Health Policy Commons^™

The Collapse Of Health Care: The Effects Of Covid-19 On U.S. Community Health Centers, Ashley Van Slyke

Population Health Research Brief Series

The closure of community health centers is likely to have widespread detrimental impacts on the country’s public health and economy for years to come.

Harm Reduction In Prison Settings: A Relevant Approach To Reduce Hiv Transmission?, Amine Ghrabi

International Programs

Harm reduction defines a set of policies and interventions aiming to address the adverse health consequences associated with drug use. Compared to the general population, prisoners are disproportionally affected by HIV. Thanks to its strong emphasis on public health and human rights principles, harm reduction can effectively reduce transmission of HIV inside prison settings.

Human Trafficking And Gender Inequality In Remote Communities Of Central Vietnam, Bich Ngoc Nguyen, Mark Gordon

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Human trafficking crime is rising globally at an alarming rate. Vietnam has one of the highest prevalence of trafficking female victims for forced sex and marriages and of girls abandoning school for unskilled work. In this study, we explored human trafficking awareness in remote communities of central Vietnam and the factors for young girls leaving school for work at an early age. The study also investigated a link between gender inequality and child labor. Gender inequality and vulnerability theories provided theoretical constructs and context for face-to-face interviews with 19 villagers, mothers of the child labor victims, teachers, human services workers, …

Con Confianza: Using Community-Based Participatory Research Principles To Inform Community-Academic Partnership Practices And Build Trust In Hispanic Communities, Sharon Tafolla

Master's Projects and Capstones

Hispanic communities are at disproportionate risk for chronic diseases and researchers have cited the need for further community and culturally informed studies to improve research outcomes to either make treatments and interventions more generalizable or modify them to the needs of Hispanic communities. However, many of the same linguistic and cultural barriers to health care access and utilization also impact the ability for Hispanic groups to participate in research studies. Community Academic Partnerships (CAPs) are positioned to conduct culturally and linguistically competent research in Hispanic communities. For research in Hispanic communities to be effective, CAPs must prioritize practices that build …

Special Issue – July 2021 The Impact Of Inequity & Health Disparities On The Human Experience, Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal

Patient Experience Journal (PXJ) is excited to announce the call for submissions for its July 2021 special issue on the impact of racial inequality, health disparities, and discrimination on the human experience. The world now finds itself in the grips of a global pandemic that is taking its toll on communities socially and economically, placing strain on healthcare workers and revealing the very systemic weaknesses and inherent biases that have been resting just beneath the surface of our society for years. The challenge of disparity and inequity is not unique to healthcare, but in the era of COVID-19, what many …

Micro-Volunteering At Scale Can Help Health Systems Respond To Emergencies, Such As The Covid-19 Pandemic, Neil Churchill Obe

Patient Experience Journal

One of the unprecedented challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic has been to support millions of clinically high-risk individuals who were advised to self-isolate for long periods to reduce the likelihood of infection. The NHS in England issued a mass call for volunteers in March 2020 to help support people who were shielding or vulnerable for other reasons during the lockdown. Three quarters of a million people came forward to aid the health at home experience for these vulnerable individuals by providing friendly telephone calls, help with shopping or collection of medicines or transport to essential hospital appointments. Hospitals also used …

My Six-Word Story: Power To Reconnect And Connect, Alexie Puran

Patient Experience Journal

The COVID-19 global pandemic is a threat to the well-being of our healthcare professionals. Recent studies on the mental health effects of healthcare professionals from China and Italy have revealed higher levels of depression, anxiety and psychological distress. As a Pediatric Emergency Medicine physician working on the frontline and a H3 (Helping Healers Heal) Peer Champion, I sought to support my staff’s well-being and emotional resilience. My Six-Word Story, a simple and meaningful activity was designed to support the psycho-social well-being of those on the frontline providing care. This new project was implemented in the Pediatric Emergency Department at NYC …

Nursing Leadership During Covid-19: Enhancing Patient, Family And Workforce Experience, Anne Aquilia, Karen Grimley, Barbara Jacobs, Maryellen Kosturko, Jerry Mansfield, Charlotte Mathers, Peggie Parniawski, Laura Wood, Victoria Niederhauser

