Human Immunodeficiency Virus in the South: An Epidemic Within an Epidemic.

The authors examine the HIV epidemic in the Southern United States, emphasizing its severe impact on minority and young populations. The authors highlight challenges including limited health care access, systemic racism influencing social determinants of health, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ stigma. The South faces a critical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) workforce shortage, especially in rural areas, and struggles with coexisting syndemics like other sexually transmitted infections and substance-use disorders. The authors describe comprehensive strategies such as Medicaid expansion, workforce enhancement, stigma reduction, and policy reforms to improve HIV prevention and treatment, emphasizing the need for a multifaceted approach to improve health outcomes for those living with HIV in the South.

Barriers and facilitators to health care access for migrant children in Canada: A scoping review.

PROBLEM: Migrant children face numerous challenges when settling in their new home. One of the challenges that exists is difficulties accessing health care, with many barriers existing and few facilitators to ease access. The goal of this paper is to analyze previous literature related to migrants' access to access to health care in Canada to better understand the barriers they face, and the factors that help them access services, or the facilitators. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Arksey and O'Malley's stages in scoping reviews was employed to search CINAHL, PubMed, Sociological Abstract, SocIndex, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Ovid MEDLINE(R), and Ovid Embase from 1997 to February 2020. SAMPLE: A total of 26 Canadian studies met the inclusion criteria. RESULTS: The review revealed the following barriers: language and culture barriers, low socioeconomic status, lack of health insurance, transportation, shortage of social support, lack of knowledge, fear of service providers/authorities, and discrimination. The facilitators for accessing health care for this population included outreach, benefit and assistance programs, cultural training, strengthening education, and various services. CONCLUSION: The abundance of barriers to health care access and the existence of few facilitators may worsen migrant children's health, however further research is required to understand the impact. IMPLICATION: There is a need to increase the understanding of migrant children's experiences with accessing health care services in order to inform policy, educate providers, and improve access and health outcomes.

Trends in interstate abortion travel to Oregon following the Dobbs court decision.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes how interstate travel for abortion to the state of Oregon changed following the Dobbs decision. STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using vital statistics data from the Oregon Health Authority of all medical and surgical abortions between 2015 and 2023. RESULTS: Following the Dobbs decision, 14.3% of abortions in Oregon were out-of-state residents, compared to 9.6% pre-Dobbs. Out-of-state individuals had significantly higher odds of having abortions in the second or third trimester and having a procedural abortion compared to their in-state counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Following the Dobbs decision, interstate travel to Oregon increased significantly and represents a distinct population.

Impact of digital infrastructure construction on the migrants' utilization of basic public health services in China.

BACKGROUND: Global digitalization significantly impacts public health by improving healthcare access for marginalized populations. In China, socioeconomic disparities and the Hukou system create significant barriers for the migrant population to access basic public health services (BPHS). This study aimed to assess how digital infrastructure construction (DIC) affects BPHS utilization among China's migrant populations, filling a gap in the literature regarding the relationship between digital advancements and health service accessibility. METHODS: This research used micro-level data from the 2018 China Migrants Dynamic Survey and incorporated variables aligned with the Broadband China policy to employ a comprehensive empirical strategy. It included baseline regressions, robustness checks through propensity score matching and machine learning techniques, and heterogeneity analysis to explore the differential impacts of DIC based on gender, age, education level, and Hukou status. RESULTS: The findings revealed that DIC significantly enhances the likelihood of migrants establishing health records and registering with family doctors, demonstrating quantifiable improvements in health service utilization. Heterogeneity analysis further indicated that the beneficial impacts of DIC were more pronounced among female migrants, those with higher education levels, younger populations, and urban Hukou holders. CONCLUSIONS: DIC plays a crucial role in bridging the accessibility gap to BPHS for migrant populations in China, contributing to narrowing health disparities and advancing social equity. These results emphasize the significance of digital infrastructure in public health strategies and offer valuable insights for policymakers, healthcare providers, and researchers. Future research should prioritize longitudinal studies on the sustained effects of DIC and tailor digital health initiatives to meet the unique needs of migrant populations, promoting inclusive health policy planning and implementation.

Regular Physician Access and Obesity Status Among Underserved Asian and Pacific Islander American Immigrants in Los Angeles.

