Evaluation of a community health worker home visit intervention to improve child development in South Africa: A cluster-randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Effective integration of home visit interventions focused on early childhood development into existing service platforms is important for expanding access in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We designed and evaluated a home visit intervention integrated into community health worker (CHW) operations in South Africa. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We conducted a cluster-randomized controlled trial in Limpopo Province, South Africa. CHWs operating in ward-based outreach teams (WBOTs; clusters) and caregiver-child dyads they served were randomized to the intervention or control group. Group assignment was masked from all data collectors. Dyads were eligible if they resided within a participating CHW catchment area, the caregiver was at least 18 years old, and the child was born after December 15, 2017. Intervention CHWs were trained on a job aid that included content on child health, nutrition, developmental milestones, and encouragement to engage in developmentally appropriate play-based activities, for use during regular monthly home visits with caregivers of children under 2 years of age. Control CHWs provided the local standard of care. Household surveys were administered to the full study sample at baseline and endline. Data were collected on household demographics and assets; caregiver engagement; and child diet, anthropometry, and development scores. In a subsample of children, electroencephalography (EEG) and eye-tracking measures of neural function were assessed at a lab concurrent with endline and at 2 interim time points. Primary outcomes were as follows: height-for-age z-scores (HAZs) and stunting; child development scores measured using the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool (MDAT); EEG absolute gamma and total power; relative EEG gamma power; and saccadic reaction time (SRT)-an eye-tracking measure of visual processing speed. In the main analysis, unadjusted and adjusted impacts were estimated using intention-to-treat analysis. Adjusted models included a set of demographic covariates measured at baseline. On September 1, 2017, we randomly assigned 51 clusters to intervention (26 clusters, 607 caregiver-child dyads) or control (25 clusters, 488 caregiver-child dyads). At endline (last assessment June 11, 2021), 432 dyads (71%) in 26 clusters remained in the intervention group, and 332 dyads (68%) in 25 clusters remained in the control group. In total, 316 dyads attended the first lab visit, 316 dyads the second lab visit, and 284 dyads the third lab visit. In adjusted models, the intervention had no significant impact on HAZ (adjusted mean difference (aMD) 0.11 [95% confidence interval (CI): -0.07, 0.30]; p = 0.220) or stunting (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.63 [0.32, 1.25]; p = 0.184), nor did the intervention significantly impact gross motor skills (aMD 0.04 [-0.15, 0.24]; p = 0.656), fine motor skills (aMD -0.04 [-0.19, 0.11]; p = 0.610), language skills (aMD -0.02 [-0.18, 0.14]; p = 0.820), or social-emotional skills (aMD -0.02 [-0.20, 0.16]; p = 0.816). In the lab subsample, the intervention had a significant impact on SRT (aMD -7.13 [-12.69, -1.58]; p = 0.012), absolute EEG gamma power (aMD -0.14 [-0.24, -0.04]; p = 0.005), and total EEG power (aMD -0.15 [-0.23, -0.08]; p < 0.001), and no significant impact on relative gamma power (aMD 0.02 [-0.78, 0.83]; p = 0.959). While the effect on SRT was observed at the first 2 lab visits, it was no longer present at the third visit, which coincided with the overall endline assessment. At the end of the first year of the intervention period, 43% of CHWs adhered to monthly home visits. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were not able to assess outcomes until 1 year after the end of the intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: While the home visit intervention did not significantly impact linear growth or skills, we found significant improvement in SRT. This study contributes to a growing literature documenting the positive effects of home visit interventions on child development in LMICs. This study also demonstrates the feasibility of collecting markers of neural function like EEG power and SRT in low-resource settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PACTR 201710002683810; https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/TrialDisplay.aspx?TrialID=2683; South African Clinical Trials Registry, SANCTR 4407.

Home medical care for patients with covid-19 / Atención médica a domicilio en pacientes con covid-19

La atención de salud en domicilio es un servicio que brindan los profesionales sanitarios en los hogares de los pacientes en tiempos de pandemia por Covid-19; este servicio sufrió alteraciones en su proceso desde la planificación hasta la atención. Objetivo: Describir el proceso de atención medica a domicilio en pacientes con covid-19. Materiales y Método: Con el objetivo de describir el proceso de atención médica en domicilio a pacientes con Covid-19, se realiza el presente artículo elaborado como una revisión bibliográfica; de un nivel de investigación tipo descriptivo en donde se realizó un análisis sistemático de los documentos encontrados en la web. Resultados: Se encontraron estudios relacionados, donde indican que las visitas domiciliarias a personas con Covid-19 y se priorizó la identificación temprana de los signos de peligro. Conclusión: A pesar del riesgo de contagio de los profesionales de salud, continuaron realizando las visitas domiciliarias brindando una atención médica adecuada(AU)

