Homelessness, COVID-19, and discourses of contagion.

In March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began in Canada, public health and medical authorities quickly identified emergency shelters and people experiencing homelessness as particularly at risk of contracting and spreading COVID-19 (Knight et al., 2021). Drawing on interviews with 28 service providers in organizations that primarily serve people experiencing homelessness in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada and a media scan, we explored how people who worked in and accessed these organizations negotiated discourses of contagion and infection throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper is informed by Goffman's (1963) theory of stigma, complemented by Crawford's (1994) idea of the Self and unhealthy Other. We argue that people experiencing homelessness, the spaces that they occupy, and the people they engage with, have been discursively marked as dangerous vectors of infection who present a risk to the health of the whole population, rather than as vulnerable to the health consequences and social disruption of COVID-19. Consequently, people experiencing homelessness have experienced further stigmatization throughout the pandemic as they have been separated from their communities, friends, and families, left without support or shelter, internalized blame for the spread of COVID-19, and faced dehumanization, grief, and trauma resulting from uneven COVID-19 interventions. We highlight these findings to support the application of trauma- and violence-informed care in service settings to prevent the further traumatization of people experiencing homelessness in services intended to support them.

Using scenario videos with Theatre Testing method to adapt a peer navigation model to improve street-connected youth's access to HIV care in Kenya and Canada.

Theatre testing (TT) method demonstrates whole or portions of an evidence-based intervention to stakeholders to elicit feedback on context-specific adaptations and future implementation. The Peer Navigator Project (PNP) studied the adaptation and implementation of Peer Navigators in five urban sites to increase street-connected youth (SCY) access to HIV prevention, testing, and treatment in Canada and Kenya. TT was used with SCY, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders to collect feedback on the optimal characteristics of the PNs (e.g., social identities) and their professional activities and responsibilities in each site. Sites scripted unique scenarios of PNs supporting SCY and interacting with social service providers. Local actors were employed, and the scenarios were filmed and edited into videos alongside audience discussion questions. Videos were screened to separate audiences of SCY (n = 40), healthcare providers (n = 12), and community stakeholders (n = 59). Facilitated discussion about the scenarios were recorded as data, and transcripts were analyzed thematically by the research team. The scenario videos are presented as a unique adaptation to the TT method. The adaptations were time-consuming and limited the ability to present responsive changes while presenting the method to different audiences. They were also effective at maintaining presentation fidelity and eliciting diverse and meaningful responses from different stakeholder groups. One site successfully adapted the method for use in a physically distanced manner that complied with COVID-19 public health regulations. TT using video scenarios is an engaging approach that garners rich responses from diverse stakeholder groups about the adaptation of evidence-based interventions preparing for implementation in international settings.

Barriers to and facilitators of accessing HIV services for street-involved youth in Canada and Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: UNICEF estimates that there are as many as 100 million street-involved youth (SIY) globally. Marginalized conditions put SIY at higher risk of HIV and adverse outcomes once HIV-positive. The objective of this analysis was to describe barriers and facilitators of accessing HIV prevention, testing, and treatment services as Phase I of an implementation study evaluating the use of peer navigators to increase access to HIV services. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), and theatre testing were conducted with individuals who identify as SIY, health care providers, and community stakeholders living in Canada (Toronto, Montreal, London) and Kenya (Eldoret, Huruma, Kitale). Data were analyzed using a directed content approach, guided by the socio-ecological model (SEM). RESULTS: Across the six sites were 195 participants: 64 SIY, 42 healthcare providers, and 97 community-based stakeholders. Barriers were identified at the societal (e.g. intersectional stigma and discrimination), public policy (e.g., inadequate access to basic needs, legal documentation, lack of health insurance, and limited community-based funding), institutional (e.g. lack of inclusive education and training, inadequate HIV educational outreach, and restrictive service provision), interpersonal (e.g., ineffective communication from healthcare providers), and intrapersonal levels (e.g. lack of trust and associated fear, low perception for healthcare, and lack of self-esteem). These contributed to limited HIV services utilization among SIY. Conversely, numerous facilitators were also identified at the public policy (e.g. affordable HIV services and treatment), institutional (e.g. available and accessible HIV prevention tools, HIV education and awareness programs, and holistic models of care), interpersonal level (e.g., systems navigation support, peer support, and personal relationships), and intrapersonal levels (e.g. self-efficacy) as positively supporting SIY access to HIV services. CONCLUSION: Intersectional stigma was a critical barrier in all sites, and policies and programs that foster welcoming environments for youth from diverse backgrounds and living circumstances may be better able to respond to the HIV service needs of this high risk population. Social support and navigation services were reported to facilitate access to HIV services in all sites.