According to prior research, Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) immigrants often refrain from seeking health care unless necessitated by medical conditions. Utilizing data from health screenings conducted in APIA immigrant enclaves in Los Angeles, we hypothesize that poorer obesity status would predict higher rates of regular physician access. Analyses involved objectively measured percent body fat (%BF) and survey responses collected between 2011 and 2019. We assessed the association between obesity status and regular physician access, adjusting for insurance status, demographic, and socioeconomic factors. The study population (n = 4102) primarily consisted low-income, low English proficiency APIAs. Participants with a regular physician were significantly more likely to be obese compared to participants without (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.28, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.03, 1.58], P = .02). This association may suggest that care was sought reactively rather than proactively within this community. Interventions with emphasis on cultural competency and language services may encourage preventative care utilization among this understudied community.

Factors associated with the use of oral health care services among seniors in Canada.

Background: This study explores the link between dental insurance, income, and oral health care access among seniors (aged 65 and over) in Canada. It contributes to the understanding of oral health care among seniors before the implementation of the Canadian Dental Care Plan. Data and methods: This study uses data from the 2019/2020 Canadian Health Survey on Seniors (n=41,635) to report descriptive statistics and logistic regression model results and examine factors associated with seniors living in the community and access to oral health care services. Results: At the time of the survey (2019/2020), 72.5% of seniors in Canada reported having had a dental visit in the past 12 months, with 83.0% of insured and 65.3% of uninsured seniors reporting visits. Seniors reporting excellent or very good oral health had a higher prevalence of visits (79.2%) compared with those with good, fair, or poor oral health (62.3%). Among seniors who had not visited a dental professional in three years, 56.3% deemed it unnecessary, and 30.8% identified cost as the major barrier. After sociodemographic characteristics were controlled for, insured seniors were more likely to have had a dental visit in the past 12 months (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 2.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.03 to 2.54) and were less likely to avoid dental visits because of cost (OR: 0.18; 95% CI: 0.12 to 0.28) compared with their uninsured counterparts. Interpretation: This study underscores the role of dental insurance in seniors' oral health care access. While insurance is associated with seniors' access to oral health care services, the study also emphasizes the need to consider social determinants of oral health such as income, gender, age, level of education, and place of residence when assessing oral health care access for seniors.

The "disproportionate costs" of immigrant policy on the health of Latinx and Asian immigrants.

There is growing evidence that Asian and Latinx immigrants' health and health care access is shaped by immigrant policies that determine their rights, protections, and access to resources and the extent to which they are targeted by policing or deportation based on citizenship/legal status and other immigration-related social categories. However, there is limited population-based evidence of how immigrants experience the direct consequences of policies, nor of the impact of such consequences on their health. Between 2018 and 2020, we conducted the Research on Immigrant Health and State Policy (RIGHTS) Study, developing a population-based survey of Asian and Latinx immigrants in California (n = 2010) that measured 23 exclusionary experiences under health care and social services, education, labor/employment, and immigration enforcement policies. Applying Ruth Wilson Gilmore's concept of "disproportionate costs," we conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) and regression models of the RIGHTS data to 1) describe patterns of immigrant policy exclusion experienced by Asian and Latinx immigrants and 2) test relationships between patterns of policy exclusion and health care access and health status. LCA analyses identified 6 classes of distinct combinations of policy exclusions. In regression analyses, respondents in the class with cumulative exclusions across all policy sectors had the worst health care access and highest level of psychological distress, but the best self-rated health; while those in the class with employment and enforcement exclusions also had poor health care access. Respondents in the other 3 classes experienced combinations of health and social services exclusions, but these alone were not associated with worse outcomes. Findings show that the consequences of immigrant policies harm health through both cumulative exposure to and intersections of exclusions across policy sectors. Labor/employment and immigration enforcement policies, specifically, likely drive health inequities within immigrant populations. The RIGHTS study highlights the need to measure the cumulative and intersecting "disproportionate costs" of immigrant policy within diverse immigrant populations.

Disparities in Access to Mental Health Services Among Children Diagnosed with Anxiety and Depression in the United States.