Home health care is a service provided by health professionals in patients' homes in times of the Covid-19 pandemic; This service suffered changes in its process from planning to care. Objective: To describe the process of home health care in patients with covid-19Materials and Method: With the aim of describing the process of medical care at home for patients with Covid-19, this article is prepared as a bibliographic review; of a descriptive type research level where a systematic analysis of the documents found on the web was carried out. Results: Related studies were found, indicating that home visits to people with Covid-19 and early identification of danger signs were prioritized. Conclusion: Despite the risk of infection of health professionals, they continued to make home visits providing adequate medical care(AU)

Utilisation of after-hours telephone support in a home-based hospice service.

BACKGROUND: After-hours support from hospice providers is instrumental to patients with serious illness who choose to remain at home, particularly at end of life. Utilisation of out-of-hours support has been much characterised in terms of frequency and nature of calls, but more needs to be known to inform service customisation and resource allocation to optimise care. To this end, we stratify reasons for using the after-hours helpline according to time sensitivity, and to explore disease and person factors associated with urgent calls. METHOD: Electronic medical records for incoming calls from external parties outside workhours within a large home hospice in Singapore were analysed inductively, to identify patterns and associations along study objectives. Individual code books for caller type and call reasons were created and tested in vivo, and later administered to extracted data. Patients that accessed the helpline were tracked for different outcomes, including hospital admissions and on-call home visits. Logistic regression modelling was performed to categorise call reasons by urgency and to identify disease and person factors associated with time sensitive calls. RESULTS: More than 5,000 calls to the helpline were made over a two-year period (2019-2020), predominantly by family caregivers (88.4%). These were in relation to 2,303 unique patients (38.9% of total patients served). After-hours calls were made an average of 2.3 times by patients across various lengths of service. Only 11.9% of calls were deemed time sensitive or urgent, requiring home visits by on-call staff (4%) or resulting in admission to hospital (7.9%). The majority were managed by primary care teams on the next workday (65.1%) and the remainder sorted during the after-hours call itself (22.3%). Call reasons or presenting issues were classified into two groups according to urgency. Calls in the year 2020, from the younger patient, preferred place of death outside the home, and caller types other than patient or healthcare worker were significantly associated with urgent calls. CONCLUSION: Deeper characterisation of after-hours calls offers possibilities: service redesign for optimal resourcing and customised training for better care. Ultimately, planners, providers, and patients all stand to benefit.

Telesimulation about home visits and child care: facilitators, barriers and perception of Nursing students.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the facilitators, barriers and perceptions of Nursing students in learning about home visiting and child care through Telesimulation during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: a qualitative study to evaluate Telesimulation via computers, grounded on Kolb's theoretical model. A semi-structured questionnaire and the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning Scale were applied, with descriptive analysis and qualitative thematic analysis on the perceptions of 41 Nursing students. RESULTS: the contextualized Telesimulation provided learning opportunities in dimensions of the pedagogical strategy, telesimulated scenario, communication and specificities of child care in home visits. It was considered a safe and dynamic activity that helped knowledge consolidation and reflective attitudes, proximity to reality, and develop interaction, observation and types of approaches. There were restrictions due to Internet connection failures. A large percentage of the students indicated good satisfaction and self-confidence level with learning in the scale applied. CONCLUSION: the real clinical situation with remote immersion allowed observation, decision-making, reflection and elaboration of conclusions, inherent to the experiential learning cycle. The set of elements of this Telesimulation created an environment that stimulated the interest of Nursing students for other learning stages, suggesting a space that strengthens knowledge and maintains dialogue with face-to-face practices.

Expansion of a House Calls Program for Patients With Dementia During COVID-19.

Homebound older adults with dementia have increased health care use, hospitalization rates, and mortality risk, which are associated with considerable health care costs. A large, unmet need for individuals with dementia is home-based medical care. Although our institution has had a primary care program for homebound patients since 2019, we did not have an analogous program for patients with dementia before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. However, with increased health risks and challenges associated with the pandemic, we rapidly expanded the program to include facility-based older adults with dementia. We incorporated telemedicine and home-based visits to effectively provide patient-centered care that was aligned with their goals and preferences, and we describe a program example of how we provided care during a COVID-19 outbreak in a large facility. Further research is needed to capture potential cost savings and hospitalization rates for persons with dementia who receive home-based medical care. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(10), 21-25.].

