Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID): A Novel Strategy to Build Community Trust.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to promote COVID-19 vaccination uncovered the effects of longstanding structural racism and perpetuated the erosion of community trust in science and public health institutions. Rebuilding trust is a priority to overcome barriers to vaccine uptake. Bridging Research, Accurate Information and Dialogue (BRAID) is a model that combines several evidence-based approaches to nurture trusting relationships with community experts, leading to the dissemination of accurate, timely, and acceptable COVID-19 vaccine messages. OBJECTIVE: To describe an innovative community-engaged participatory research model with the potential to build trust and spread accurate health information through social networks. METHODS: BRAID provided safe spaces for a series of facilitated conversation circles involving trusted community experts and invited clinicians and scientists. Community experts were encouraged to share their experiences, raise concerns, and ask pandemic-related questions in an informal setting. Community experts were empowered to codesign and coproduce accurate health messages acceptable to their communities. To gain insight into the process of building trust, dialogues involving 22 community experts were transcribed and coded, and post survey data from 21 participants were analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: BRAID is a manualized community engagement model that aims to build the trust needed to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake in historically marginalized communities. Through BRAID, participants developed increased trust in health systems and research. By empowering community experts to share information through their established social networks, BRAID has the potential to amplify the reach and impact of communications regarding health topics that are controversial and divisive, such as COVID-19 vaccination.

What matters to us: Bridging research and accurate information through dialogue (BRAID) to build community trust and cultivate vaccine confidence.

Despite higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 infections and mortality, vaccine uptake in Black and Latinx populations remained disproportionately low, including in the Bronx, New York. In response, we used the Bridging Research, Accurate Information, and Dialogue (BRAID) model to elicit community members' COViD-19 vaccine-related perspectives and informational needs and inform strategies to improve vaccine acceptance. We conducted a longitudinal qualitative study over 13 months (May 2021-June 2022), with 25 community experts from the Bronx including community health workers, and representatives from community-based organizations. Each expert participated in 1-5 of the 12 conversation circles conducted via Zoom. Clinicians and scientists, attended circles to provide additional information in content areas identified by the experts. Inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the conversations. Five overarching themes, related to trust, emerged: (1) disparate and unjust treatment from institutions; (2) the impact of rapidly changing COVID messages in the lay press (a different story every day); (3) influencers of vaccine intention; (4) strategies to build community trust; and (5) what matters to community experts [us]. Our findings highlighted the influence of factors, such as health communication, on trust (or lack thereof) and vaccine intention. They also reinforce that creating safe spaces for dialogue and listening and responding to community concerns in real time are effective trust-building strategies. The BRAID model fostered open discussion about the factors that influence vaccine uptake and empowered participants to share accurate information with their community. Our experience suggests that the model can be adapted to address many public health issues.

Health Care Worker Burnout and Perceived Capacity to Address Social Needs.

Health care organizations are increasingly incorporating social care programs into medical care delivery models. Recent studies have identified burnout as a potential unintended consequence of this expansion. Successful implementation of these programs requires investment in the health care team, although understanding the impact of this expansion on nonphysician team members remains limited. Utilizing a theory-informed model for organizational behavior change, the authors aim to characterize the perceived elements of capacity to address patients' social needs within a heterogenous group of health care workers, and to examine the association of these behavioral conditions with burnout. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of a survey of ∼1900 health care staff from 46 organizations in a large delivery system. Exploratory factor analysis identified factors contributing to the "Perceived Capacity to Address Social Needs" domain; Motivation, Organizational Reinforcement, and 3 task-specific capacities (Identification of social needs, Providing care for patients with social needs, and Linkage to social needs resources). Logistic regression found both a lower sense of motivation (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.59-0.86), and organizational reinforcement (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.42-0.62) associated with a higher rate of burnout. These associations with burnout differed by organizational role, suggesting role-specific relationships between these behavioral conditions. As health care has evolved into team-based interventions, staff across the care spectrum are now tasked with addressing larger social issues that affect their patients. A systems approach, aligning organizational priorities and staff motivations, in addition to task-specific skill sets is likely necessary to prevent burnout in this setting.