Child and adolescent mental health are major public health concerns in the US. Overall, 20% of US children have a reported mental health condition, while an estimated 40% will be diagnosed with one by age 18. Despite these concerns, little is known about factors associated with access to mental health services among children and adolescents. We analyzed data from a sample of 6655 children (aged 6 to 17 years) with either anxiety and/or depression drawn from the 2020-2021 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). A multivariable logistic regression model was fit to investigate predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with caregiver's (i.e., parent or other guardian) perceived access to mental health services for their children. Approximately 50.8% of caregivers perceived obtaining mental health services for their children to be somewhat difficult, very difficult, or impossible. Children meeting criteria for having a medical home had lower odds of experiencing such difficulties (adjusted [a]OR = 0.38; 95% CI: 0.30-0.49). Further, compared to children who sometimes or never had health insurance coverage for mental or behavioral health needs, children who were always insured (aOR: 0.19; 95% CI 0.14, 0.25) and those who usually had coverage (aOR: 0.38; 95% CI 0.28, 0.51) had lower odds of experiencing perceived difficulties in obtaining care. The results indicate several enabling and need predictors of perceived access to mental health services--highlighting potential structural barriers to care access. Efforts to address access challenges should adopt a multifaceted approach and be tailored to families living in poverty, those with limited health coverage, and minoritized children with less than optimal general health.

Prevalence of Repeat Prenatal HIV Screening in New York State.

Description: New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) recommends that all pregnant patients receive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening during pregnancy. This study assessed the prevalence of repeat prenatal HIV testing and factors associated with receipt of the recommended tests. Methods: Data from the NYSDOH newborn screening program were used to randomly select pregnant persons without HIV who delivered a liveborn infant in 2017. Receipt of repeat testing was defined as an initial HIV test in the first or second trimesters and the final in the third trimester (relaxed); or an initial test in the first trimester and the final in the third trimester (strict). Relative risks (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated in bivariate analyses. Adjusted RRs were calculated to determine associations between demographic and clinical factors and receipt of repeat HIV testing. Results: The cohort included 2,225 individuals. Roughly one quarter (24%) received the recommended tests in the first or second and third trimesters and 17% received them in the first and third trimesters. Individuals who reported Hispanic or Asian race/ethnicities, had government-funded insurance, started prenatal care in the first trimester, delivered in New York City, or received prenatal hepatitis C virus screening were significantly more likely to receive repeat testing using either definition. Conclusions: Despite the benefits and cost-effectiveness, the prevalence of repeat prenatal HIV screening during the third trimester remains persistently low. Improved messaging and targeted education and resources to assist prenatal providers could reinforce the importance of repeat testing and reduce residual perinatal HIV transmission.

Disparities in telemedicine use among Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander individuals insured through Medicaid.

States have implemented policy changes to increase access to telemedicine services for individuals receiving Medicaid benefits. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) individuals experienced disproportionate harms from COVID-19 and have long experienced disparities in health care access compared with other racial and ethnic groups, making the issue of telemedicine access particularly salient for NHPI individuals on Medicaid. Utilizing 100% 2020-2021 Medicaid claims, we compared trends in telemedicine use between NHPI and non-Hispanic White individuals on Medicaid in Washington State and conducted a decomposition analysis to identify drivers of underlying disparities. In both years, NHPI individuals were 38%-39% less likely to use any telemedicine than White individuals after adjusting for patient- and area-level characteristics. Decomposition analysis revealed that most of this difference was due to differential effects of characteristics, rather than group differences in characteristics. Namely, several characteristics that were associated with increased telemedicine use had more muted associations for NHPI vs White individuals, such as English as the primary spoken language and female sex. These findings suggest the presence of limited acceptability of or group-specific barriers to telemedicine for NHPI individuals, including potential discrimination in being offered telemedicine visits. These issues should be understood and mitigated through close collaboration between health care leaders and NHPI communities.

Has the fall of Roe changed contraceptive access and use? New research from four US states offers critical insights.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade in the 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision has had vast impacts on abortion access across the United States, but less is known about the wider impacts on people's contraceptive access. We draw on cross-sectional survey data representative of reproductive-aged women in Arizona, Iowa, New Jersey, and Wisconsin at two time points-one prior to and one following the Dobbs decision. We examined changes between these two time points in key sexual and reproductive health metrics and, at the post-Dobbs time point, differences in these metrics across age, sexual and gender minority status, nativity, and income status. Between these two time points, we found statistically significant evidence that sexual activity declined, barriers to accessing contraception increased, reports of receiving high-quality contraceptive care decreased, and condom use increased. As continued fallouts of the Dobbs decision on access to abortion occur, this research makes clear that access to broader contraceptive care is worsening. Policies that promote meaningful access to all forms of sexual and reproductive health care must be advanced to support all individuals' right to reproductive autonomy while mitigating inequity and inequality.