Post-partum Women's Anxiety and Parenting Stress: Home-Visiting Protective Effect During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a particularly adverse and stressful environment for expecting mothers, possibly enhancing feelings of anxiety and parenting stress. The present work assesses mothers' anxiety levels at delivery and parenting stress after 3 months as moderated by home-visiting sessions. METHODS: Women (n = 177) in their second or third trimester of pregnancy during the COVID-19 lockdown were enrolled in northern Italy and split into those who did and did not receive home visits. After 3 months, the association between anxiety at delivery and parenting stress was assessed with bivariate correlations in the whole sample and comparing the two groups. RESULTS: Higher anxiety at birth correlated with greater perceived stress after 3 months. Mothers who received at least one home-visiting session reported lower parenting stress at 3 months than counterparts who did not receive home visits. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE: The perinatal period is a sensitive time window for mother-infant health, especially during a critical time like the COVID-19 pandemic. We suggest that home-visiting programs could be beneficial during global healthcare emergencies to promote maternal well-being after delivery.

Effect of a Short Course on Improving the Cadres' Knowledge in the Context of Reducing Stunting through Home Visits in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Background: Stunting is primarily a public health concern in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). The involvement of Integrated Health Service Post (Indonesian: Posyandu) cadres is among the strategies to combat stunting in Indonesia. Objective: This study aimed to determine the effect of a short course on cadres' knowledge. Method: A single group pre-test post-test design was conducted in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from March to May 2022. Thirty cadres were selected based on the following criteria: willingness to participate, the number of stunted children in their Posyandu, able to read and write, and full attendance at the short course. The knowledge scores were measured by a questionnaire using true and false answers after a short course (post-test 1) and 4 weeks later (post-test 2). We apply STATA 16 to calculate the Mean Difference (MD) using a t-test and a Generalized Estimated Equation (GEE). Furthermore, the adequacy of the short course was evaluated with in-depth interviews. Result: GEE analysis showed that after controlling for age, education, occupation, and years of experience, the short course improved cadres' knowledge significantly on post-tests 1 and 2, i.e., knowledge regarding Children Growth Monitoring (CGM) (Beta = 6.07, 95%CI: 5.10-7.03 and Beta = 8.57, 95%CI: 7.60-9.53, respectively), Children Development Monitoring (CDM) (Beta = 6.70, 95%CI: 5.75-7.65 and Beta = 9.27, 95%CI: 8.31-10.22, respectively), and Infant Young Children Feeding (IYCF) (Beta = 5.83, 95%CI: 4.44-7.23 and Beta = 11.7, 95%CI: 10.31-13.09, respectively). Furthermore, the short course increased their self-efficacy, confidence, and ability to assist stunted children through home visits. Conclusion: The short courses consistently and significantly boosted cadres' knowledge of CGM, CDM, and IYCF, and appropriately facilitated cadres in visits to the homes of stunted children's home.

Changes in home visit utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multicenter cross-sectional web-based survey.

OBJECTIVE: Home care is one of the essential community health care services; thus, identifying changes of home care utilization before and during the COVID-19 pandemic would be useful for researchers and policymaker to reconsider the home care system, the support needed for home care staff, and the collaborative system with hospitals in the COVID-19 era. We conducted a multicenter cross-sectional web-based anonymous survey of the directors of home visit facilities in Japan in August 2021. RESULTS: A total of 33 participants from 37 facilities responded to the survey. The number of patients dying at home and newly requested home visits increased during the COVID-19 pandemic (74.2%, 71.0%). One possible reason was the restricted visitation of inpatient facilities (93.5%). The underlying disease that the largest number of participants perceived as having increased compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic was cancer (51.6%). There were no significant differences in being in a rural area or the number of doctors in perceived changes in home visit utilization. Our study indicated that the director of home visit facilities thought the number of patients dying at home and newly requested home visits had increased compared with before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Users with Mental Illness of Home Visit Nursing Services in Japan.

This study aims to clarify the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of users with mental illness of home visit nursing services. We sent a questionnaire to 1,740 home visit nursing station managers, 374 (21.5%) of whom responded. The total number of valid responses was 328, which amounted to 87.7% of the returned surveys. In total, 103 (31.4%) stations reported that their users' mental health deteriorated owing to the spread of COVID-19. Eighty-nine (86.4%) stations reported that their users' anxiety increased. More than 80% of the stations explained infection control measures to their users, but 194 (59.1%) stations answered that their users found it challenging to practice cleanliness. A total of 207 (63.1%) stations answered that the promotion of strategies for coping with stress is necessary for their users. Users with mental illness are vulnerable to stress and have a higher risk of death due to COVID-19. Thus, they should be carefully observed and referred to facilities if required. Home visit nursing staff have an important role to play in the preservation of the well-being of their users with mental illness during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clinic navigation and home visits to improve asthma care in low income adults with poorly controlled asthma: Before and during the pandemic.

