Healthcare access and barriers to utilization among transgender and gender diverse people in Africa: a systematic review.

Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people face significant challenges in accessing timely, culturally competent, and adequate healthcare due to structural and systemic barriers, yet there is a lack of research exploring the access and utilization of healthcare services within African TGD communities. To address this gap, this systematic review explored: (1) barriers to accessing healthcare services and gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) faced by TGD people, (2) demographic and societal factors correlated with the utilization of healthcare services and GAHT, (3) common healthcare and support services utilized by TGD people, and (4) patterns of accessing healthcare services and GAHT within TGD communities. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Scopus in September 2023. Eligible studies included peer-reviewed original research, reports, and summaries published in the English language assessing health service accessibility and utilization of TGD people in Africa between January 2016 and December 2023. Results: From 2072 potentially relevant articles, 159 were assessed for eligibility following duplicate removal, and 49 were included for analysis. Forty-five articles addressed barriers to accessing healthcare services and GAHT, seven focused on demographic and societal factors correlated with the utilization of healthcare services and GAHT, 16 covered common healthcare and support services utilized by TGD people, and seven examined patterns of accessing healthcare services and GAHT. Findings suggested a limited availability of health services, inadequate knowledge of TGD healthcare needs among healthcare providers, a lack of recognition of TGD people in healthcare settings, healthcare-related stigma, and financial constraints within African TGD communities. An absence of studies conducted in Northern and Central Africa was identified. Conclusions: TGD people in Africa encounter significant barriers when seeking healthcare services, leading to disparity in the utilization of healthcare and resulting in a disproportionate burden of health risks. The implications of these barriers highlight the urgent need for more high-quality evidence to promote health equity for African TGD people. Trial registration: PROSPERO CRD42024532405. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s44263-024-00073-2.

Primary health care utilisation and delivery in remote Australian clinics during the COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic period (2020 to 2022) challenged and overstretched the capacity of primary health care services to deliver health care globally. The sector faced a highly uncertain and dynamic period that encompassed anticipation of a new, unknown, lethal and highly transmissible infection, the introduction of various travel restrictions, health workforce shortages, new government funding announcements and various policies to restrict the spread of the COVID-19 virus, then vaccination and treatments. This qualitative study aims to document and explore how the pandemic affected primary health care utilisation and delivery in remote and regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with staff working in 11 Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs) in outer regional, remote and very remote Australia. Interviews were transcribed, inductively coded and thematically analysed. RESULTS: 248 staff working in outer regional, remote and very remote primary health care clinics were interviewed between February 2020 and June 2021. Participants reported a decline in numbers of primary health care presentations in most communities during the initial COVID-19 lock down period. The reasons for the decline were attributed to community members apprehension to go to the clinics, change in work priorities of primary health care staff (e.g. more emphasis on preventing the virus entering the communities and stopping the spread) and limited outreach programs. Staff forecasted a future spike in acute presentations of various chronic diseases leading to increased medical retrieval requirements from remote communities to hospital. Information dissemination during the pre-vaccine roll-out stage was perceived to be well received by community members, while vaccine roll-out stage information was challenged by misinformation circulated through social media. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of ACCHSs to be able to adapt service delivery in response to the changing COVID-19 strategies and policies are highlighted in this study. The study signifies the need to adequately fund ACCHSs with staff, resources, space and appropriate information to enable them to connect with their communities and continue their work especially in an era where the additional challenges created by pandemics are likely to become more frequent. While the PHC seeking behaviour of community members during the COVID-19 period were aligned to the trends observed across the world, some of the reasons underlying the trends were unique to outer regional, remote and very remote populations. Policy makers will need to give due consideration to the potential effects of newly developed policies on ACCHSs operating in remote and regional contexts that already battle under resourcing issues and high numbers of chronically ill populations.

Social factors associated with the risk of glaucoma suspect conversion to glaucoma: analysis of the nationwide All of Us Program.