Using community engagement to implement evidence-based practices for opioid use disorder: A data-driven paradigm & systems science approach.

Community-driven responses are essential to ensure the adoption, reach and sustainability of evidence-based practices (EBPs) to prevent new cases of opioid use disorder (OUD) and reduce fatal and non-fatal overdoses. Most organizational approaches for selecting and implementing EBPs remain top-down and individually oriented without community engagement (CE). Moreover, few CE approaches have leveraged systems science to integrate community resources, values and priorities. This paper provides a novel CE paradigm that utilizes a data-driven and systems science approach; describes the composition, functions, and roles of researchers in CE; discusses unique ethical considerations that are particularly salient to CE research; and provides a description of how systems science and data-driven approaches to CE may be employed to select a range of EBPs that collectively address community needs. Finally, we conclude with scientific recommendations for the use of CE in research. Greater investment in CE research is needed to ensure contextual, equitable, and sustainable access to EBPs, such as medications for OUD (MOUD) in communities heavily impacted by the opioid epidemic. A data-driven approach to CE research guided by systems science has the potential to ensure adequate saturation and sustainability of EBPs that could significantly reduce opioid overdose and health inequities across the US.

Peer-Assisted Lifestyle (PAL) intervention: a protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial of a health-coaching intervention delivered by veteran peers to improve obesity treatment in primary care.

INTRODUCTION: Among US veterans, more than 78% have a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight (≥25 kg/m2) or obese range (≥30 kg/m2). Clinical guidelines recommend multicomponent lifestyle programmes to promote modest, clinically significant body mass (BM) loss. Primary care providers (PCPs) often lack time to counsel and refer patients to intensive programmes (≥6 sessions over 3 months). Using peer coaches to deliver obesity counselling in primary care may increase patient motivation, promote behavioural change and address the specific needs of veterans. We describe the rationale and design of a cluster-randomised controlled trial to test the efficacy of the Peer-Assisted Lifestyle (PAL) intervention compared with enhanced usual care (EUC) to improve BM loss, clinical and behavioural outcomes (aim 1); identify BM-loss predictors (aim 2); and increase PCP counselling (aim 3). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We are recruiting 461 veterans aged 18-69 years with obesity or overweight with an obesity-associated condition under the care of a PCP at the Brooklyn campus of the Veterans Affairs NY Harbor Healthcare System. To deliver counselling, PAL uses in-person and telephone-based peer support, a tablet-delivered goal-setting tool and PCP training. Patients in the EUC arm receive non-tailored healthy living handouts. In-person data collection occurs at baseline, month 6 and month 12 for patients in both arms. Repeated measures modelling based on mixed models will compare mean BM loss (primary outcome) between study arms. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol has been approved by the Institutional Review Board and the Research and Development Committee at the VA NY Harbor Health Systems (#01607). We will disseminate the results via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and meetings with stakeholders. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT03163264; Pre-results.

Making the cut: Depression screening in urban general hospital clinics for culturally diverse Latino populations.

OBJECTIVES: We examined whether the cut-point 10 for the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ9) depression screen used in primary care populations is equally valid for Mexicans (M), Ecuadorians (E), Puerto Ricans (PR) and non-Hispanic whites (W) from inner-city hospital-based primary care clinics; and whether stressful life events elevate scores and the probability of major depressive disorder (MDD). METHODS: Over 18-months, a sample of persons from hospital clinics with a positive initial PHQ2 and a subsequent PHQ9 were administered a stressful life event questionnaire and a Structured Clinical Interview to establish an MDD diagnosis, with oversampling of those between 8 and 12: (n=261: 75 E, 71 M, 51 PR, 64 W). For analysis, the sample was weighted using chart review (n=368) to represent a typical clinic population. Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis selected cut-points maximizing sensitivity (Sn) plus specificity (Sp). RESULTS: The optimal cut-point for all groups was 13 with the corresponding Sn and Sp estimates for E=(Sn 73%, Sp 71%), M=(76%, 81%), PR=(81%, 63%) and W=(80%, 74%). Stressful life events impacted screen scores and MDD diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Elevating the PHQ9 cut-point for inner-city Latinos as well as whites is suggested to avoid high false positive rates leading to improper treatment with clinical and economic consequences.

