Indigenous health and well-being in the COVID-19 pandemic

This book investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples and assesses the policy responses taken by governments and Indigenous communities across the world. Bringing together innovative research and policy insights from a range of disciplines, this book investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples across the world, with coverage of North America, Central America, Africa, and Oceania. Further, it explores the actions taken by governments and Indigenous communities in addressing the challenges posed by this public health crisis. The book emphasises the social determinants of health and well-being, reflecting on issues such as self-governance, human rights law, housing, socioeconomic conditions, access to health care, culture, environmental deprivation, and resource extraction. Chapters also highlight the resilience and agency of Indigenous Peoples in combating the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the legacy of colonialism, patterns of systemic discrimination, and social exclusion. Providing concrete pathways for improving the conditions of Indigenous Peoples in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this book is essential reading for researchers across indigenous studies, public health, and social policy. © 2023 selection and editorial matter, Nicholas D. Spence and Fatih Sekercioglu. All rights reserved.

Challenges of Conducting Osteoarthritis Quality Improvement Project in an Integrative Clinic During COVID-19

Methods: Patients with OA were identified through EPIC. Those that had a treatment scheduled in the Comprehensive Pain Center at Oregon Health & Science University were contacted and baseline patient reported outcomes (PRO) were obtained. The PRO tools included the Hip dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS), Knee dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and PROMIS Global 10. The PRO were gathered at return visits for one year. Common treatment pathways were assessed using change scores. The OHSU IRB determined that the project did not need IRB oversite due to its QI nature. Results: Due to COVID-19 related changes in treatment patterns and safety precautions-virtual visits for MDs and psychologists, interruptions for acupuncture, chiropractic, massage and Rolfing -PROtools could not be handed to patients prior to visits. A multipronged approach to data gathering was implemented, including telephone and iPad accessed questionnaires. iPads required QR-code generation for participant identification. As of 10/15/2021, 51 patients provide 160 questionnaires. Average age of participants was 62.1 (8.85). Initial PROMIS GLOBAL physical score was 8.7 (SD 0.9) and mental was 10.0 (SD 0.33). Our original proposal estimated that we would have 125 individuals at this point in the project. We will discuss changes in methodology in response to COVID-19. Background: Implementation of a quality improvement (QI) project to understand treatment pathways of osteoarthritis patients (OA) in an integrativemedicine clinic. As the majority of visits shifted to virtual, we had to pivot our project. Conclusion: While COVID-19 created significant barriers to health care, it also created new patterns of utilization in patients with OA. Due to these changes, the methodology of conducting a QI project also had to change. While there were significant obstacles, our QI project was able to continue and new treatment patterns have emerged.

The COVID-19 Pandemic: Informing Policy Decision-Making for a Vulnerable Population

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted society. Vulnerable populations are at heightened risk for exposure, as well as adverse health and social consequences. Policymakers are operating under difficult circumstances, making crucial policy decisions to maximize impact and mitigate harm, with limited scientific evidence. This article examines the pronounced vulnerability of Indigenous Peoples in Canada to the pandemic. We highlight the importance of moving beyond individual-level risk factors associated with COVID-19 by identifying and classifying Indigenous communities most vulnerable to the pandemic. We propose the use of a social diagnostic tool, the Community Well-Being Index, rooted in the social determinants of health, to predict community vulnerability and potentially guide policy decision-making in the fight against COVID-19. © 2020. All Rights Reserved.