Asthma-related deaths, hospitalizations, and emergency visits are more numerous among low-income patients, yet management guidelines do not address this high-risk group's special needs. We recently demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary evidence of effectiveness of two interventions to improve access to care, patient-provider communication, and asthma outcomes: 1) Clinic Intervention (CI): study staff facilitated patient preparations for office visits, attended visits, and afterwards confirmed patient understanding of physician recommendations, and 2) Home Visit (HV) by community health workers for care coordination and informing clinicians of home barriers to managing asthma. The current project, denominated "HAP3," combines these interventions for greater effectiveness, delivery of guideline-based asthma care, and asthma control for low-income patients recruited from 6 primary care and 3 asthma specialty practices. We assess whether patients of clinicians receiving guideline-relevant, real-time feedback on patient health and home status have better asthma outcomes. In a pragmatic factorial longitudinal trial, HAP3 enrolls 400 adults with uncontrolled asthma living in low-income urban neighborhoods. 100 participants will be randomized to each of four interventions: (1) CI, (2) CI with HVs, (3) CI and real-time feedback to asthma clinician of guideline-relevant elements of patients' current care, or (4) both (2) and (3). The outcomes are asthma control, quality of life, ED visits, hospitalizations, prednisone bursts, and intervention costs. The COVID-19 pandemic struck 6.5 months into recruitment. We describe study development, design, methodology, planned analysis, baseline findings and adaptions to achieve the original aims of improving patient-clinician communication and asthma outcomes despite the markedly changed pandemic environment.

Reducing Medication Problems among Minority Individuals with Low Socioeconomic Status through Pharmacist Home Visits.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, pharmacists conducted home visits for individuals of medically underserved populations in Taiwan (i.e., socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals, middle-aged or older adults, and individuals living alone, with dementia, or with disabilities) to understand their medication habits. We quantified medication problems among various groups and investigated whether the pharmacist home visits helped to reduce the medication problems. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From April 2016 to March 2019, pharmacists visited the homes of the aforementioned medically underserved individuals in Taipei to evaluate their drug-related problems and medication problems. Age, living alone, diagnoses of dementia or disabilities, and socioeconomic disadvantages contributed significantly to inadequate disease and medical treatment knowledge and self-care skills as well as lifestyle inappropriateness among patients. The patients who were living alone and socioeconomically disadvantaged stored their drugs in inappropriate environments. RESULTS: After the pharmacists visited the patients' homes twice, the patients improved considerably in their disease and medical treatment knowledge, self-care skills, and lifestyles (p < 0.001). Problems related to the uninstructed reduction or discontinuation of drug use (p < 0.05) and use of expired drugs (p < 0.001) were also mitigated substantially. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Through the home visits, the pharmacists came to fully understand the medicine (including Chinese medicine) and health food usage behaviors of the patients and their lifestyles, enabling them to provide thorough health education. After the pharmacists' home visits, the patients' drug-related problems were mitigated, and their knowledge of diseases, drug compliance, and drug storage methods and environments improved, reducing drug waste. Our findings can help policymakers address the medication problems of various medically underserved groups, thereby improving the utilization of limited medical resources.

Exploring agreement and feasibility between virtual home visits and in-person home visits for peritoneal dialysis patients-a paired study.

INTRODUCTION: Virtual home visits may improve chronic disease management. However, whether they are suitable for peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients has not yet been fully investigated. This study aimed to compare the agreement and acceptance of virtual home visits and in-person home visits in PD patients. METHODS: This was a paired, single center, noninferiority trial. Participants received a virtual home visit and an in-person home visit simultaneously. A home visit checklist was built for standardization visits. The content was divided into three parts: domestic habits (57 items), bag exchange procedures (56 items), and exit site care (53 items). Satisfaction questionnaires for both patients and nurses were designed to assess attitudes toward home visits and socioeconomic effects. RESULTS: A total of 30 PD patients were enrolled in a single center. The information collected from virtual home visits and in-person home visits was found to be highly consistent. The perfect agreement was found in 52/57, 49/56, and 44/53 items (Cohen's kappa 0.81-1.00), substantial agreement in 4/57, 7/56, and 8/53 items (Cohen's kappa 0.61-0.80). Patients reported almost identical satisfaction for virtual home visits and in-person home visits (Z = 0.39, p = 0.70). PD nurses reported similar feasibility and patient cooperation for the two visit types (Z = 0.99, p = 0.33; Z = 1.65, p = 0.10, respectively). In addition, virtual home visits were found to be more cost-effective than in-person home visits. CONCLUSIONS: Virtual home visits information collection was similar to in-person home visits in PD. There were no differences in participant satisfaction and feasibility between the two visit types.

