and March 10, 2020, a total of 16 mobile cabin hospitals were constructed in 3 batches to offer over 13,000 beds and admitted more than 12,000 patients in Wuhan City. The strategy of implementing WMCHs in 3 batches played a key role in fighting against COVID-19 in China. (1) The first batch of WMCHs increased hospital admission capacity of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, which showed initial effect on COVID-19 epidemic control. (2) The operation of the second batch of WMCHs greatly contributed to the rapid growth in discharged patients. (3) After launching the third batch of WMCHs, the COVID-19 epidemic situation in Wuhan improved considerably. The last batch of WMCHs made a substantial contribution to defeating the COVID-19 epidemic in Wuhan.

Effect of thrombolysis in a mobile stroke unit versus in hospital for patients with ischemic stroke: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

INTRODUCTION: Ischemic stroke caused by arterial occlusion is the cause of most strokes. The focus of treatment is rapid reperfusion through intravenous thrombolysis and intravascular thrombectomy. Two acute stroke management including prehospital thrombolysis and in hospital have been widely used clinically to treat ischemic stroke with satisfied efficacy. However, there is no systematic review comparing the effectiveness of these 2 therapies. The aim of this study is to compare the effect of prehospital thrombolysis versus in hospital for patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The following electronic databases will be searched: Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), Wanfang Database, and Chinese Scientific Journal Database.The randomized controlled trials of prehospital thrombolysis versus in hospital for ischemic stroke will be searched in the databases from their inception to December 2020 by 2 researchers independently. Onset to therapy (OTT) duration and National Institute Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores will be assessed as the primary outcomes; safety assessment including intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and mortality will be assessed as the secondary outcomes. The Review Manager 5.3 will be used for meta-analysis and the evidence level will be assessed by using the method for Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and evaluation Continuous outcomes will be presented as the weighted mean difference or standardized mean difference with 95% confidence interval (CI), whereas dichotomous data will be expressed as relative risk with 95% CI. If heterogeneity existed (P < .05), the random effect model was used. Otherwise, we will use the fixed effect model for calculation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval is not required because no primary data are collected. This review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020200708.

Mobile Swab Collection Vehicle; a Blend of Necessity, Innovation, and Technology in a Resource-poor Country.

Mobile Swab Collection Vehicle is a concept that has been innovated by a team of medical and non-medical personals based upon the dire need to perform throat or nasopharyngeal swab collections to do reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction  'RT-PCR' quickly, safely, and comfortably during this Corona Virus Diseases 2019, 'COVID-19' pandemic in a resource-poor country like Nepal. Inputs from the health care workers, beneficiaries, and engineers have been taken to construct this vehicle-mounted booth for swab collection. This vehicle is the 'first of its kind' in Nepal. Keywords: COVID-19; Nepal; swab collection vehicle.