Patient Experience Journal

The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged nurse leaders in ways that one could not imagine six months ago. Along with ongoing priorities of providing high quality, cost-effective and safe care, nurse leaders are also committed to creating environments that support excellence in patient and family experience. This article will provide exemplars of how nurse leaders used decisive decision-making, adapted to novel situations and issues, ensured reliable and safe delivery of care and engaged patients, families and their workforce to create excellent experiences of care during the pandemic. Throughout this crisis, nurse leaders have learned how to grapple with quick and …

Caring For Our Caregivers In Body, Mind And Spirit During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Rick Evans, Philip J. Wilner, Kristen Spillane

Patient Experience Journal

New York City became the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020. The surge of critically ill patients combined with widespread social distancing measures created extraordinary challenges for healthcare workers. Many frontline workers experienced significant physical, psychological, and emotional distress. They faced demanding patient care responsibilities while managing personal obligations and health concerns.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was imperative that NewYork-Presbyterian care for its workforce’s physical, psychological and emotional needs, not only because of our commitment to our colleagues as people, but also because of our obligation to continue to deliver high quality care and experience to the …

Johns Hopkins Medicine Responds To Covid-19: Adjusting Patient- Family- And Staff-Centered Care, Stacy L. C. Colimore, Lisa Allen, Zach Lawrence, Nicole Iarrobino, Sylvia Kavouriou, Adey Betre, Chevaunne Edwards, Amel Elshinawi, Lisa Filbert, Tameka Glenn, Jade Hewitt, Lisa Jibril, Brittney Lawrence, Ariel Mabry, Deborah Miller, Nicole Pritchett, Heather Webb

Patient Experience Journal

The extraordinary impact of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the health care industry included a major, nearly immediate paradigm shift in the visitation policy for Johns Hopkins Medicine. This large health system, comprising six hospitals, a home care group, community physician practices and satellite outpatient sites moved from essentially open visitation to no visitation, creating an entirely new set of needs for our staff, patients and their loved ones. We developed new ways of communicating and connecting staff members, staff and patients, staff and the patient’s loved ones, and patients and their loved ones. Our intent was to …

Positive Patient Experience In Eye Care During Covid-19: A Case From Eye Hospital Sistina Oftalmologija, Vesna Cado

Patient Experience Journal

COVID-19 was a wake-up call, changing the world we know and our experiences in every possible way. Healthcare systems, as the most exposed and stressed in this situation, were called to urgently respond to the new reality. Physical distancing and stay-at-home directives have flattened the curve and decreased the risk of viral transmission but also decreased the clinical volume in eye care medical practice. Hospitals must work hard to find a balance in responding to the pandemic while providing quality care and positive patient experiences. Previous research on crises has been mostly focused on implementing crisis management strategies to handle …

Maintaining A Positive Patient Experience During Covid-19 In A Rehabilitation And Complex Care Setting, Sarah Benn Orava, Kim Cook, Amanda Brown

Patient Experience Journal

West Park Healthcare Centre located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada provides specialized rehabilitative and complex care after a life‐altering illness or injury such as lung disease, amputation, stroke and traumatic musculoskeletal injuries. This narrative showcases the strategies, processes and the lessons learned and subsequently utilized throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to engage patients and their family and peers.

Experience Framework

This article is associated with the Patient, Family & Community Engagement lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework)

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Patients And Families Strengthen Covid-19 Communication Across Los Angeles County, Lindsey Galli, Libby Hoy

Patient Experience Journal

PFCCpartners supported Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to develop a Person Family Engaged Culture. When COVID-19 hit Los Angeles, system leaders understood the importance of keeping a pulse on what information people were looking for. With the continued support from PFCCpartners, a survey of community members was conducted to understand their questions during this unprecedented time. The survey highlighted barriers to accessing supplies, refilling prescriptions and using technology for virtual appointments. Utilizing the survey questions, a small group discussion was held to deepen understanding of the barriers and challenges faced during the pandemic. These two engagement activities ensured …

Out Of Sight, But Not Out Of Mind: Keeping Connections Alive During Covid-19, Katie Braun

Patient Experience Journal

The Veteran Affairs Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) completed over 750,000 outpatient appointments during fiscal year 2019. With changes occurring around COVID-19, VAPHS saw a significant decline in veterans on campus. VAPHS employees are strongly connected to the mission of serving our nation’s hero’s, while veterans find trust, support and comradery at the VA. The VAPHS Office of Veterans Experience (OVE) realized the impact that COVID-19 isolation may have on veterans quarantined at home and seized the opportunity to continue to build relationships, develop trust and keep connected through the VAPHS Birthday Club. Over 1,300 calls have been placed to provide …

