The Informal Safety Net: Social Network Activation among Hispanic Immigrants during COVID-19

During times of crisis, individuals may activate members of their social networks to fulfill critical support functions. However, factors that may facilitate or inhibit successful network activation are not fully understood, particularly for structurally marginalized populations. This study examines predictors of network activation among recent and established Hispanic immigrants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, using unique, longitudinal data from the VidaSana study and its supplemental survey, the COVID-19 Rapid Response study (N = 400), we ask: How are COVID-related stressors associated with goal-oriented network activation (e.g., health-focused activation) among Hispanic immigrants? How might structural and compositional characteristics of social networks facilitate or inhibit successful network activation during COVID-19? Results align with theories of network activation (i.e., functional specificity) that imply that individuals engage in selective and deliberate activation of networks. That is, we observe a congruency between COVID-related stressors and social network characteristics, and distinct types of network activation. Moreover, we find that respondents experiencing pandemic-induced economic difficulties engage in activation for financial assistance only if they are embedded in a higher-educated network. We discuss the implications of these findings and provide recommendations for future research. © American Sociological Association 2023.

Experiences and Explorations of Transitions to School

In this concluding chapter we synthesise the previous chapters and explore what can be gleaned about the transition to school in Cuba, Chile, Brazil, and Mexico. Before we examine this in detail, we provide an overview of the COVID-19 crisis and its potential impact on transition to school, arguing that a broad focus on transitions and strategies to promote the wellbeing of all involved matters now more than ever. We follow this with an update – drawn from chapter author reports and documentation – of the impact of COVID-19 on transitions experiences in each of the countries. The chapter concludes with analysis and synthesis of the themes, issues and directions identified across the previous chapters. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Transition to School in Latin American Countries: Introducing some Perspectives and Experiences

In this chapter, we introduce a book on the transition to school in Latin American countries. This book showcases some of the quality work that researchers from Brazil, Chile, Cuba, and Mexico have done in this field, reflecting how the transition to primary school is experienced and how Latin American educational policies and cultural practices shape such an important process for stakeholders. The book offers the English-speaking world first-hand access to some Latin American transitions research, practices, and policies. The chapters in the book are also framed by the COVID-19 pandemic which placed the world in a global health emergency. The authors of the chapters themselves faced a number of challenges as a result of the pandemic when writing this material. It is our hope that this book will trigger future international collaborations between researchers, policy makers, and practitioners interested in transitions which could help produce a wealth of empirical evidence to inform educational policies and transitions practices across the world. This chapter introduces the reader to all the chapters in the book. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Coventry University telehealth coaching – A pilot

Keywords: Telehealth;Health-coaching;Behaviour change Purpose: COVID-19 has changed the face of healthcare, including student placement provision in the UK and internationally. There is a national placement capacity crisis. The Coventry University telehealth coaching clinic provided second year BSc Physiotherapy students with a placement on the University site. Telehealth enables students to work with clients to achieve their physical activity goals at a time when University staff working at home may need more well-being support. To our knowledge, on-site telehealth clinics are being used at one other UK University. Methods: Using problem-based learning, ten students used a ‘telehealth trigger scenario’ and worked collaboratively to brainstorm and search the evidence for key concepts. Students were facilitated by visiting tutors and clinical educators to replicate a practice placement. Students led the development of infrastructure (booking system, IT support), governance (record keeping, GDPR compliance, informed consent) and teamworking (weekly strategy meetings). Students modified the ‘improving health: changing health behaviour’ NHS health trainer handbook to use as an assessment tool, focussing on physical activity (removing eating, smoking and drinking habits). We evaluated the clinic using mixed methods: (i) placement capacity statistics, (ii) student satisfaction survey, (iii) student performance (pass/fail rate), (iv) client satisfaction survey, (v) student's experience (themes extracted from team debrief sessions). Results: Students saw a total of 15 clients, and 12 of those received a follow up appointment. (i) Placement capacity: 29 of the 120 second year BSc Physiotherapy students could not be placed during March–April 2021. Ten (35%) of these students were placed on the telehealth clinic. (ii) Student satisfaction survey: of 10 respondents, 90% agreed they gained new and transferable skills, 90% agreed they felt part of a community with staff and students, 40% agreed the placement was organised and running smoothly. (iii) Student performance: at the halfway evaluation, 100% of students had passed. (iv) Client satisfaction: of seven respondents, 85% were satisfied with the service, 100% agreed it was easy to schedule appointments at convenient times. (v) Student experience: key themes were learning achieved (development of clinical knowledge and skills, quality assurance skills, and emotional intelligence) and limitations of the placement (time constraints, limited learning opportunities). Conclusion(s): The Coventry University telehealth clinic is an innovative and high-quality service, which is appropriate to be managed by second- and third-year BSc physiotherapy students. However, there is room for improvements such as increasing structure and organisation of the clinic, which can be done by addressing feedback. Impact: Currently, 44 students do not have placements for May 2021, but 45% of these students will be placed by scaling up the telehealth clinic to take 20 students. This could reduce the current predictions that 50% of Coventry University Physiotherapy students will graduate late (due to sub-optimal placement hours), by at least one-third. Telehealth Students can gain new skills in organisation, administration, management, governance and communication (in virtual environments) that will impact confidence and ability to execute audits and service delivery projects after graduation. The telehealth service could be scaled up to include psychology, occupational therapy and dietetics students. Funding acknowledgements: No external funding was received.