The role of after-hours house-call medical service in the treatment of COVID-19 patients awaiting hospital admission: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT: Due to the increasing number of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases in Japan, hospitals are unable to provide admission and immediate inpatient care. The after-hours house call (AHHC) service offers telephone consultations and in-home care to patients awaiting admission. Currently, there is no report on the management of COVID-19 patients when inpatient beds are insufficient.We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and outcomes of COVID-19 patients treated by an AHHC medical service in Osaka and Tokyo, between April and May 2021 (during the fourth wave in Japan). Patients were classified into 2 groups: Moderate I and Moderate II, according to the severity of infection under Japanese guidelines. A retrospective study of the hospital records and follow-up telephone consultations was performed.The AHHC treated a total of 55 COVID-19 patients (17 with Moderate I, 38 with Moderate II disease). The median ages (interquartile range) were 63 (49-80.5) and 64 (50.8-81), respectively. In each group, approximately 30% of AHHC patients received out-of-hospital oxygen therapy for the duration of their treatment until it was no longer required. Major symptoms, including shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (47.1% and 78.9%, respectively) and fever or chills (41.2% and 76.3%, respectively) were lower in the Moderate I group than in the Moderate II group. Overall, 16.4% of patients died, with 17.6% in the Moderate I group and 15.8% in the Moderate II group.We found the proportion of mortality in patients treated by the AHHC was slightly higher to that of patients treated in Japanese hospitals. This study will provide an alternative management of patients requiring oxygen in situations where hospital beds are in short supply.

Sustained nurse home-visiting with culturally and linguistically diverse families: Australian nurses' perspectives.

BACKGROUND: In Australia, sustained nurse home-visiting (SNHV) programs are designed and implemented to promote positive outcomes for mothers with young children experiencing complex life challenges. Despite the crucial role of trained public health nurses, there is a dearth of research about their experiences delivering these programs to culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) families with limited English proficiency (LEP). AIM: This study aimed to explore the experiences of public health nurses in providing services to CALD families with LEP. METHOD: Two focus groups were conducted with 13 public health nurses in two major local health districts in Sydney. The focus groups were audio recorded for transcription purposes, and thematically analyzed. A socioecological framework was applied during the analysis process. RESULT: Five major themes were identified: (1) program issues; (2) service system issues in understanding and responding to diverse women; (3) issues working with interpreters; (4) trusting relationships; and (5) mother-related facilitators. DISCUSSION: To achieve better access and engagement for CALD families, it is crucial that public health nurses increase their knowledge and awareness about potential challenges, such as female interpreter availability, and facilitators, such as engaging the broader family, in order to effectively deliver healthcare services to diverse populations.

Home Visiting Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Program Activity Analysis for Family Connects.

PURPOSE: Early reports highlighted challenges in delivering home visiting programs virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic but the extent of the changes in program implementation and their implications remains unknown. We examine program activity and families' perceptions of virtual home visiting during the first nine months of the pandemic using implementation data for Family Connects (FC), an evidence-based and MIECHV-eligible, postpartum nurse home visiting program. DESCRIPTION: Aggregate program implementation data for five FC sites for January-November of 2019 and 2020 are compared. The COVID-19 Modification Survey is used to analyze families' reactions to virtual program delivery. ASSESSMENT: Post-pandemic onset, FC's program completion rates amounted to 86% of the pre-pandemic activity level. Activity in key components of the intervention-home-visitor education and referrals to community agencies-was maintained at 98% and 87% of the pre-pandemic level respectively. However, education and referrals rates declined among families of color and low-income families. Finally, families reported a positive response to the program, with declines in feelings of isolation and increases in positive attitudes toward in-person medical care-seeking due to FC visits. CONCLUSIONS: During the first nine months of the COVID-19 pandemic, families' interest in home visiting remained strong, performance metrics were maintained at high levels, and families responded positively to the virtual delivery of home visiting. Home visiting programs should continue implementation with virtual modifications during the remainder of the pandemic but attention is needed to address growing disparities in access to home visiting benefits among marginalized communities.