PURPOSE: To examine social factors associated with the 5-year risk of glaucoma suspects (GS) converting to open-angle glaucoma (OAG). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort analysis. SUBJECTS: We screened for participants diagnosed with GS in the All of Us database. Cases that converted to OAG within 5 years of GS diagnosis (the "conversion group") were compared with control cases that did not convert. METHODS: Demographic, socioeconomic and healthcare utilization data of the cases were extracted and compared between the conversion group and the control group. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to identify potential factors associated with the risk of conversion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Hazard ratios (HRs) of significant factors associated with the risk of conversion. RESULTS: A total of 5274 GS participants were identified, and 786 (15%) cases converted to OAG within 5-year follow-up. The two groups showed significant differences in age, race, gender, employment status, income/education level, history of intra-ocular surgery, and healthcare utilization patterns. In the multivariable model, African American/Black race (HR [95% confidence interval] =1.70 [1.44-2.00]), older age at GS diagnosis (1.17 [1.09-1.25]), male gender (1.30 [1.13-1.50], no history of recreational drug use (1.23 [1.07-1.42]), history of intra-ocular surgery (1.60 [1.02-1.53]) and having more reasons for delayed healthcare access (2.27 [1.23-4.18]) were associated with a greater hazard of conversion, while being employed (0.71 [0.60-0.86]) was associated with a smaller hazard of conversion (P<0.05 for all). CONCLUSIONS: Several social factors were associated with the conversion from GS to OAG, which may help to identify patients at higher risk of disease progression. Future studies are needed to examine the basis for these findings and the potential interventions that could address them.

Improving kidney care for people with severe mental health difficulties: A thematic analysis of personal and family members' perspectives.

People with severe mental health difficulties (SMHDs) often have poorer access to kidney healthcare. To better understand the barriers and facilitators to kidney healthcare for this population, we conducted interviews with nine individuals with SMHDs and four family members. Through reflexive thematic analysis, we generated three themes: (1) 'One size doesn't fit all' describes the need for individualised kidney healthcare, adapted to meet the specific needs of each person with a SMHD. (2) 'You just can't say, "I'm only dealing with your kidney here"' describes how fragmentation of physical and mental healthcare services can lead to poorer outcomes for people with SMHDs, underscoring the need for coordinated care. (3) 'Just treat me with respect' describes the impact of healthcare provider attitudes. Overall, participants praised the dedication and kindness of renal clinicians. However, some participants also described experiences of stigma and discrimination, and called for additional education for healthcare providers regarding SMHDs.

The impact of the California state lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic on management of patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The SARS-COVID-19 pandemic significantly limited healthcare access. We sought to evaluate whether California's lockdown in March 2020 affected staging and time to treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). We hypothesized that patients diagnosed after the lockdown would have longer time to treatment and higher stage at presentation. METHODS: We retrospectively identified and categorized 1294 patients presenting to five University of California healthcare systems with a new diagnosis of PDAC into "pre-lockdown" and "post-lockdown" groups based on timing of pathologic diagnosis. RESULTS: In the 12 months pre-lockdown, 835 patients were diagnosed with PDAC, and 459 patients in the 6 months post-lockdown. Demographics, staging, and treatment type were similar between eras. There was a decreased male:female ratio post- versus pre-lockdown (0.97 vs. 1.25; p = 0.03). Time from symptom onset to first treatment was significantly increased among females post-lockdown (p = 0.001). However, overall time from diagnosis to first treatment was shorter in the post-lockdown era (median 23 vs. 26 days, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 lockdown did not significantly delay initial presentation, diagnosis, or treatment of newly diagnosed PDAC patients. Time from diagnosis to first treatment was shorter post-lockdown. Reduced healthcare utilization for minor complaints and increased telehealth utilization may have contributed.

Improving Outcomes for Regional Families in the Early Years: Increasing Access to Child and Family Health Services for Regional Australia.

Providing child and family health (CFH) services that meet the needs of young children and their families is important for a child's early experiences, development and lifelong health and well-being. In Australia, families living in regional and rural areas have historically had limited access to specialist CFH services. In 2019, five new specialist CFH services were established in regional areas of New South Wales, Australia. The purpose of this study is to understand the regional families' perceptions and experiences of these new CFH services. A convergent mixed-methods design involving a survey and semi-structured interviews with parents who had used the service was used for this study. Data collected include demographics, reasons for engaging with the service, perception, and experience of the service, including if the service provided was family centred. Triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative analysis uncovered three main findings: (i) The regional location of the service reduced the burden on families to access support for their needs; (ii) providing a service that is family-centred is important to achieve positive outcomes; and (iii) providing a service that is family-centred advances the local reputation of the service, enabling a greater reach into the community. Providing local specialist CFH services reduces the burden on families and has positive outcomes; however, providing services that are family-centred is key.

Factors Affecting Adherence in Allergic Disorders and Strategies for Improvement.