Feasibility of a virtual renal transplant simulation model for surgical trainees in the COVID era

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing requirements has affected our resident education curriculum. We developed a virtual renal transplant simulation session to simulate renal vascular anastomoses (RVA). We hypothesize that this tool can be used to continue surgical skills education and enhance resident comfort with RVA in the COVID era. Methods: We employed a well described model to mimic RVA to the iliac vessels using a mock kidney and penrose drains in a 5x8x11inch transparent container to simulate operating in the iliac fossa. Additionally, each kit included camera stands for mobile phones. General surgery residents with varying levels of experience participated. Our virtual workshop started with a demonstration and took place via a live video interface from several remote locations. An attending surgeon observed each resident and provided real time feedback. Pre and post simulation surveys were sent out to elicit comfort levels with procedure on a scale from 0 (not comfortable) to 100(very comfortable) and fidelity as a tool to improve general surgery residency training in renal transplantation. Results: 16 surgical residents participated in the simulation. 12 (75%) had previously rotated on transplant surgery service. 75% of residents reported performing <10 vascular anastomoses. There was a statistically significant increase in mean comfort level score with performing a vascular anastomosis after the simulation compared to before (52 vs 23, P <0.01). There was also a statistically significant increase in mean comfort level score for assisting with a vascular anastomosis after compared to before (70 vs 38, p<0.01). 100% of residents reported that the model was useful for practicing needle control and precision, practicing knot tying, and learning the steps for completing renal vascular anastomoses. All residents recommended that this training model be used prior to rotating on the transplant service. Conclusions: We demonstrated the feasibility of virtual sessions that surgical residents found to be effective in improving their technical skills. This method can be modified for other elements of surgical simulation while maintaining social distancing measures. (Table Presented).

Association of Surgery Delay Related to SARS-CoV-2 with Complications among Pediatric Patients with Inguinal Hernia

Introduction: During the peak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, several elective surgical procedures were strategically delayed. The purpose of this study was to determine whether delays in elective pediatric inguinal hernia repair were associated with complications. Methods: We performed a multicenter retrospective cohort study at 14 children’s hospitals in the US comparing patients 18 years and younger undergoing inguinal hernia repair during a 6-month period before and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic elective surgical procedure restriction. Patient demographics, interval healthcare utilization, incarceration rates, and operative characteristics were collected. Fisher exact, Wilcoxon rank-sum, and chi-square statistical tests were used for comparison. Results: Of 1,598 patients included in the study, 772 (48.3%) received their operation after elective surgical restrictions, 1,248 (78.1%) were male, and 716 (44.8%) were diagnosed at younger than 1 year. After initiation of restrictions, patients had significantly more days between diagnosis and operation (Fig. 1), but no significant difference in the rate of incarceration (pre 7.64% vs post 5.81%;p = 0.14). There was no significant difference in the median number of days from diagnosis to incarceration (pre 17.5;interquartile range 9 to 64 vs post 24;interquartile range 5 to 71;p = 0.83). After restrictions, diagnosis was more frequently performed via telehealth (pre 0.12% vs post 6.09%) and in the emergency department (pre 9.7% vs post 13.9%;overall p < 0.01). Conclusion: Delays in elective surgery due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were not associated with inguinal hernia complications, but were associated with an increase in diagnosis through telemedicine and emergency department encounters. [Formula presented]

Promoting resiliency in adolescents during a pandemic: A guide for clinicians and parents.

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected every aspect of daily life. Parents of adolescents, in particular, may be facing unique challenges in helping them navigate unexpected changes to their daily routine. This article discusses how adolescents may respond to stressful and traumatic situations and provides recommendations for clinicians who may be advising parents of adolescents or parenting their own children.

The care of patients with Duchenne, Becker, and other muscular dystrophies in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the reorganization of health-care settings affecting clinical care delivery to patients with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DBMD) as well as other inherited muscular dystrophies. The magnitude of the impact of this public health emergency on the care of patients with DBMD is unclear as they are suspected of having an increased risk for severe manifestations of COVID-19. In this article, the authors discuss their consensus recommendations pertaining to care of these patients during the pandemic. We address issues surrounding corticosteroid and exon-skipping treatments, cardiac medications, hydroxychloroquine use, emergency/respiratory care, rehabilitation management, and the conduct of clinical trials. We highlight the importance of collaborative treatment decisions between the patient, family, and health-care provider, considering any geographic or institution-specific policies and precautions for COVID-19. We advocate for continuing multidisciplinary care for these patients using telehealth.