Barriers and facilitators to transition from pediatric to adult healthcare for immigrant youth with chronic health conditions.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the experience of first- and second- generation immigrant youth living with chronic health conditions in Canada, their parents or caregivers, and healthcare and service providers who care for immigrant youth, regarding the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. DESIGN AND METHODS: We conducted semi-structured individual interviews and focus groups. Youth were 1st or 2nd generation immigrants, aged 16-25, with pediatric-onset chronic health conditions. Parents or caregivers had raised youth children as described. Providers delivered healthcare or other services to immigrant populations. Thematic analysis was conducted of all transcripts. RESULTS: Twenty youth, 14 parents/caregivers and five service providers participated. Most participants described healthcare transition as very difficult to navigate. Two major themes emerged across participant narratives: 1. Barriers to transition: lack of family experience in Canada, language, discrimination, financial strain, stigma, and long wait times. Some of these barriers are specific to newcomer families, but others are generalizable to the Canadian population. 2. Facilitators of transition: youth independence, youth acting as cultural bridges within their families, and cross-sector support between healthcare, education, social work and settlement services. CONCLUSIONS: Immigrant youth and their families face a broad range of barriers to healthcare transition. The collaborative nature of cross-sector support effectively addressed some of the barriers faced by newcomer families. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Clinicians should provide immigrant youth and their families with accessible information about the health condition and how to navigate the adult healthcare system prior to transition, particularly when language barriers exist.

Care pathway of asylum seekers in the health care access points following inclusion in the PREMENTADA project: an observational study.

OBJECTIVES: The health service access point (PASS) allows people in precarious situations to benefit from medical and social care. A mobile PASS service was set up in 2020 in Marseille for people seeking asylum (DA). The objective of our study was to describe the care pathways within the PASS for DA. STUDY DESIGN: We led a retrospective observational study of care pathways of the 418 DA included in the PREMENTADA study (ClinicalTrials number: NCT05423782) in the 3 months following their inclusion. METHODS: We conducted a quantitative study, which ran from March 1, 2021, to August 31, 2021, to collect data from mobile and hospital PASS consultations, referrals following PASS consultations or hospitalizations, emergency room visits, hospitalizations, prescription, and dispensing of treatment following PASS consultations or on discharge from hospital, between D0 and M3. RESULTS: A total of 163 (39.0%) patients were lost to follow-up after an initial assessment of their health status. Overall, 74.4% of the patients were followed only by the mobile PASS for a mental health problem, and 57.4% were followed for a somatic problem until they obtained their rights. The mobile PASS referred 43.5% of patients to the hospital PASS for access to various technical facilities: medical imaging, pharmacy (63% of them benefited from the dispensing of health products), biological tests, and so on. The morbidities of the DAs were severe enough to require technical support that the mobile PASS could not provide, but recourse to the emergency department was fairly low (1.6%), testifying to the efficiency of the primary care provided by the mobile PASS. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides the first data concerning the DA's healthcare pathway in France. Considering the health status of this population and the fact that early management of health problems allows for rationalization of costs, we can ask the question of the future of these patients in the absence of adapted care systems. The PASS and the hospitals to which they are attached will have to adapt their care offer to take into account the DA's specific problems.

The role of area deprivation index in health care disruptions among cancer survivors during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between demographic/medical and geographic factors with follow-up medical care and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among cancer survivors during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. METHODS: An online survey was sent to cancer survivors between May 2020 and January 2021, exploring their experience with SARS-CoV-2, follow-up care, and HRQoL. PolicyMap was used to geocode home addresses. Both geographic and demographic/medical factors were examined for their associations with SARS-CoV-2 experience, follow-up care, and HRQoL (FACT-G7). RESULTS: Geographic data were available for 9651 participants. Patients living in the highest area deprivation index (ADI) neighborhoods (most deprived) had higher odds of avoiding in-person general (odds ratio [OR] = 7.20; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.79-18.60), cancer (OR = 8.47; 95% CI = 3.73-19.30), and emergency (OR = 14.2; 95% CI = 5.57-36.30) medical care, as well as lower odds of using telemedicine (OR = 0.61; 95% CI = 0.52-0.73) compared to the lowest ADI group. Race/ethnicity was not associated with follow-up care after controlling for ADI. The effect of ADI on HRQoL was generally in the expected direction, with higher ADI being associated with worse HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: ADI influenced follow-up medical care more than age, race/ethnicity, or health insurance type. Healthcare providers and institutions should focus on decreasing barriers to in-person and telemedicine health care that disproportionally impact those living in more deprived communities, which are exacerbated by health care disruptions like those caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Leveraging Large Language Models for Improved Patient Access and Self-Management: Assessor-Blinded Comparison Between Expert- and AI-Generated Content.