Addressing patient adherence is a key element in ensuring positive health outcomes and improving health-related quality of life for patients with atopic and immunologic disorders. Understanding the complex etiologies of patient non-adherence and identifying real-world solutions is important for clinicians, patients, and systems to design and effect change. This review serves as a key resource for defining key issues related to patient non-adherence and outlines solutions, resources, knowledge gaps, and advocacy areas across five domains: healthcare access, financial considerations, socio-environmental factors, health literacy, and psychosocial factors. To allow for more easily digestible and usable content, we describe solutions based on three macro-levels of focus: patient, clinician, and system. This review and interactive toolkit serve as an educational resource and call to action to improve equitable distribution of resources, institutional policies, patient-centered care, and practice guidelines for improving health outcomes for all patients with atopic and immunologic disorders.

Resilience of mental health services amidst Ebola disease outbreaks in Africa.

Introduction: Health systems including mental health (MH) systems are resilient if they protect human life and produce better health outcomes for all during disease outbreaks or epidemics like Ebola disease and their aftermaths. We explored the resilience of MH services amidst Ebola disease outbreaks in Africa; specifically, to (i) describe the pre-, during-, and post-Ebola disease outbreak MH systems in African countries that have experienced Ebola disease outbreaks, (ii) determine the prevalence of three high burden MH disorders and how those prevalences interact with Ebola disease outbreaks, and, (iii) describe the resilience of MH systems in the context of these outbreaks. Methods: This was a scoping review employing an adapted PRISMA statement. We conducted a five-step Boolean strategy with both free text and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) to search 9 electronic databases and also searched WHO MINDbank and MH Atlas. Results: The literature search yielded 1,230 publications. Twenty-five studies were included involving 13,449 participants. By 2023, 13 African nations had encountered a total of 35 Ebola outbreak events. None of these countries had a metric recorded in MH Atlas to assess the inclusion of MH in emergency plans. The three highest-burden outbreak-associated MH disorders under the MH and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) framework were depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety with prevalence ranges of 1.4-7%, 2-90%, and 1.3-88%, respectively. Furthermore, our analysis revealed a concerning lack of resilience within the MH systems, as evidenced by the absence of pre-existing metrics to gauge MH preparedness in emergency plans. Additionally, none of the studies evaluated the resilience of MH services for individuals with pre-existing needs or examined potential post-outbreak degradation in core MH services. Discussion: Our findings revealed an insufficiency of resilience, with no evaluation of services for individuals with pre-existing needs or post-outbreak degradation in core MH services. Strengthening MH resilience guided by evidence-based frameworks must be a priority to mitigate the long-term impacts of epidemics on mental well-being.

The necessity of including gender-affirming care in student health insurance plans.

Due to multiple factors, transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals are more likely to experience suicidal ideation, engage in intentional injury, and attempt suicide than cisgender individuals. Lack of access to healthcare among TGD individuals may contribute to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Few institutions of higher education include gender-affirming care in their student health insurance plans, neglecting to provide equitable care for their entire student body and further ostracizing TGD people. By including all-encompassing, gender-affirming student health insurance, institutions of higher learning have the opportunity to preserve TGD individuals' physical and mental health and promote student well-being.

Pandemic-related challenges accessing food and primary healthcare among sex workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: findings from a community-based cohort in Vancouver, Canada.

INTRODUCTION: Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic upended healthcare services and created economic vulnerability for many. Criminalization of sex work meant sex workers were largely ineligible for Canada's government-based financial pandemic relief, the Canadian Emergency Response Benefit. Sex workers' loss of income and inability to access financial support services during the pandemic resulted in many unable to pay rent or mortgage, and in need of assistance with basic needs items including food. Little is known about the unique experiences of sex workers who faced challenges in accessing food during the pandemic and its impact on healthcare access. Thus, we aimed to identify the association between pandemic-related challenges accessing food and primary healthcare among sex workers. METHODS: Prospective data were drawn from a cohort of women sex workers in Vancouver, Canada (An Evaluation of Sex Workers' Health Access, AESHA; 2010-present). Data were collected via questionnaires administered bi-annually from October 2020-August 2021. We used univariate and multivariable logistic regression with generalized estimating equations to assess the association between pandemic-related challenges accessing food and challenges accessing primary healthcare over the study period. RESULTS: Of 170 participants, 41% experienced pandemic-related challenges in accessing food and 26% reported challenges accessing healthcare. Median age was 45 years (IQR:36-53), 56% were of Indigenous ancestry, 86% experienced intimate partner violence in the last six months, and 62% reported non-injection substance use in the last six months. Experiencing pandemic-related challenges accessing food was positively associated with challenges accessing primary healthcare (Adjusted Odds Ratio: 1.99, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.02-3.88) after adjustment for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Findings provide insight about the potential role community-based healthcare delivery settings (e.g., community clinics) can play in ameliorating access to basic needs such as food among those who are highly marginalized. Future pandemic response efforts should also take the most marginalized populations' needs into consideration by establishing strategies to ensure continuity of essential services providing food and other basic needs. Lastly, policies are needed establishing basic income support and improve access to food resources for marginalized women in times of crisis.