Empowering Adults With Chronic Spinal Cord Injury to Prevent Secondary Conditions.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and assess the feasibility of My Care My Call, an innovative peer-led, community-based telephone intervention for individuals with chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) using peer health coaches. DESIGN: Qualitative pilot study. SETTING: General community. PARTICIPANTS: Convenience sample of consumer advocates with traumatic SCI ≥1 year postinjury (N=7). INTERVENTIONS: My Care My Call applies a health empowerment approach for goal-setting support, education, and referral to empower consumers in managing their preventive health needs. For feasibility testing, peer health coaches, trained in brief action planning, called participants 6 times over 3 weeks. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Identified focus areas were acceptability, demand, implementation, and practicality. Participant outcome data were collected through brief after-call surveys and qualitative exit interviews. Through a custom website, peer health coaches documented call attempts, content, and feedback. Analysis applied the constant comparative method. RESULTS: My Care My Call was highly feasible in each focus area for participants. Concerning acceptability, participants were highly satisfied, rating peer health coaches as very good or excellent in 80% of calls; felt My Care My Call was appropriate; and would continue use. Regarding demand, participants completed 88% of scheduled calls; reported that My Care My Call fills a real need; and would recommend it. Considering implementation, peer health coaches made 119% of expected calls, with a larger focus on compiling individualized resources. For practicality, call duration averaged 29 minutes, with 1 hour of additional time for peer health coaches. Participant effects included feeling supported, greater confidence toward goals, and greater connection to resources. Subsequently, several process changes enhanced peer health coach training and support through role-plays, regular support calls, and streamlined My Care My Call support materials. CONCLUSIONS: After process changes, a randomized controlled trial to evaluate My Care My Call is underway.

In our country tortilla doesn't make us fat: cultural factors influencing lifestyle goal-setting for overweight and obese Urban, Latina patients.

Obesity disproportionately affects Latina adults, and goal-setting is a technique often used to promote lifestyle behavior change and weight loss. To explore the meanings and dimensions of goal-setting in immigrant Latinas, we conducted four focus groups arranged by language ability and country of origin in an urban, public, primary care clinic. We used a narrative analytic approach to identify the following themes: the immigrant experience, family dynamics, and health care. Support was a common sub-theme that threaded throughout, with participants relying on the immigrant community, family, and the health care system to support their goals. Participants derived satisfaction from setting and achieving goals and emphasized personal willpower as crucial for success. These findings should inform future research on how goal-setting can be used to foster lifestyle behavior change and illustrate the importance of exploring the needs of Latino sub-groups in order to improve lifestyle behaviors in diverse Latino populations.

Latina food patterns in the United States: a qualitative metasynthesis.

BACKGROUND: Obesity disproportionately affects Latinas living in the United States, and cultural food patterns contribute to this health concern. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to synthesize the qualitative results of research regarding Latina food patterns in order to (a) identify common patterns across Latino culture and within Latino subcultures and (b) inform future research by determining gaps in the literature. METHODS: A systematic search of three databases produced 13 studies (15 manuscripts) that met the inclusion criteria for review. The Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool and the recommendations of Squires for evaluating translation methods in qualitative research were applied to appraise study quality. Authors coded through directed content analysis and an adaptation of the Joanna Briggs Institute Qualitative Assessment and Review Instrument coding template to extract themes. Coding focused on food patterns, obesity, population breakdown, immigration, acculturation, and barriers and facilitators to healthy eating. Other themes and categories emerged from this process to complement this approach. RESULTS: Major findings included the following: (a) Immigration driven changes in scheduling, food choice, socioeconomic status, and family dynamics shape the complex psychology behind healthy food choices for Latina women; (b) in Latina populations, barriers and facilitators to healthy lifestyle choices around food are complex; and (c) there is a clear need to differentiate Latino populations by country of origin in future qualitative studies on eating behavior. DISCUSSION: Healthcare providers need to recognize the complex influences behind eating behaviors among immigrant Latinas in order to design effective behavior change and goal-setting programs to support healthy lifestyles.