BACKGROUND: While large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT and Google Bard have shown significant promise in various fields, their broader impact on enhancing patient health care access and quality, particularly in specialized domains such as oral health, requires comprehensive evaluation. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the effectiveness of Google Bard, ChatGPT-3.5, and ChatGPT-4 in offering recommendations for common oral health issues, benchmarked against responses from human dental experts. METHODS: This comparative analysis used 40 questions derived from patient surveys on prevalent oral diseases, which were executed in a simulated clinical environment. Responses, obtained from both human experts and LLMs, were subject to a blinded evaluation process by experienced dentists and lay users, focusing on readability, appropriateness, harmlessness, comprehensiveness, intent capture, and helpfulness. Additionally, the stability of artificial intelligence responses was also assessed by submitting each question 3 times under consistent conditions. RESULTS: Google Bard excelled in readability but lagged in appropriateness when compared to human experts (mean 8.51, SD 0.37 vs mean 9.60, SD 0.33; P=.03). ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4, however, performed comparably with human experts in terms of appropriateness (mean 8.96, SD 0.35 and mean 9.34, SD 0.47, respectively), with ChatGPT-4 demonstrating the highest stability and reliability. Furthermore, all 3 LLMs received superior harmlessness scores comparable to human experts, with lay users finding minimal differences in helpfulness and intent capture between the artificial intelligence models and human responses. CONCLUSIONS: LLMs, particularly ChatGPT-4, show potential in oral health care, providing patient-centric information for enhancing patient education and clinical care. The observed performance variations underscore the need for ongoing refinement and ethical considerations in health care settings. Future research focuses on developing strategies for the safe integration of LLMs in health care settings.

Socioeconomic and Racial Disparities Affect Access to High-Volume Centers During Meningioma Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Studies examining the relationship among hospital case volume, socioeconomic determinants of health, and patient outcomes are lacking. We sought to evaluate these associations in the surgical management of intracranial meningiomas. METHODS: We queried the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for patients who underwent craniotomy for the resection of meningioma in 2013. We categorized hospitals into high-volume centers (HVCs) or low-volume centers (LVCs). We compared outcomes in 2016 to assess the potential impact of the Affordable Care Act on health care equity. Primary outcome measures included hospital mortality, length of stay, complications, and disposition. RESULTS: A total of 10,270 encounters were studied (LVC, n = 5730 [55.8%]; HVC, n = 4340 [44.2%]). Of LVC patients, 62.9% identified as white compared with 70.2% at HVCs (P < 0.01). A higher percentage of patients at LVCs came from the lower 2 quartiles of median household income than did patients at HVCs (49.9% vs. 44.2%; P < 0.001). Higher mortality (1.3% vs. 0.9%; P = 0.041) was found in LVCs. Multivariable regression analysis showed that LVCs were significantly associated with increased complication (odds ratio, 1.36; 95% confidence interval, 1.30-1.426, P<0.001) and longer hospital length of stay (odds ratio, -0.05; 95% confidence interval, -0.92 to -0.45; P <0.001). There was a higher proportion of white patients at HVCs in 2016 compared with 2013 (67.9% vs. 72.3%). More patients from top income quartiles (24.2% vs. 40.5%) were treated at HVCs in 2016 compared with 2013. CONCLUSIONS: This study found notable racial and socioeconomic disparities in LVCs as well as access to HVCs over time. Disparities in meningioma treatment may be persistent and require further study.

Identifying Strategies for Strengthening the Health Care Workforce in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Like the United States as a whole, Virginia faces a significant shortage of health care workers in nursing, primary care, and behavioral health. If current trends persist, these shortages will increase across Virginia. The authors of this study identify interventions that can help the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority (VHWDA) address these health care workforce shortages. To accomplish this goal, they applied an analytic framework to existing or potential interventions for retaining, recruiting, and improving the structural efficiency of the nursing, primary care, and behavioral health workforces in Virginia. In this study, they highlight which interventions VHWDA should prioritize based on its desired outcomes and policy goals.

Capacity for the management of kidney failure in the International Society of Nephrology Latin America region: report from the 2023 ISN Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA).