Impact of the economic crisis and drug shortage on Lebanese cancer patients' care.

BACKGROUND: As a consequence of the economic crisis, the sociopolitical instability and the advent of the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic, nested challenges faced the Lebanese healthcare system. These have resulted in critical shortages of essential resources, including medications vital for oncologic patients. AIM: To assess the ramifications of the ongoing economic crisis on oncology patient care focusing on our outpatient oncology department. METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed during the month of February 2022 to oncology patients in Hôtel Dieu de France University Hospital in Beirut during their outpatient therapy. The primary objective was to assess the far-reaching impact of the economic crisis on patient care and the resulting psychological implications. RESULTS: Among 182 interviewed patients, 31.87% experienced treatment interruption mainly due to acute drug shortages. Despite 87.91% of the patients benefiting from third-party coverage, 69.60% had to self-pay for their medications leading to 69.78% of patients perceiving that healthcare was more difficult to access after 2020. Psychologically, one-third of the patients exhibited symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, with 7 patients reporting suicidal ideations. Notably, 37.93% of patients who interrupted cancer treatment reported a history of comorbidities, and 89.66% who altered their treatment cited financial difficulties. CONCLUSION: Lebanese cancer patients face complex challenges spanning economic, healthcare, and psychological realms. Income inequalities exacerbated by the economic crisis hindered healthcare access.

The Role of Telemedicine in Voice Therapy.

Introduction: During the COVID-19 pandemic, our institution adopted telemedicine for voice therapy (VT) as an alternative to in-person sessions, which has been integrated into our routine practice following the pandemic. This study aims to explore factors influencing completion rates among the 2 methods. Method: A retrospective chart review at a single tertiary care institution between 2019 and 2021 was conducted. Patient zip codes were used to determine Neighborhood Atlas® Area Deprivation Index (ADI) scores and travel distance to our institution. Demographic data, Voice Handicap Index (VHI) scores, and completion status were extracted. Results: Between 2019 and 2021, 521 patients were referred to VT at our institution, with 29% opting for telemedicine VT (TVT) sessions and 71% choosing in-person sessions. Seventy-four percent was female, and average age was 57.1 years (range:10-89 years old). No statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 groups regarding sex, age, employment status, or insurance type. Participants in the TVT group demonstrated notably higher completion rates compared to the in-person group [70.0% vs 31.6% (P < .001)]. The TVT group also comprised of a higher percentage of white patients, reported longer travel distances and times to reach therapy, but had comparable ADI scores to the in-person group. Moreover, there were no significant differences in pretreatment VHI scores between the 2 groups or between those who completed therapy versus those who did not (P = .501). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that patients utilizing the telemedicine platform had significantly higher VT completion rates compared to patients appearing in person. These results highlight the importance of being able to offer telemedicine-based options in the management of voice patients.

Evaluating the web as a source of information for patients with chest wall deformities: insights into engagement and disparities.

BACKGROUND: Recent data highlight the internet's pivotal role as the primary information source for patients. In this study, we emulate a patient's/caregiver's quest for online information concerning chest deformities and assess the quality of available information. METHODS: We conducted an internet search using combination of the terms "pectus excavatum," "pectus excavatum surgery," "funnel chest," "pectus excavatum repair" and identified the first 100 relevant websites from the three most popular search engines: Google, Yahoo, and Bing. These websites were evaluated using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) instrument. RESULTS: Of the 300 websites generated, 140 (46.7%) were included in our evaluation after elimination of duplicates, non-English websites, and those targeting medical professionals. The EQIP scores in the final sample ranged from 8 to 32/36, with a median score of 22. Most of the evaluated websites (32.8%) originated from hospitals, yet none met all 36 EQIP criteria. DISCUSSION: None of the evaluated websites pertaining to pectus excavatum achieved a flawless "content quality" score. The diverse array of websites potentially complicates patients' efforts to navigate toward high-quality resources. Barriers in accessing high-quality online patient information may contribute to disparities in referral, patient engagement, treatment satisfaction, and overall quality of life. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Training labor and treatment behavior: Evidence from physician residency programs.

