A Novel Approach to Locating Community Clinics to Promote Health Care Accessibility and Reduce Health Disparities in Baltimore, Maryland.

Baltimore, Maryland's entrenched racial residential segregation renders the city's world-class medical facilities and services inaccessible to many Black residents living in its most divested neighborhoods. Arguing the need for post-pandemic health care facilities to address health inequities as a practice of care-giving, this article describes a project funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to define a novel, transdisciplinary methodology for identifying ideal vacant sites for conversion into community clinics in Baltimore's most vulnerable neighborhoods. Positioning architecture as a social determinant of health, this paper suggests ethical and methodological reorientations toward a compassionate approach to clinic design and placement.

The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on primary care physicians in Israel, with comparison to an international cohort: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on primary care and primary care physicians (PCPs) in Israel and around the world. There is paucity of information regarding treatment of patients with COVID-19 in the community, since most research was performed in hospitals. The aim of this study was to describe the Israeli PCPs' experience. METHODS: This study is a part of an international cross-sectional study, the PRICOV-19. A translated version of the questionnaire was distributed among Israeli PCPs from December 2020 to July 2021. In this study, we describe the Israeli results and compare them to the international results. RESULTS: 5,961 respondents from 29 countries answered the questionnaire, 94 from Israel, with an Israeli response rate of 16%. Israeli PCPs reported an increase in use of telemedicine from 11 to 49% during the COVID epidemic. PCPs also reported a decline in their wellbeing; absence of secured time slots for keeping updated; perception that the Ministry of Health guidelines were a threat to the staff wellbeing and organization of practice and delays in the examination of non-COVID urgent cases. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study raise concerns regarding the PCPs experience and may form the basis for an improved process of care. Guidelines for proper usage of telemedicine, substitutes for the physical examination and procedures for minimizing delayed patient examination for urgent conditions should be developed. Government directives and clinical guidelines should be communicated in a timely manner, with secured timeslots for physicians' self-learning or updating. Ensuring physicians' well-being in general should be an organization priority.

Access, utilization, perceived quality, and satisfaction with health services at Mohalla (Community) Clinics of Delhi, India.

The first Mohalla or Community clinic was set up in July 2015 in Delhi, India. Four hundred and eighty such clinics were set up in Delhi, since then. This review was conducted to synthesize evidence on access, utilization, functioning, and performance of Mohalla clinics. A desk review of secondary data from published research papers and reports was conducted initially from February-May 2020 and updated in August 2020. Eleven studies were included in the final analysis. Studies have documented that more than half to two-third of beneficiaries at these clinics were women, elderly, poor, and with school education up to primary level. One-third to two-third of all beneficiaries had come to the government primary care facility for the first time. A majority who attended clinics lived within 10 min of walking distances. There was high rate of satisfaction (around 90%) with overall services, doctor-patient interaction time and the people were willing to return for future health needs. Most beneficiaries received consultations, medicines, and diagnostics at no cost. A few challenges such as dispensing of medicines for shorter duration, lack of awareness about the exact location of the clinics, and services available among target beneficiaries, and the incomplete records maintenance and reporting system at facilities were identified. Mohalla Clinics of Delhi ensured continuity of primary care and laboratory services during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In summary, Mohalla Clinics have made primary care accessible and affordable to under-served population (thus, addressed inequities) and brought attention of policy makers on strengthening and investing on health services. The external evaluations and assessments on the performance of these clinics, with robust methodology are needed. The services through these clinics should be expanded to deliver comprehensive package of primary healthcare with inclusion of preventive, promotive, community outreach, and other public health services.

Academic Nurse-Managed Community Clinics Transitioning to Telehealth: Case Report on the Rapid Response to COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many health care organizations have adopted telehealth. The current literature on transitioning to telehealth has mostly been from large health care or specialty care organizations, with limited data from safety net or community clinics. OBJECTIVE: This is a case report on the rapid implementation of a telehealth hub at an academic nurse-managed community clinic in response to the national COVID-19 emergency. We also identify factors of success and challenges associated with the transition to telehealth. METHODS: This study was conducted at the George Mason University Mason and Partners clinic, which serves the dual mission of caring for community clinic patients and providing health professional education. We interviewed the leadership team of Mason and Partners clinics and summarized our findings. RESULTS: Mason and Partners clinics reacted quickly to the COVID-19 crisis and transitioned to telehealth within 2 weeks of the statewide lockdown. Protocols were developed for a coordination hub, a main patient triage and appointment telephone line, a step-by-step flowchart of clinical procedure, and a team structure with clearly defined work roles and backups. The clinics were able to maintain most of its clinical service and health education functions while adapting to new clinic duties that arose during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: The experiences learned from the Mason and Partners clinics are transferable to other safety net clinics and academic nurse-led community clinics. The changes arising from the pandemic have resulted in sustainable procedures, and these changes will have a long-term impact on health care delivery and training.