Building a Pandemic-Responsive, Community-Engaged Research Program to Advance Health Equity for Persons with Diabetes

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Diabetes mellitus and COVID-19 have converged to form a syndemic. Our team sought to identify and respond to the evolving needs of patients and communities affected by diabetes amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to engage community partners and student leaders in the advancement of health equity research and practice in the state of Iowa. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: A team of faculty, staff, students, and community partners was assembled to facilitate, design, and implement mixed methods research related to diabetes care in collaboration with more than five sites in Eastern and Western Iowa during the pandemic, with a focus on potentially preventable complications such as diabetes-related foot ulcers and amputations in adult patients. Attention was directed towards the experiences of rural residents, persons working in frontline occupations during the pandemic, persons from minoritized racial or ethnic groups, and persons who speak Spanish. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: A semi-structured interview study about diabetes care revealed themes in the experiences of persons with diabetes during the pandemic. A pilot study of an educational tool called the Foot Book among patients and providers demonstrated the potential for use of this tool in health care and community settings to reduce gaps in diabetes foot care. All study materials and activities were offered in English and Spanish. Study results were combined with input from community partners to develop ongoing interventions to improve care in Iowa communities. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Amid the syndemic of COVID-19 and diabetes, urgent action is needed to mitigate health inequities and prevent further acceleration of these inequities. Our team developed a community-engaged, patient-centered, and student-led research program that can respond to the needs of patients and communities in the pandemic era.

Patient Experiences with a Tertiary Care Post-COVID-19 Clinic.

Post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (PASC) is a complex condition with multisystem involvement. We assessed patients' experience with a PASC clinic established at University of Iowa in June 2020. A survey was electronically mailed in June 2021 asking about (1) symptoms and their impact on functional domains using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures (Global Health and Cognitive Function Abilities) (2) satisfaction with clinic services, referrals, barriers to care, and recommended support resources. Survey completion rate was 35% (97/277). Majority were women (67%), Caucasian (93%), and were not hospitalized (76%) during acute COVID-19. As many as 50% reported wait time between 1 and 3 months, 40% traveled >1 h for an appointment and referred to various subspecialities. Participants reported high symptom burden-fatigue (77%), "brain fog" (73%), exercise intolerance (73%), anxiety (63%), sleep difficulties (56%) and depression (44%). On PROMIS measures, some patients scored significantly low (≥1.5 SD below mean) in physical (22.7%), mental (15.9%), and cognitive (17.6%) domains. Approximately 61% to 93% of participants were satisfied with clinical services. Qualitative analysis added insight to their experience with healthcare. Participants suggested potential strategies for optimizing recovery, including continuity of care, a co-located multispecialty clinic, and receiving timely information from emerging research. Participants appreciated that physicians validated their symptoms and provided continuity of care and access to specialists.

Patient Experiences with a Tertiary Care Post-COVID-19 Clinic

Post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (PASC) is a complex condition with multisystem involvement. We assessed patients' experience with a PASC clinic established at University of Iowa in June 2020. A survey was electronically mailed in June 2021 asking about (1) symptoms and their impact on functional domains using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) measures (Global Health and Cognitive Function Abilities) (2) satisfaction with clinic services, referrals, barriers to care, and recommended support resources. Survey completion rate was 35% (97/277). Majority were women (67%), Caucasian (93%), and were not hospitalized (76%) during acute COVID-19. As many as 50% reported wait time between 1 and 3 months, 40% traveled >1 h for an appointment and referred to various subspecialities. Participants reported high symptom burden-fatigue (77%), "brain fog” (73%), exercise intolerance (73%), anxiety (63%), sleep difficulties (56%) and depression (44%). On PROMIS measures, some patients scored significantly low (≥1.5 SD below mean) in physical (22.7%), mental (15.9%), and cognitive (17.6%) domains. Approximately 61% to 93% of participants were satisfied with clinical services. Qualitative analysis added insight to their experience with healthcare. Participants suggested potential strategies for optimizing recovery, including continuity of care, a co-located multispecialty clinic, and receiving timely information from emerging research. Participants appreciated that physicians validated their symptoms and provided continuity of care and access to specialists.