Public and private investments in physician human capital support a healthcare workforce to provide future medical services nationwide. Yet, little is known about how introducing training labor influences hospitals' provision of care. We leverage all-payer data and emergency medicine (EM) and obstetrics (OBGYN) residency program debuts to estimate local access and treatment intensity effects. We find that the introduction of EM programs coincides with less treatment intensity and suggestive increases in throughput. OBGYN programs adopt the pre-existing surgical tendencies of the hospital but may also relax some capacity constraints-allowing the marginal mother to avoid a riskier nearby hospital.

Impact of mHealth interventions on maternal, newborn, and child health from conception to 24 months postpartum in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Mobile health (mHealth) technologies have been harnessed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to address the intricate challenges confronting maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH). This review aspires to scrutinize the effectiveness of mHealth interventions on MNCH outcomes during the pivotal first 1000 days of life, encompassing the period from conception through pregnancy, childbirth, and post-delivery, up to the age of 2 years. METHODS: A comprehensive search was systematically conducted in May 2022 across databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health (CINAHL), Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Trip Pro, to unearth peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2022. The inclusion criteria consisted of (i) mHealth interventions directed at MNCH; (ii) study designs, including randomized controlled trials (RCTs), RCT variations, quasi-experimental designs, controlled before-and-after studies, or interrupted time series studies); (iii) reports of outcomes pertinent to the first 1000 days concept; and (iv) inclusion of participants from LMICs. Each study was screened for quality in alignment with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Joanne Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools. The included articles were then analyzed and categorized into 12 mHealth functions and outcome domain categories (antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care), followed by forest plot comparisons of effect measures. RESULTS: From the initial pool of 7119 articles, we included 131 in this review, comprising 56 RCTs, 38 cluster-RCTs, and 37 quasi-experimental studies. Notably, 62% of these articles exhibited a moderate or high risk of bias. Promisingly, mHealth strategies, such as dispatching text message reminders to women and equipping healthcare providers with digital planning and scheduling tools, exhibited the capacity to augment antenatal clinic attendance and enhance the punctuality of child immunization. However, findings regarding facility-based delivery, child immunization attendance, and infant feeding practices were inconclusive. CONCLUSIONS: This review suggests that mHealth interventions can improve antenatal care attendance and child immunization timeliness in LMICs. However, their impact on facility-based delivery and infant feeding practices varies. Nevertheless, the potential of mHealth to enhance MNCH services in resource-limited settings is promising. More context-specific implementation studies with rigorous evaluations are essential.

Emergency Physicians' Ethical Issues with Hospital Business Models.

BACKGROUND: The changing hospital business model has raised ethical issues for emergency physicians (EPs) in a healthcare system that often prioritizes profits over patient welfare. For-profit hospitals, driven by profit motives, may prioritize treating patients with lucrative insurance plans and those who can afford expensive treatments. Private equity investors, who now own many for-profit hospitals, focus on short-term financial gains, leading to cost-cutting measures and pressure on EPs to prioritize financial goals over patient welfare. Nonprofit hospitals, mandated to provide charity care to the underserved, may fail to meet their community service obligations, resulting in disparities in healthcare access. OBJECTIVE: This review examines the ethical challenges faced by emergency physicians (EPs) in response to the evolving hospital business model, which increasingly prioritizes profits over patient welfare. DISCUSSION: Emergency physicians face ethical dilemmas in this changing environment, including conflicts between patient care and financial interests. Upholding professional ethics and the principle of beneficence is essential. Another challenge is equitable access to healthcare, with some nonprofit hospitals reducing charity care, thus exacerbating disparities. EPs must uphold the ethical principle of justice, ensuring quality care for all patients, regardless of financial means. Conflicts of interest may arise when EPs work in hospitals owned by private equity firms or with affiliations with pharmaceutical companies or medical device manufacturers, potentially compromising patient care. CONCLUSION: Emergency physicians must navigate these ethical issues while upholding professional ethics and advocating for patients' best interests. Collaboration with hospital administrators, policymakers, and stakeholders is vital to address these concerns and prioritize patient welfare in healthcare delivery.