"A place to be safe, feel at home and get better": including the experiential knowledge of potential users in the design of the first wet service in Montreal, Canada.

BACKGROUND: The harmful use of alcohol is one of the leading health risk factors for people's health worldwide, but some populations, like people who experience homelessness, are more vulnerable to its detrimental effects. In the past decades, harm reduction interventions that target these complex issues has been developed. For example, wet services include a wide range of arrangements (wet shelters, drop-in centers, transitory housing, etc.) that allow indoor alcohol use and Managed Alcohol Programs provide regulated doses of alcohol in addition to accommodation and services. Although the positive impacts of these interventions have been reported, little is known about how to integrate the knowledge of people experiencing homelessness and alcohol dependence into the design of such programs. The aim of this study is to present the findings of such an attempt in a first wet service in Montreal, Canada. METHODS: Community based participatory research approach and qualitative methods-including semi-structured interviews and focus groups-were used to collect the knowledge of potential users (n = 34) of the wet service. The data collected was thematically analyzed. RESULTS: Participants reported experiencing harsh living conditions, poverty, stigmatization and police harassment, which increased their alcohol use. The intersection between participants' alcohol dependence and homelessness with the high barriers to access public services translated into their exclusion from several of such services. Participants envisioned Montreal's wet service as a safe space to drink, a place that would provide multiple services, a home, and a site of recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating the knowledge of potential users into the design of harm reduction interventions is essential to develop better and more adapted services to meet complex needs. We propose that it could fosters users' engagement and contribute to their sense of empower, which is crucial for a group that is typically discriminated against and suffers from marginalization.

Characterizing opioid agonist treatment discontinuation trends in British Columbia, Canada, 2012-2018.

BACKGROUND: Given the elevated risk of mortality immediately following opioid agonist treatment (OAT) discontinuation, determining the frequency and timing of OAT discontinuation can help guide the planning of services to facilitate uninterrupted OAT. We sought to describe weekly and monthly trends in OAT episode discontinuations in British Columbia to determine the potential resource needs for implementing support services. METHODS: This population-based retrospective study utilized a provincial-level linkage of health administrative databases to identify all people with opioid use disorder (PWOUD) who received OAT between 01/2012-08/2018. We defined OAT episodes as continuous medication dispensations without interruptions in prescribed doses lasting ≥5 days for methadone and ≥6 days for buprenorphine/naloxone. We derived the percentage of PWOUD discontinuing OAT every month and we considered weekly discontinuations between 09/2017-08/2018, accounting for weeks during which monthly income assistance payments from social service programs occurred. RESULTS: Our study included 37,207 PWOUD discontinuing 158,027 OAT episodes. Discontinuations were relatively stable month-to-month, increasing from 10.6 % to 14.9 % (2012-2018). The monthly percentage of discontinuations was 21.2 % for buprenorphine/naloxone and 10.0 % for methadone. Weekly discontinuations were greater in income disbursement weeks (816; IQR: 752, 901) compared to other weeks (655; IQR: 615, 683; p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: We identified a high, and stable rate of monthly OAT discontinuations and a consistently higher rate of discontinuing treatment among PWOUD accessing buprenorphine/naloxone. There is an urgent need to develop the evidence base for interventions to support OAT engagement and to improve clinical management of OUD to address the opioid-related overdose crisis.

