Incorporating respondent-driven sampling into web-based discrete choice experiments: preferences for COVID-19 mitigation measures.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, most countries implemented stay-at-home orders, social distancing, and other nonpharmaceutical mitigation strategies. To understand individual preferences for mitigation strategies, we piloted a web-based Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS) approach to recruit participants from four universities in three countries to complete a computer-based Discrete Choice Experiment (DCE). Use of these methods, in combination, can serve to increase the external validity of a study by enabling recruitment of populations underrepresented in sampling frames, thus allowing preference results to be more generalizable to targeted subpopulations. A total of 99 students or staff members were invited to complete the survey, of which 72% started the survey (n = 71). Sixty-three participants (89% of starters) completed all tasks in the DCE. A rank-ordered mixed logit model was used to estimate preferences for COVID-19 nonpharmaceutical mitigation strategies. The model estimates indicated that participants preferred mitigation strategies that resulted in lower COVID-19 risk (i.e. sheltering-in-place more days a week), financial compensation from the government, fewer health (mental and physical) problems, and fewer financial problems. The high response rate and survey engagement provide proof of concept that RDS and DCE can be implemented as web-based applications, with the potential for scale up to produce nationally-representative preference estimates.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Chlamydial Infection Treatment in Women Discharged From an Urban Safety-Net Emergency Unit.

BACKGROUND: Chlamydia is the most frequently reported sexually transmitted infection. COVID-19 exacerbated the challenges in treating and preventing new Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) infections. This study examined the impact of COVID-19 on treating CT-positive patients discharged from a safety-net women's emergency unit. METHODS: This was a preretrospective and postretrospective cohort study. Chlamydia trachomatis -positive female patients seen in the women's emergency unit were evaluated. Patients discharged in 2019, the "pre-COVID-19" group, and those discharged in 2020, the "COVID-19" group, were compared. The primary outcome was CT treatment within 30 days, and secondary outcomes included prescription dispensation, repeat tests taken, and expedited partner treatment. A subgroup of patients discharged before treatment who entered a nurse-led follow-up program was also evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 1357 cases included, there were no differences in successful 30-day treatment (709 of 789 [89.9%] vs. 568 of 511 [89.9%], P = 0.969) or repeat positive CT test (74 of 333 [22.2%] vs. 46 of 211 [21.8%]), P = 0.36) between pre-COVID-19 and COVID-19. However, the patients who picked up their prescription (196 of 249 [78.7%] vs. 180 of 206 [87.4%], P = 0.021) and those who were prescribed expedited partner therapy (156 of 674 [23.1%] vs. 292 of 460 [63.5%], P < 0.001) increased. Findings in the subgroup of patients who entered the follow-up program were consistent with those in the full cohort. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic did not change treatment patterns of CT-positive patients in this safety-net women's emergency unit. However, patients were more likely to pick up their medications during COVID-19. Despite the perseverance of these programs through the pandemic, most patients are discharged before positive results, and a fair amount remain untreated.

Remote Assessment of Verbal Memory in Youth With Cochlear Implants During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Purpose Youth with cochlear implants (CIs) are at risk for delays in verbal short-term memory (STM)/working memory (WM), which adversely affect language, neurocognitive, and behavioral outcomes. Assessment of verbal STM/WM is critical for identifying and addressing these delays, but standard assessment procedures require face-to-face (FTF) administration. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and validity of remote testing methods (teleassessment) of verbal STM/WM in youth with CIs as a method of addressing COVID-19-related restrictions on FTF test administration. Method Tests of verbal STM/WM for nonwords, digit spans, letter-number sequences, sentences, and stories were individually administered by speech-language pathologists over a teleassessment platform to 28 youth (aged 9-22 years) with CIs and 36 same-aged normal-hearing peers. Examiners, parents, and participants completed quality and satisfaction ratings with the teleassessment procedure. Teleassessment scores were compared to results of tests obtained at FTF visits an average of 1.6 years earlier. Results Quality and satisfaction ratings for teleassessment were high and in almost all cases did not differ between the CI and normal-hearing samples. Youth with CIs scored lower than normal-hearing peers on measures of verbal STM/WM, and scores for digit span and letter-number sequencing did not differbetween teleassessment and FTF methods. Correlations across teleassessment and FTF visits were strong for digit span, letter-number sequencing, and sentence memory, but were more modest for nonword repetition. Conclusion With some caveats, teleassessment of verbal STM/WM was feasible and valid for youth with CIs.