Brain Fog and Fatigue following COVID-19 Infection: An Exploratory Study of Patient Experiences of Long COVID.

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is a poorly understood condition with significant impact on quality of life. We aimed to better understand the lived experiences of patients with PASC, focusing on the impact of cognitive complaints ("brain fog") and fatigue on (1) daily activities, (2) work/employment, and (3) interpersonal relationships. We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 15 patients of a Midwestern academic hospital's post-COVID-19 clinic. We audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed interviews thematically using a combined deductive-inductive approach and collected participants' characteristics from chart review. Participants frequently used descriptive and metaphorical language to describe symptoms that were relapsing-remitting and unpredictable. Fatigue and brain fog affected all domains and identified subthemes included symptoms' synergistic effects, difficulty with multitasking, lack of support, poor self-perception, and fear of loss of income and employment. Personal relationships were affected with change of responsibilities, difficulty parenting, social isolation, and guilt due to the burdens placed on family. Furthermore, underlying social stigma contributed to negative emotions, which significantly affected emotional and mental health. Our findings highlight PASC's negative impact on patients' daily lives. Providers can better support COVID-19 survivors during their recovery by identifying their needs in a sensitive and timely manner.

Innovative Cohort Process to Minimize COVID-19 Infection for Migrant Farmworkers During Travel to Iowa.

Background: Migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) experience disproportionate infection, severe disease and death from COVID-19. This report describes an innovative process to address the safety of MSFW that utilized cohorting that eventually allowed for safe release to work in the fields on a large family farm in Iowa. Methods: Upon worker departure from Mexico, the employer arranged for bus seat assignments, mask use, and hand hygiene practice during the 3-day trip to Iowa. Upon arrival at the farm, surveillance testing and low-density housing cohorting based upon travel seat assignments allowed for early identification of infected workers and appropriate quarantine as per CDC guidelines. Upon completion of isolation or quarantine as appropriate, workers were released to congregate housing and work in the fields. Findings: Compared to a migrant farmworker COVID-19 outbreak without travel pre-planning, the cohorting process produced a 3.5% positivity rate compared to an earlier season July farmworker group on the same farm with a 12.7% positivity rate. Conclusions/Application to Practice: The success of this model points to the power of collaboration between farm employer, health care providers and workers to minimize worker infection and enable safe work in the fields. Increased state and federal support for MSFW protections could support infrastructure to proactively plan for prevention mechanisms to prevent the spread of known communicable disease. With support in place from the top down, employers, workers, and health care providers will be able to prioritize the management of infectious diseases and the needs of essential workers.

Financial hardship and health risk behavior during COVID-19 in a large US national sample of women.

COVID-19 has caused over 300,000 US deaths thus far, but its long-term health consequences are not clear. Policies to contain the pandemic have led to widespread economic problems, which likely increase stress and resulting health risk behaviors, particularly among women, who have been hardest hit both by job loss and caregiving responsibilities. Further, women with pre-existing disadvantage (e.g., those without health insurance) may be most at risk for stress and consequent health risk behavior. Our objective was to estimate the associations between financial stressors from COVID-19 and health risk behavior changes since COVID-19, with potential effect modification by insurance status. We used multilevel logistic regression to assess the relationships between COVID-19-related financial stressors (job loss, decreases in pay, trouble paying bills) and changes in health risk behavior (less exercise, sleep, and healthy eating; more smoking/vaping and drinking alcohol), controlling for both individual-level and zip code-level confounders, among 90,971 US women who completed an online survey in March-April 2020. Almost 40% of women reported one or more COVID-19-related financial stressors. Each financial stressor was significantly associated with higher odds of each type of health risk behavior change. Overall, reporting one or more financial stressors was associated with 56% higher odds (OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.51, 1.60) of reporting two or more health risk behavior changes. This association was even stronger among women with no health insurance (OR = 2.46; 95% CI: 1.97, 3.07). COVID-19-related economic stress is thus linked to shifts in health risk behaviors among women, which may have physical health consequences for years to come. Further, the relationship between financial hardship and health risk behavior among women may be modified by health insurance status, as a marker for broader socioeconomic context and resources. The most socioeconomically vulnerable women are likely at highest risk for long-term health effects of COVID-19 financial consequences.