Business travel-associated illness: a GeoSentinel analysis.

Background: Analysis of a large cohort of business travelers will help clinicians focus on frequent and serious illnesses. We aimed to describe travel-related health problems in business travelers. Methods: GeoSentinel Surveillance Network consists of 64 travel and tropical medicine clinics in 29 countries; descriptive analysis was performed on ill business travelers, defined as persons traveling for work, evaluated after international travel 1 January 1997 through 31 December 2014. Results: Among 12 203 business travelers seen 1997-2014 (14 045 eligible diagnoses), the majority (97%) were adults aged 20-64 years; most (74%) reported from Western Europe or North America; two-thirds were male. Most (86%) were outpatients. Fewer than half (45%) reported a pre-travel healthcare encounter. Frequent regions of exposure were sub-Saharan Africa (37%), Southeast Asia (15%) and South Central Asia (14%). The most frequent diagnoses were malaria (9%), acute unspecified diarrhea (8%), viral syndrome (6%), acute bacterial diarrhea (5%) and chronic diarrhea (4%). Species was reported for 973 (90%) of 1079 patients with malaria, predominantly Plasmodium falciparum acquired in sub-Saharan Africa. Of 584 (54%) with malaria chemoprophylaxis information, 92% took none or incomplete courses. Thirteen deaths were reported, over half of which were due to malaria; others succumbed to pneumonia, typhoid fever, rabies, melioidosis and pyogenic abscess. Conclusions: Diarrheal illness was a major cause of morbidity. Malaria contributed substantial morbidity and mortality, particularly among business travelers to sub-Saharan Africa. Underuse or non-use of chemoprophylaxis contributed to malaria cases. Deaths in business travelers could be reduced by improving adherence to malaria chemoprophylaxis and targeted vaccination for vaccine-preventable diseases. Pre-travel advice is indicated for business travelers and is currently under-utilized and needs improvement.

Perineal Assessment and Repair Longitudinal Study (PEARLS): a matched-pair cluster randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Perineal trauma during childbirth affects millions of women worldwide every year. The aim of the Perineal Assessment and Repair Longitudinal Study (PEARLS) was to improve maternal clinical outcomes following childbirth through an enhanced cascaded multiprofessional training program to support implementation of evidence-based perineal management. METHODS: This was a pragmatic matched-pair cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) that enrolled women (n = 3681) sustaining a second-degree perineal tear in one of 22 UK maternity units (clusters), organized in 11 matched pairs. Units in each matched pair were randomized to receive the training intervention either early (group A) or late (group B). Outcomes within each cluster were assessed prior to any training intervention (phase 1), and then after the training intervention was given to group A (phase 2) and group B (phase 3). Focusing on phase 2, the primary outcome was the percentage of women who had pain on sitting or walking at 10 to 12 days post-natal. Secondary outcomes included use of pain relief at 10 to 12 days post-natal, need for suture removal, uptake and duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and perineal wound infection. Practice-based measures included implementation of evidence into practice to promote effective clinical management of perineal trauma. Cluster-level paired t-tests were used to compare groups A and B. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the clusters in phase 2 of the study in the average percentage of women reporting perineal pain on sitting and walking at 10 to 12 days (mean difference 0.7%; 95% CI -10.1% to 11.4%; P = 0.89). The intervention significantly improved overall use of evidence-based practice in the clinical management of perineal trauma. Following the training intervention, group A clusters had a significant reduction in mean percentages of women reporting perineal wound infections and of women needing sutures removed. CONCLUSION: PEARLS is the first RCT to assess the effects of a 'training package on implementation of evidence-based perineal trauma management. The intervention did not significantly improve the primary outcome but did significantly improve evidence-based practice and some of the relevant secondary clinical outcomes for women. TRIAL REGISTRATIONS: ISRCTN28960026 NIHR UKCRN portfolio no: 4785.