Introduction of Special Section of Infant Mental Health Journal: Meeting the needs of vulnerable infants and families during COVID-19: Moving to a telehealth approach for home visiting implementation and research.

Parents of infants and young children who experience harsh circumstances are among those most vulnerable to the added stressors associated with COVID-19. Home visiting models have been shown to enhance outcomes for parents and infants when delivered in person, but in many parts of the world, the pandemic rendered in-person home visits difficult or impossible. In this special section, we examine adaptations made by home visiting programs to allow continued service delivery through telehealth, and strategies for assessing whether interventions maintain reach and fidelity when implemented remotely. In the first paper, Bullinger et al. (program implementers of SafeCare) provide evidence of the increased risk of maltreatment during COVID-19 for many families, and thus the need for home visiting services. Rybinska et al., developers and implementers of Family Connects, present evidence regarding their success in reaching families through telehealth. Roben and colleagues, in the third paper, report that clinicians implementing Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up through telehealth maintained fidelity at similar rates seen through in-person implementation. Finally, Tabachnick et al. describe procedures for collecting physiological data from infants and parents while conducting assessments remotely.

Transitioning to virtual interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: Impact on the family connects postpartum home visiting program activity.

In this paper, we analyze program activity for Family Connects (FC), an evidence-based postpartum home-visiting intervention, during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic began, FC transitioned to a virtual protocol which maintains key psychosocial components of the in-person protocol and adjusts health assessments to address the lack of in-person contact. Program performance is contrasted for periods before the pandemic onset (April 2019-March 2020) and after the onset (April 2020-March 2021), involving 10,280 scheduled visits and 6696 visited families (46% non-Hispanic white; 20% non-Hispanic Black; 23% Hispanic; and 10% other race). Post-pandemic onset, FC program participation rates were at 89.8% of pre-pandemic levels. Home visitors observed post-onset increases in families' concerns about home safety but declines in families' needs related to infant care. Community connections were facilitated for 42.9% of visited families post-pandemic onset compared to 51.1% pre-pandemic onset. We conclude that post-pandemic onset virtual delivery rates of FC declined but are high enough to merit continued implementation during a period when some families will decline in-person visits. When in-person visits are deemed safe per public health guidelines, the findings suggest a hybrid approach that could maximize program outreach by prioritizing in-person contact and offering virtual delivery as a second choice.

En este ensayo, analizamos la actividad de programación de Conexión de Familia (FC), una intervención de visitas a casa posteriores al parto con base en la evidencia, durante la pandemia COVID-19. Cuando comenzó la pandemia, FC pasó a un protocolo virtual el cual mantiene componentes sicosociales claves del protocolo presencial y ajusta las evaluaciones de salud para considerar la falta de contacto personal. La actuación del programa se contrasta por períodos antes del comienzo de la pandemia (abril 2019 - marzo 2020) y después del comienzo (abril 2020 - marzo 2021), lo cual involucra 10,280 visitas y 6,696 familias visitadas (46% blancas no hispanas, 20% negras no hispanas, 23% hispanas, 10% de otras razas). Al comienzo de la postpandemia, el nivel de participación en el programa FC estaba al 89.8% del nivel de prepandemia. Los visitantes a casa observaron aumentos posteriores al comienzo en preocupaciones de las familias sobre la seguridad del hogar, pero bajas en necesidades familiares relacionadas con el cuidado de los infantes. Las conexiones comunitarias se facilitaron para el 42.9% de las familias visitadas después del comienzo de la pandemia, comparadas con el 51.1% antes del comienzo de la pandemia. En resumen, la actividad de programación de FC declinó después del comienzo de la pandemia, pero se mantuvo suficientemente alta como para ameritar la continuación de la implementación durante un período cuando algunas familias rechazaron las visitas en persona. Cuando las visitas en persona se estiman seguras según las directrices de salud pública, los resultados indican que un acercamiento híbrido pudiera conducir al máximo el alcance del programa por medio de darle prioridad al contacto en persona y ofrecer el servicio virtual como segunda opción.

