Understanding Stakeholders' Perspectives to Increase COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster Uptake among Black Individuals with Rheumatic Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: Disparities in COVID-19 vaccine and booster uptake persist. We obtained perspectives from community- and physician-stakeholders on COVID-19 vaccine and booster hesitancy and strategies to promote vaccine uptake among Black individuals with rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions. METHODS: We invited community leaders and physicians in greater Boston and Chicago to participate in semi-structured interviews using a moderator guide developed a priori. Participants were queried about how to best address vaccine hesitancy, strategies to target high-risk populations, and factors to identify future community leaders. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using Dedoose.TM RESULTS: Eight physicians and 12 community leaders participated in this study between November 2021 - October 2022. Qualitative analyses revealed misinformation/mixed messaging and mistrust, with subthemes including conspiracy theories, concerns regarding vaccine development and function, racism and historical injustices, and general mistrust of healthcare systems as the top cited reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Participants also shared demographic-specific differences, such as race, ethnicity, age, and gender that influenced the identified themes, with emphasis on COVID-19 vaccine access and apathy. Strategies for community-based vaccine-related information dissemination included personal storytelling with an iterative and empathetic approach, while recognizing the importance of protecting community leader well-being. CONCLUSION: To increase vaccine uptake among Black individuals with rheumatic conditions, strategies should acknowledge and respond to racial/ethnic and socioeconomic injustices that engender vaccine hesitancy. Messaging should be compassionate, individually tailored, and recognize heterogeneity in experiences and opinions. Results from these analyses will inform an organized community-based intervention in Boston and Chicago. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Understanding Online and Offline Social Networks in Illness Management of Older Patients With Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Mixed Methods Study Using Quantitative Social Network Assessment and Qualitative Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Individuals' social networks and social support are fundamental determinants of self-management and self-efficacy. In chronic respiratory conditions, social support can be promoted and optimized to facilitate the self-management of breathlessness. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to identify how online and offline social networks play a role in the health management of older patients with chronic respiratory conditions, explore the role of support from online peers in patients' self-management, and understand the barriers to and potential benefits of digital social interventions. METHODS: We recruited participants from a hospital-run singing group to a workshop in London, the United Kingdom, and adapted PERSNET, a quantitative social network assessment tool. The second workshop was replaced by telephone interviews because of the COVID-19 lockdown. The transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 7 participants (2/7, 29%, men and 5/7, 71%, women), with an age range of 64 to 81 years, produced network maps that comprised between 5 and 10 individuals, including family members, health care professionals, colleagues, activity groups, offline and online friends, and peers. The visual maps facilitated reflections and enhanced participants' understanding of the role of offline and online social networks in the management of chronic respiratory conditions. It also highlighted the work undertaken by the networks themselves in the self-management support. Participants with small, close-knit networks received physical, health, and emotional support, whereas those with more diverse and large networks benefited from accessing alternative and complementary sources of information. Participants in the latter type of network tended to communicate more openly and comfortably about their illness, shared the impact of their illness on their day-to-day life, and demonstrated distinct traits in terms of identity and perception of chronic disease. Participants described the potential benefits of expanding their networks to include online peers as sources of novel information, motivation, and access to supportive environments. Lack of technological skills, fear of being scammed, or preference for keeping illness-related problems for themselves and immediate family were reported by some as barriers to engaging with online peer support. CONCLUSIONS: In this small-scale study, the social network assessment tool proved feasible and acceptable. These data show the value of using a social network tool as a research tool that can help assess and understand network structure and engagement in the self-management support and could be developed into an intervention to support self-management. Patients' preferences to share illness experiences with their online peers, as well as the contexts in which this can be acceptable, should be considered when developing and offering digital social interventions. Future studies can explore the evolution of the social networks of older people with chronic illnesses to understand whether their willingness to engage with online peers can change over time.

Excess Cerebrovascular Mortality in the United States During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The magnitude and drivers of excess cerebrovascular-specific mortality during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic are unknown. We aim to quantify excess stroke-related deaths and characterize its association with social distancing behavior and COVID-19-related vascular pathology. METHODS: United States and state-level excess cerebrovascular deaths from January to May 2020 were quantified using National Center for Health Statistic data and Poisson regression models. Excess cerebrovascular deaths were analyzed as a function of time-varying stroke-related emergency medical service (EMS) calls and cumulative COVID-19 deaths using linear regression. A state-level regression analysis was performed to determine the association between excess cerebrovascular deaths and time spent in residences, measured by Google Community Mobility Reports, during the height of the pandemic after the first COVID-19 death (February 29). RESULTS: Forty states and New York City were included. Excess cerebrovascular mortality occurred nationally from the weeks ending March 28 to May 2, 2020, up to a 7.8% increase above expected levels during the week of April 18. Decreased stroke-related EMS calls were associated with excess stroke deaths one (70 deaths per 1000 fewer EMS calls [95% CI, 20-118]) and 2 weeks (85 deaths per 1000 fewer EMS calls [95% CI, 37-133]) later. Twenty-three states and New York City experienced excess cerebrovascular mortality during the pandemic height. A 10% increase in time spent at home was associated with a 4.3% increase in stroke deaths (incidence rate ratio, 1.043 [95% CI, 1.001-1.085]) after adjusting for COVID-19 deaths. CONCLUSIONS: Excess US cerebrovascular deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic were observed and associated with decreases in stroke-related EMS calls nationally and mobility at the state level. Public health measures are needed to identify and counter the reticence to seeking medical care for acute stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social Network Structure Is Related to Functional Improvement From Home-Based Telerehabilitation After Stroke.

Objective: Telerehabilitation (TR) is now, in the context of COVID-19, more clinically relevant than ever as a major source of outpatient care. The social network of a patient is a critical yet understudied factor in the success of TR that may influence both engagement in therapy programs and post-stroke outcomes. We designed a 12-week home-based TR program for stroke patients and evaluated which social factors might be related to motor gains and reduced depressive symptoms. Methods: Stroke patients (n = 13) with arm motor deficits underwent supervised home-based TR for 12 weeks with routine assessments of motor function and mood. At the 6-week midpoint, we mapped each patient's personal social network and evaluated relationships between social network metrics and functional improvements from TR. Finally, we compared social networks of TR patients with a historical cohort of 176 stroke patients who did not receive any TR to identify social network differences. Results: Both network size and network density were related to walk time improvement (p = 0.025; p = 0.003). Social network density was related to arm motor gains (p = 0.003). Social network size was related to reduced depressive symptoms (p = 0.015). TR patient networks were larger (p = 0.012) and less dense (p = 0.046) than historical stroke control networks. Conclusions: Social network structure is positively related to improvement in motor status and mood from TR. TR patients had larger and more open social networks than stroke patients who did not receive TR. Understanding how social networks intersect with TR outcomes is crucial to maximize effects of virtual rehabilitation.