How good are we at implementing evidence to support the management of birth related perineal trauma? A UK wide survey of midwifery practice.

BACKGROUND: The accurate assessment and appropriate repair of birth related perineal trauma require high levels of skill and competency, with evidence based guideline recommendations available to inform UK midwifery practice. Implementation of guideline recommendations could reduce maternal morbidity associated with perineal trauma, which is commonly reported and persistent, with potential to deter women from a future vaginal birth. Despite evidence, limited attention is paid to this important aspect of midwifery practice. We wished to identify how midwives in the UK assessed and repaired perineal trauma and the extent to which practice reflected evidence based guidance. Findings would be used to inform the content of a large intervention study. METHODS: A descriptive cross sectional study was completed. One thousand randomly selected midwives were accessed via the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and sent a questionnaire. Study inclusion criteria included that the midwives were in clinical practice and undertook perineal assessment and management within their current role. Quantitative and qualitative data were collated. Associations between midwife characteristics and implementation of evidence based recommendations for perineal assessment and management were examined using chi-square tests of association. RESULTS: 405 midwives (40.5%) returned a questionnaire, 338 (83.5%) of whom met inclusion criteria. The majority worked in a consultant led unit (235, 69.5%) and over a third had been qualified for 20 years or longer (129, 38.2%). Compliance with evidence was poor. Few (6%) midwives used evidence based suturing methods to repair all layers of perineal trauma and only 58 (17.3%) performed rectal examination as part of routine perineal trauma assessment. Over half (192, 58.0%) did not suture all second degree tears. Feeling confident to assess perineal trauma all of the time was only reported by 116 (34.3%) midwives, with even fewer (73, 21.6%) feeling confident to perform perineal repair all of the time. Two thirds of midwives (63.5%) felt confident to perform an episiotomy. Midwives qualified for 20 years or longer and those on more senior clinical grades were most likely to implement evidence based recommendations and feel confident about perineal management. CONCLUSIONS: There are considerable gaps with implementation of evidence to support management of perineal trauma.

PErineal Assessment and Repair Longitudinal Study (PEARLS): protocol for a matched pair cluster trial.

BACKGROUND: The Perineal Assessment and Repair Longitudinal Study (PEARLS) is a national clinical quality improvement initiative designed to improve the assessment and management of perineal trauma. Perineal trauma affects around 85% of women who have a vaginal birth in the UK each year and millions more world-wide. Continuous suturing techniques compared with traditional interrupted methods are more effective in reducing pain and postnatal morbidity, however they are not widely used by clinicians despite recommendations of evidence based national clinical guidelines. Perineal suturing skills and postnatal management of trauma remain highly variable within and between maternity units in the UK as well as worldwide. Implementation of a standardised training package to support effective perineal management practices could reduce perineal pain and other related postnatal morbidity for a substantial number of women. METHODS/DESIGN: PEARLS is a matched pair cluster trial, which is being conducted in maternity units across the UK. Units within a matched pair will be randomised to implement the study intervention either early or late in the study period. The intervention will include the cascading of a multi-professional training package to enhance midwifery and obstetric skills in the assessment, repair and postnatal management of perineal trauma. Women who have had an episiotomy or second degree perineal tear will be eligible for recruitment. Prior to developing the intervention and deciding on study outcomes, a Delphi survey and a consensus conference were held to identify what women, who previously suffered perineal trauma during childbirth, considered to be important outcomes for them. Findings from this preliminary work (which will be reported elsewhere) and other outcomes including women's experiences of perineal pain and pain on activity, breastfeeding uptake and duration and psychological well-being as assessed using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) will be assessed at 10 days and three months post-birth. DISCUSSION: Implementation of evidence-based perineal assessment and management practices, could lead to significantly improved physical and psychological health outcomes for women in the UK and world-wide. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PEARLS is registered with the Current Controlled Trials Registry (no: ISRCTN28960026). NIHR UKCRN portfolio no: 4785.