Health Insurance Matters: Insurance Coverage and Health Service Use Among Direct Care Workers in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: Direct care workers (DCWs) play a central role in supporting individuals' health and well-being across care settings, yet may face barriers to accessing health care themselves, particularly because of high rates of uninsurance. DESIGN: An observational study using pooled National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data from 2014 to 2018. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The sample included survey respondents employed as direct care workers (DCWs), including hospital aides, home care workers, and nursing and residential care aides. METHODS: We used bivariate analyses to compare differences in health insurance coverage and health service use, defined in terms of access, utilization, and affordability, among DCWs by care setting. We then used stepwise multivariable logistic regression analyses to explore the associations between insurance coverage and health service use. RESULTS: The sample included 1499 DCWs. Compared with hospital aides, home care workers and nursing and residential care aides had lower insurance coverage rates, were more likely to rely on Medicaid, and reported lower health care utilization and higher cost barriers. Health insurance through Medicaid was associated with the highest odds of health care access and utilization and the lowest odds of cost barriers for DCWs. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Given the projected 9.3 million total job openings in the direct care workforce from 2021 to 2031, policy and practice interventions designed to support DCWs' health are essential for ensuring continuous and quality care for older adults and people with disabilities and serious illness.

Assessing the resilience of HIV healthcare services provided to adolescents and young adults after the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Beira (Mozambique): an interrupted time series analysis.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has put the provision of health services globally at risk. In Sub-Saharan Africa, it had a major impact on HIV services. However, there is a lack of data on the post-pandemic period. This study aims to evaluate the resumption of HIV services and retention in care for adolescents and young people in the period following the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using interrupted time series analysis. Three periods were considered: pre-pandemic (form June 2019 to March 2020), pandemic (form April 2020 to March 2022) post-pandemic (from April 2022 to March 2023). Six outcome measures were considered: number of outpatient visits, HIV tests, HIV positivity ratio, the antiretroviral treatment (ART) non-adherence ratio, recall ratio, and the return ratio for adolescent and young adults on ART. RESULTS: During the study period, 447,515 outpatient visits and 126,096 HIV tests were recorded. After a reduction at the beginning of the pandemic period, both visits and tests increased during the pandemic (p < 0.05) and decreased in the post-pandemic (p < 0.05), recovering the pre-pandemic trends. The HIV positivity ratio slightly decreased from 3.3% to 1.7% during the study period (p < 0.05). The ART non-adherence ratio decreased from 23.4% to 2.4% throughout the study period (p < 0.05), with a drop at the beginning of the post-pandemic period (p < 0.05). The recall ratio increased during the study period (p < 0.05) with a drop at the beginning of the pandemic and post-pandemic periods (p < 0.05). The return ratio decreased at the beginning of the pandemic (p < 0.05) but returned to the pre-pandemic ratio in the post-pandemic period. CONCLUSIONS: The post-pandemic values of the investigated outcomes were comparable to pre-pandemic period, or even improved. Differently from other services, such as the community activities, that have been severely affected by COVID-19 pandemic, the HIV service system has shown resilience following emergency situation.

An exploration of barriers to access to healthcare in Hancock County, Tennessee: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Explore barriers to healthcare access in Hancock County, Tennessee using a conceptual framework for access to healthcare. METHODS: We collected data from 30 participants in Hancock County during 1 week in April 2023 using a combination of network and purposive sampling. We analyzed the data using thematic analysis and the conceptual framework of healthcare access. RESULTS: All dimensions of the conceptual framework of healthcare access presented barriers to healthcare access for participants of the study. A lack of acceptability of local healthcare among participants manifested in a perceived lack of availability of healthcare. This resulted in participants travelling or considering it necessary to travel long distances for care, even in a life-threatening emergency, despite the local availability of a hospital with an emergency department. CONCLUSIONS: A lack of acceptability can create healthcare access barriers similar to a lack of availability of healthcare facilities. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The research team met several times with the leader of a local community organization to discuss this research in Hancock County. These conversations helped to inform the study design and provided necessary background to conduct in-depth interviews. Members of the community organization helped identify individuals to interview and provide access to Remote Area Medical clinic patients. The research team discussed the final themes with the primary community collaborator.