Literature Collection

BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) disproportionately impacts rural and American Indian communities and has quadrupled among pregnant individuals nationwide in the past two decades. Yet, limited data are available about access and quality of care available to pregnant individuals in rural areas, particularly among American Indians (AIs). Unannounced standardized patients (USPs), or "secret shoppers" with standardized characteristics, have been used to assess healthcare access and quality when outcomes cannot be measured by conventional methods or when differences may exist between actual versus reported care. While the USP approach has shown benefit in evaluating primary care and select specialties, its use to date for OUD and pregnancy is very limited. METHODS: We used literature review, current practice guidelines for perinatal OUD management, and stakeholder engagement to design a novel USP protocol to assess healthcare access and quality for OUD in pregnancy. We developed two USP profiles-one white and one AI-to reflect our target study area consisting of three rural, predominantly white and AI US counties. We partnered with a local community health center network providing care to a large AI population to define six priority outcomes for evaluation: (1) OUD treatment knowledge among clinical staff answering telephones; (2) primary care clinic facilitation and provision of prenatal care and buprenorphine treatment; (3) appropriate completion of evidence-based screening, symptom assessment, and initial steps in management; (4) appropriate completion of risk factor screening/probing about individual circumstances that may affect care; (5) patient-directed tone, stigma, and professionalism by clinic staff; and (6) disparities in care between whites and American Indians. DISCUSSION: The development of this USP protocol tailored to a specific environment and high-risk patient population establishes an innovative approach to evaluate healthcare access and quality for pregnant individuals with OUD. It is intended to serve as a roadmap for our own study and for future related work within the context of substance use disorders and pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: The interaction between dementia and changes in health status accelerates the progression of dementia and health deterioration. Although health indicators exist for older adults, comprehensive ones for dementia are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To (1) establish core health indicators for older adults with dementia, (2) develop an integrated health assessment toolkit for older adults with dementia, and (3) test the feasibility and applicability of the integrated health assessment toolkit. METHODS: This study involved two phases. In the first phase, using the Delphi method, opinions from 10 experts were synthesized to establish core health indicators for older adults with dementia. In the second phase, with a descriptive research approach, an integrated health assessment toolkit was developed, evaluated by 10 daycare case managers for feasibility, and then pilot tested with 50 older adults with dementia across three daycare centers. RESULTS: The core health indicators for older adults with dementia covered 18 indicators in five domains: (1) cognitive and behavioral impairment, (2) sensory and perceptual impairment, (3) disease and dysfunction, (4) functional fitness deterioration, and (5) social isolation. After two rounds of assessments, experts rated the criteria's importance and clarity at 0.94 and 0.89 on the scale-level content validity index/universal agreement (S-CVI/UA), respectively. In the second phase, the integrated health assessment toolkit was developed, which integrated five observational assessment scales and six physical function measures. The average applicability scores ranged from 7.80 to 9.90 out of 10. In the pilot test, the assessment process proceeded smoothly without any adverse events. However, 10 participants did not comply with wearing the actigraphy device. LINKING ACTION TO EVIDENCE: The core health indicators and the corresponding health assessment toolkit are feasible to assess the health of older adults with dementia that could provide valuable insights and guide future interventions to enhance their well-being.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of video consultations in mental health care, highlighting the importance of therapeutic alliances for successful treatment outcomes in both face-to-face and web-based settings. Telepresence, the sense of being present with the mental health specialist (MHS) rather than feeling remote, is a critical component of building a strong therapeutic alliance in video consultations. While patients often report high telepresence levels, MHSs express concerns about whether video consultations can replicate the quality of face-to-face interactions. Despite its importance, research on telepresence development in MHSs over time and the dyadic interplay between patients and MHSs remains limited. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the mutual influence within patient-MHS dyads on telepresence development during video consultations, using data from a randomized controlled trial assessing the feasibility of video consultations for depression and anxiety disorders in primary care. METHODS: The study included 22 patient-MHS dyads (22 patients, 4 MHSs). Telepresence was measured using the Telepresence in Videoconference Scale. Dyadic data were analyzed using the actor-partner interdependence model with a distinguishable dyad structural equation model. Actor effects refer to the impact of an individual's telepresence at time point 1 (T1) on their telepresence at time point 2 (T2), while partner effects represent the influence of one party's telepresence at T1 on the other's telepresence at T2. Sensitivity analyses excluded data from individual MHSs to account for their unique effects. RESULTS: A significant actor effect for MHSs (P<.001) indicated a high temporal stability of telepresence between T1 and T2. In contrast, the actor effect for patients was not statistically significant, suggesting a greater variability between T1 and T2. No significant partner effects for both patients and MHSs were observed, suggesting no mutual influence between dyad members. Age was a significant covariate for telepresence in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Consistent with prior findings, MHSs experienced increased telepresence over time, whereas patients reported high telepresence levels from the start of therapy. The lack of dyadic influence highlights the need for further exploration into factors affecting telepresence development, such as age, technical proficiency, and prior treatment experience. Future studies with larger samples and more sessions are necessary to enhance the generalizability of these findings and to optimize the use of video consultations in mental health care.

OBJECTIVE: This paper outlines the design and implementation of iManage SCD, a self-management mobile health application for adolescents and young adults (AYA) with sickle cell disease (SCD) during transition from pediatric to adult health care. METHODS: The Integrate, Design, Assess, Share (IDEAS) framework, emphasizing user insights, iterative design, rigorous assessment, and knowledge sharing, guided the development process. The design team consisted of researchers, psychologists, physicians, social workers, AYA with SCD, and parents of AYA with SCD (n = 16) across three states. Qualitative focus groups and interviews were conducted and analyzed using thematic analysis across the integrate and design phases. Point of use feedback from AYA with SCD was used to assess feasibility and acceptability. RESULTS: The development process was centered around tenants of the Social-ecological Model of Adolescent and Young Adult Readiness to Transition. Development integrated multidisciplinary perspectives, fostering a person-centered approach. The iterative design process involved collaboration with a digital health firm, Agency39A. Health equity and implementation considerations were addressed at individual, community, and healthcare system levels. Themes that emerged from focus groups with AYA, clinicians, and researchers in the integrate and design phases of development included recommendations for content and user experience features. CONCLUSIONS: iManage SCD emerges as a comprehensive, user-friendly mobile health application, incorporating theoretical principles and direct user input. The development process demonstrated feasibility and acceptability, and the paper discusses dissemination strategies for the Community Health Workers and Mobile Health Programs to Help Young Adults with SCD Transition to Using Adult Healthcare Services (COMETS) study.