Successful management of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Latin America (LA) continues to represent a challenge due to high disease burden and geographic disparities and difficulties in terms of capacity, accessibility, equity, and quality of kidney failure care. Although LA has experienced significant social and economic progress over the past decades, there are still important inequities in health care access. Through this third iteration of the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas, the indicators regarding kidney failure care in LA are updated. Survey responses were received from 22 of 31 (71%) countries in LA representing 96.5% of its total population. Median CKD prevalence was 10.2% (interquartile range: 8.4%-12.3%), median CKD disability-adjusted life year was 753.4 days (interquartile range: 581.3-1072.5 days), and median CKD mortality was 5.5% (interquartile range: 3.2%-6.3%). Regarding dialysis modality, hemodialysis continued to be the most used therapy, whereas peritoneal dialysis reached a plateau and kidney transplantation increased steadily over the past 10 years. In 20 (91%) countries, >50% of people with kidney failure could access dialysis, and in only 2 (9%) countries, people who had access to dialysis could initiate dialysis with peritoneal dialysis. A mix of public and private systems collectively funded most aspects of kidney replacement therapy (dialysis and transplantation) with many people incurring up to 50% of out-of-pocket costs. Few LA countries had CKD/kidney replacement therapy registries, and almost no acute kidney injury registries were reported. There was large variability in the nature and extent of kidney failure care in LA mainly related to countries' funding structures and limited surveillance and management initiatives.

Examining the Potential of Pharmacies to Expand Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Access Along Georgia's Fixed-Route Public Transit: A Geospatial Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Despite accounting for more than half of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus diagnoses in the United States, the South has fewer than 30% of all pre-exposure prophylaxis users. Pre-exposure prophylaxis access geospatial analyses have focused on drive time but analyses along public transit routes have not been evaluated. Given the proximity to pharmacists and pharmacies, involvement in pre-exposure prophylaxis services may increase access and uptake of this preventative health need. OBJECTIVE: The objectives were to compare the rate of pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake between Georgia counties with and without public transit, to assess the geospatial accessibility of services along public transit, and to evaluate the potential impact of expanding pre-exposure prophylaxis services to community pharmacies. METHODS: Pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake rates between counties with and without public transit were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Geospatial analysis was performed using ArcGIS Pro and Geoda. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake rates and population and county characteristics. Spatial analysis was completed to uncover predictors for pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake rates. Increased access to pre-exposure prophylaxis along public transit was calculated by reporting the number of counties that would experience at least a 50% increase in pre-exposure prophylaxis access through community pharmacies. RESULTS: Pre-exposure prophylaxis uptake is significantly higher in Georgia counties with versus without public transit (P < 0.001). Pre-exposure prophylaxis rate is positively correlated with the accessibility of community pharmacies and pre-exposure prophylaxis clinics along fixed-route public transit (R2 = 0.524). Among pre-exposure prophylaxis clinics, 44% are inaccessible by public transit alone. Community pharmacies are significantly more widely distributed and accessible along public transit routes than pre-exposure prophylaxis clinics. CONCLUSION: Transportation remains a barrier to accessing pre-exposure prophylaxis. Georgia community pharmacies along public transit may serve as a solution to pre-exposure prophylaxis care access barriers.

Assessing the role of dental insurance in oral health care disparities in Canadian adults.

Background: This study examines the association of dental insurance with oral health care access and utilization in Canada while accounting for income and sociodemographic factors. It contributes to a baseline of oral health care disparities before the implementation of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP). Data and methods: This retrospective study of Canadians aged 18 to 64 years is based on data from the 2022 Canadian Community Health Survey. Multivariable logistic regression was employed to evaluate the association of dental insurance with the recency and frequency of dental visits, as well as avoidance of dental care because of cost. Results: Overall, 65.7% of Canadians reported visiting a dental professional in the previous year: 74.6% of those with private insurance, 62.8% with public insurance, and 49.8% uninsured. Cost-related avoidance of dental care was 16.0%, 20.9%, and 47.4% for the privately insured, publicly insured, and uninsured, respectively. After adjustment, adults with private (odds ratio [OR]=2.54; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.32 to 2.78) and public (OR=2.17; 95% CI: 1.75 to 2.68) insurance were more likely to have visited a dental professional in the last year compared with those without insurance. Similarly, both private (OR=0.22; 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.25) and public (OR=0.22; 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.29) insurance holders showed a significantly lower likelihood of avoiding dental visits because of cost when compared with uninsured individuals. Interpretation: This study showed the significant association of dental insurance with access to oral health care in Canada, contributing to setting a critical benchmark for assessments of the CDCP's effectiveness in addressing oral health disparities.