A Comprehensive Call Center Supporting Safe, Efficient Operations During A Pandemic, Janice P. Finder, Ashlyn Proske, Judy Overton, Elizabeth Comcowich Garcia, Michael Frumovitz

Patient Experience Journal

Research has shown that a comprehensive call center can support a safe, efficient, and quality experience for patients and their families. When a patient receives a cancer diagnosis, the stakes are already high. Add a pandemic to an immunocompromised patient population and fear escalates. In order to accommodate the ever-changing information and ease patients’ anxieties surrounding their cancer diagnoses, it is necessary that an institution be available 24/7 to inform, help navigate systems, and manage symptoms because the emergency room, and many times the clinics, have too many inherent risks.

MD Anderson expanded the hours of operation for askMDAnderson, a …

How University Of Chicago Medicine Designed Virtual Rounding To Maintain Human Connections During Covid-19, Susan M. Murphy

Patient Experience Journal

This story is about how the Patient Experience and Engagement Program (PEEP) team at University of Chicago Medicine adapted our patient rounding program from in-person to virtual during the COVID-19 crisis. With creativity and ingenuity, our team shifted on a dime to ensure that patients received the kind of care and connection that allowed them to start the recovery process from what could otherwise be a traumatizing experience before they even leave the hospital. I will explain the steps we took to quickly transition our rounding program from in-person to virtual. But more than that, I want to convey the …

A Covid-19 Patient’S Experience: Engagement In Disease Management, Interactions With Care Teams And Implications On Health Policies And Managerial Practices, Lihua Dishman, Vicki Schroeder

Patient Experience Journal

This narrative inquiry aimed to explore a COVID-19 patient’s lived experience from contracting the disease to recovery and understand the implications of this unique patient experience on health policies and managerial practices. The personal narrative approach was used to chronicle the patient’s weekly journey in disease management. Best practices emerged from her and her family members’ engagement in managing COVID-19, and interactions with her primary care provider and COVID-19 Response Team. Her COVID-19 patient experience also provided a basis for implications on public health and healthcare policies and managerial practices. Three key dimensions were perceived to have positively impacted the …

Focusing On Positivity During The Covid-19 Crisis: A New York Health System Strategy, Sven Gierlinger, Agnes Barden

Patient Experience Journal

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading positivity has become a core mission of Northwell Health, the largest integrated health system in New York. As a state and community health system, we are forever changed, but our need for compassion, humanism, and connection has never wavered. Creating innovative ways to bring humanity to the forefront, hope and optimism echo across the organization as initiatives, forums, and acts of gratitude have ensued.

Experience Framework

This article is associated with the Culture & Leadership lens of The Beryl Institute Experience Framework. (http://bit.ly/ExperienceFramework)

• Access other PXJ articles related to this …

Chronic Pain, Vulnerability And Human Spirit While Living Under The Umbrella Of Covid-19, Richard B. Hovey Dr., Delane Linkiewich Ms., Mary Brachaniec Ms.

Patient Experience Journal

The purpose of writing this article is to describe what added challenges people like us who are living with chronic pain are experiencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore what this challenging time means to us and how it affects our lives, along with providing insight into our experiences. This is not a research study, but instead an article that shares perspectives from people with lived experience of chronic pain. Our narratives are presented to create an awareness of the plight for people already living with challenging health conditions and how the COVID-19 pandemic has added additional layers of vulnerability. …

Caring For Kids In The Time Of Covid-19, Laurie S. Strongin

Patient Experience Journal

The proliferation of COVID-19 has disrupted tens of millions of children’s lives. Aside from the monotony of living indoors for extended periods, being quarantined can cause feelings of helplessness, anxiety, and fear in kids and parents. These feelings are familiar to chronically ill children whose treatment often necessitates years in and out of hospitals, but COVID-19 has made life harsher for these kids. While otherwise healthy children tend to have milder symptoms than adults, the same isn’t true for kids with compromised immune systems. Keeping these children safe requires hospitals to make adjustments that exacerbate their isolation from everything they …