Dans cet article nous analysons l'activité de programme pour une Family Connects (FC), une intervention postpartum à domicile fondée sur des données probantes, durant la pandémie du COVID-19. Lorsque la pandémie a commencé la FC a transitionné à protocole virtuel qui maintient les composantes psychosociales clé du protocole en personne et ajusté les évaluations de santé afin de répondre au manque de contact en personne. La performance du programme est comparée pour des périodes avant le début de la pandémie (avril 2019-mars 2020) et après le début de la pandémie (avril 2020-mars 2021), comprenant 10280 visites programmées et 6696 familles visitées (46% de blancs n'étant pas hispaniques, 20% de noirs n'étant pas hispaniques, 23% d'hispaniques et 10% d'autres races). Les taux de participation au programme FC, après le début de la pandémie, étaient à 89,8% des niveaux avant pandémie. Les visiteurs à domicile ont observé des augmentations des inquiétudes des familles à propos de la sécurité à la maison après le début de la pandémie mais des déclins dans les besoins familiaux liés au soin du nourrisson. Les liens avec la communauté ont été facilités pour 42,9% des familles visitées après le début de la pandémie, comparé à 51,1% avant le début de la pandémie. Pour conclure, l'activité de programme du FC a décliné après le début de la pandémie mais est restée suffisamment élevée pour mériter une exécution continue durant une période où certaines familles ont décliné les visites à domicile. Quand les visites à domicile ont été estimées sûres suivant les directives de santé publique les résultats suggèrent qu'une approche hybride pourrait maximiser la sensibilisation au programme en privilégiant le contact en personne et en offrant une prestation virtuelle comme second choix.

Transitions to virtual early childhood home visitation during COVID-19.

COVID-19 has disrupted many of the preventive service sectors designed to promote infant mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine provider and supervisor transition strategies as well as maternal-child outcomes during the transition from in-person to virtual early childhood home visitation services in Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County is one of the largest home visitation sectors in the U.S. and disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Transitioning from in-person to virtual home visitation was an important step in ensuring the continuity of infant mental health services. Home visitors reported relative ease in transitioning to virtual services themselves but noted that families encountered greater difficulty. The most helpful strategies to support this transition included training, ongoing reflective supervision, and provision of technology. Family level analysis revealed that positive screening rates for anxiety and depression decreased during the pandemic as did referrals for most support services. These findings likely highlight challenges in delivering virtual home visitation. Understanding how transitions in a key infant serving sector were managed serves an important role in forecasting for the future and preparing for future public heath emergencies.

El COVID-19 ha interrumpido muchos de los sectores de servicios preventivos diseñados para promover la salud mental infantil. El propósito de este estudio es examinar las estrategias de transición del proveedor y del supervisor, así como también los resultados materno-infantiles durante la transición de los servicios de visitas en la temprana niñez a casa, presenciales a virtuales, en el Condado Los Ángeles. El Condado Los Ángeles es uno de los más grandes sectores de visitas a casa en los Estados Unidos y desproporcionalmente afectado por la pandemia del COVID-19. La transición de las visitas a casa presenciales a virtuales fue un importante paso para asegurar la continuidad de los servicios de salud mental infantil. Los visitadores a casa reportaron una facilidad relativa en el proceso de transición a los servicios virtuales para sí mismos, pero notaron que las familias encontraron mayor dificultad. Entre las estrategias que más ayudaron a apoyar esta transición se incluyen el entrenamiento, la continuada supervisión con reflexión y el suministro de tecnología. Los análisis del nivel familiar revelaron que los positivos puntajes de detección de la ansiedad y depresión disminuyeron durante la pandemia como también sucedió con las referencias a la mayoría de los servicios de apoyo. Estos resultados subrayan probablemente los retos de ofrecer las visitas virtuales a casa. Comprender cómo las transiciones en un sector clave de servicios a infantes se manejaron sirve como un importante papel para pronosticar el futuro y prepararse para las futuras emergencias en el campo de la salud pública.

Le COVID-19 a perturbé bien des secteurs de service de prévention conçus pour promouvoir la santé mentale du nourrisson. Le but de cette étude est d'examiner les stratégies de transition du prestataire et du superviseur durant la transition de services de visite à domicile de la petite enfance en personne à virtuels dans le Comté de Los Angeles aux Etats-Unis. Le Comté de la ville de Los Angeles est l'un des plus grands secteurs de visites à domicile aux Etats-Unis et disproportionnellement impacté par la pandémie du COVID-19. La transition d'une visite à domicile en personne à une visite virtuelle a été un pas important pour s'assurer de la continuité des services de santé mentale du nourrisson. Les visiteurs à domicile ont fait état d'une facilité relative dans la transition aux services virtuels en eux-mêmes mais ont noté que les familles faisaient face à une difficulté plus grande. Les stratégies les plus utiles pour soutenir cette transition ont inclus la formation, la réflexion continue de la supervision et l'aide de la technologie. Les analyses au niveau familial ont révélé que des taux de dépistage positifs pour l'anxiété et la dépression ont baissé durant la pandémie comme l'ont fait les références pour la plupart des services de soutien. Ces résultats mettent en lumière les défis rencontrés par la visite virtuelle à domicile. Comprendre comment, dans un secteur clé de service au nourrisson, les transitions sont gérées sert un rôle important pour prévoir le futur et se préparer à des urgences de santé publique dans le futur.

