Patient-Level Factors Associated with Utilization of Telemedicine Services from a Free Clinic During COVID-19.

Background: Disparities in telemedicine use by race, age, and income have been consistently documented. To date, research has focused on telemedicine use among patients with adequate insurance coverage. To address this gap, this study identifies patient-level factors associated with telemedicine use during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic among one free clinic network's patients who are underinsured or uninsured. Methods: Electronic health record data were reviewed for patient-level data on patients seen from March 2020 to September 2020. Patients were grouped by telemedicine use history. We controlled for sociodemographic factors (e.g., age, race/ethnicity) and comorbidities. Logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results: Across 198 adult patients, 56.6% received telemedicine care. Of these, 99.1% elected for audio-only telemedicine instead of video telemedicine. Telemedicine use was more likely among those living within 15 miles of their clinic (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 4.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.70-11.53). It was less likely to be used by older patients (aOR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.94-1.00), patients of male sex (aOR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.18-0.92), and those establishing care as a new patient (aOR = 0.01, 95% CI 0.00-0.07). Conclusion: The moderate usage of telemedicine suggests that its implementation in free clinics may be feasible. Solutions specific to patients with smartphone-only internet access are needed to improve the use of video telemedicine as smartphone-specific factors (e.g., data use limits) may influence the ability for underserved patients to receive video telemedicine.

Increased Tdap and Influenza Vaccination Acquisition Among Patients Participating in Group Prenatal Care.

CenteringPregnancy, an alternative to traditional prenatal care, offers additional time between clinicians and patients with the goal of increasing knowledge, understanding, and autonomy in pregnant participants. We investigated whether these women would be more likely to receive recommended Tdap and influenza vaccinations relative to others who received one-on-one traditional prenatal care. Our study employed a retrospective chart review of all women who participated in CenteringPregnancy group care compared to a group of matched women who received only traditional prenatal care at a large, quaternary care referral academic center. We extracted demographic and clinical characteristics from charts that included maternal age during pregnancy care and parity. Outcome variables of interest were influenza and Tdap vaccination status. Compared with traditional obstetrical care patients, women who participated in CenteringPregnancy were 1.7-2.7 times more likely to obtain the Tdap and influenza vaccines. These findings may be attributable to the increased opportunity for patient education and social support offered by the CenteringPregnancy model.

Preparing for biological threats: Addressing the needs of pregnant women.

Intentional release of infectious agents and biological weapons to cause illness and death has the potential to greatly impact pregnant women and their fetuses. We review what is known about the maternal and fetal effects of seven biological threats: Bacillus anthracis (anthrax); variola virus (smallpox); Clostridium botulinum toxin (botulism); Burkholderia mallei (glanders) and Burkholderia pseudomallei (melioidosis); Yersinia pestis (plague); Francisella tularensis (tularemia); and Rickettsia prowazekii (typhus). Evaluating the potential maternal, fetal, and infant consequences of an intentional release of an infectious agent requires an assessment of several key issues: (1) are pregnant women more susceptible to infection or illness compared to the general population?; (2) are pregnant women at increased risk for severe illness, morbidity, and mortality compared to the general population?; (3) does infection or illness during pregnancy place women, the fetus, or the infant at increased risk for adverse outcomes and how does this affect clinical management?; and (4) are the medical countermeasures recommended for the general population safe and effective during pregnancy? These issues help frame national guidance for the care of pregnant women during an intentional release of a biological threat. Birth Defects Research 109:391-398, 2017.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

Since the identification of the first patients with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012, over 1,600 cases have been reported as of February 2016. Most cases have occurred in Saudi Arabia or in other countries on or near the Arabian Peninsula, but travel-associated cases have also been seen in countries outside the Arabian Peninsula. MERS-CoV causes a severe respiratory illness in many patients, with a case fatality rate as high as 40%, although when contacts are investigated, a significant proportion of patients are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms. At this time, no vaccines or treatments are available. Epidemiological and other data suggest that the source of most primary cases is exposure to camels. Person-to-person transmission occurs in household and health care settings, although sustained and efficient person-to-person transmission has not been observed. Strict adherence to infection control recommendations has been associated with control of previous outbreaks. Vigilance is needed because genomic changes in MERS-CoV could result in increased transmissibility, similar to what was seen in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV).

Vaccines and pregnancy: past, present, and future.

Vaccination during pregnancy with certain vaccines can prevent morbidity and mortality in pregnant women and their infants. However, previous recommendations often focused on the potential risks of vaccines to the fetus when used during pregnancy. In recent years, additional data have become available on the absence of increased risks for adverse events associated with vaccines when administered during pregnancy and on their benefits to mothers and infants. Currently two vaccines - (i) inactivated influenza, and (ii) tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis (Tdap) - are recommended for use by all pregnant women by the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Here we review the history of vaccination during pregnancy, the current status of recommendations for vaccination during pregnancy in the USA, and the potential for future advances in this area, including key barriers that must be overcome to accommodate these advances.