Evaluating child maltreatment and family violence risk during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Using a telehealth home visiting program as a conduit to families.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many child maltreatment risk factors and may have affected maltreatment among vulnerable families. We surveyed 258 certified providers of an evidence-based home visiting program, SafeCare, about their perception of the impact of the pandemic on the families they serve. We examined if the providers perceived an overall change in child maltreatment and family violence risk among the families with young children they served and factors that may have contributed to changes. Regressions estimated the relationship between providers' assessment of families' ability to social distance, emotional struggles, and access to public resources/services with providers' perception of child maltreatment and family violence risk in the home. Findings indicate that 87% of providers believed maltreatment risk had increased during the pandemic. Providers serving families who were unable to social distance due to employment were more likely to report increased supervisory neglect and material neglect among the families they serve. Providers reporting that families were struggling with elevated frustration levels also reported more family conflict and material neglect among the families they serve. Results from this research can inform strategic decision-making for policies and programs that address the challenges low-income families with young children face in emergency situations.

La pandemia del COVID-19 ha afectado muchos factores de riesgo de maltrato del niño y pudiera haber afectado el maltrato en familias vulnerables. Les preguntamos en una encuesta a 258 proveedores certificados de un programa de visitas a casa con base en la evidencia, SafeCare®, acerca de sus percepciones del impacto de la pandemia en las familias a quienes les ofrecían el servicio. Examinamos si los proveedores percibían un cambio general en el maltrato del niño y el riesgo de violencia familiar en familias con niños pequeños a las que les servían y los factores que pudieran haber contribuido a los cambios. Las regresiones calcularon la relación entre la evaluación de los proveedores acerca de la habilidad de la familia para mantener la distancia social física, los problemas emocionales, así como el acceso a recursos y servicios públicos, con la percepción de los proveedores acerca del maltrato infantil y el riesgo de violencia familiar en la casa. Los resultados indican que el 87 por ciento de los proveedores creía que el riesgo de maltrato había aumentado durante la pandemia. Aquellos proveedores que les servían a familias que no podían mantener la distancia social física debido al empleo, estuvieron más propensas a reportar el aumento en la negligencia de supervisión y la negación de material en las familias a quienes les servían. Los proveedores que reportaron que las familias estaban luchando con elevados niveles de frustración también reportaron más conflicto familiar y negación de material en las familias a las que les servían. Los resultados de esta investigación pueden apoyar la toma de decisiones estratégica para políticas y programas que se enfoquen en los retos que enfrentan las familias de bajos recursos con niños pequeños en situaciones de emergencia.

La pandémie du COVID-19 a affecté bien des facteurs de risque de la maltraitance de l'enfant et peut avoir affecté la maltraitance chez les familles vulnérables. Nous avons questionné 258 prestataires certifiés d'un programme de visite à domicile fondé sur des données probantes, SafeCare®, sur leur perception de l'impact de la pandémie sur les familles qu'ils servent. Nous avons examiné si les prestataires ont perçu un changement général de la maltraitance de l'enfant et dans le risque de violence familiale au sein des familles avec les jeunes enfants qu'ils servaient et les facteurs qui ont pu contribuer à ces changements. Des régressions ont estimé la relation entre l'évaluation qu'ont fait les prestataires de la capacité des familles à assurer la distanciation sociale, des difficutés émotionnelles et de l'accès aux resources/services publiques avec la perception des prestataires de la maltraitance de l'enfant et du risque de violence familiale à la maison. Les résultats indiquent que 87 pourcent des prestataires pensaient que le risque de maltraitance avait augmenté durant la pandémie. Les prestataires servant les familles qui ne pouvaient pas assurer la distanciation sociale à cause de leur emploi étaient plus à même de faire état d'une négligence acrue de la supervision et de négligence matérielle chez les familles qu'ils servent. Les prestataires indiquant que les familles faisaient face à des difficultés avec des niveaux de frustration élevés ont aussi fait état de plus de conflit familial et de néglicence matérielle chez les familles qu'ils servent. Les résultats de ces recherches peuvent aider les prises de décision stratégiques pour les politiques et les programmes qui répondent aux défis des familles défavorisées avec de jeunes enfants dans des situations d'urgence.