scholarly journals Healthcare Navigation of Black and White Adolescents Following Sport-Related Concussion: A Path Towards Achieving Health Equity

Author(s):  
Jessica Wallace ◽  
Brian Q. Hou ◽  
Katherine Hajdu ◽  
Alan R. Tang ◽  
Alan Z. Grusky ◽  
...  

Abstract Context: Care-seeking behaviors for sport-related concussion (SRC) are not consistent across demographic subgroups. These differences may not only stem from health inequities but can further perpetuate disparities in care for SRCs. Objective: To determine whether racial differences exist in the care pathway from injury to SRC clinic within adolescent athletes. Design: Retrospective cohort Setting: Regional SRC center Participants: Of 582 total athletes, 486 (83.5%) White and 96 (16.5%) Black adolescent athletes were diagnosed with SRC and evaluated within 3 months at the SRC clinic. Main Outcome Measures: Race was the defined exposure, dichotomized as Black or White. The four primary outcomes included: 1)location of first health system contact, 2)time from injury to first health system contact 3) time to in-person SRC clinic visit, and 4) whether the athlete established care (>1 visit), was released immediately to an athletic trainer, or lost to follow-up. Results: Black and White athletes mostly presented directly to SRC clinic (61.5% vs 62.3%) at a median[interquartile range] of 3[1,5] vs 4[1,8] days respectively (p=0.821). Similar proportions of Black and White athletes also first presented to the ED (30.2% vs 27.2%) at a median of 0[0,1] vs 0[0,1] days (p=0.941). Black athletes more frequently had care transferred to their athletic trainer (39.6% vs 29.6%) and less frequently established care (56.3% vs 64.0%), however these differences were not statistically significant (p=0.138). Lost to follow-up was uncommon among Black and White athletes alike (4.2% vs 6.4%). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that within an established SRC referral network and multidisciplinary clinic, there were no observed racial disparities in how athletes were initially managed and/or ultimately presented to SRC clinic despite racial differences in school type and insurance coverage. SRC center assimilation and affiliation with school systems may be helpful in improving access and providing equitable care across diverse patient demographics.

2012 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. e75-e77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Delcher ◽  
Genevive Meredith ◽  
Mark Griswold ◽  
Barbara Roussel ◽  
Nirva Duval ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. e001974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beena E Thomas ◽  
Chandra Suresh ◽  
J Lavanya ◽  
Mika M Lindsley ◽  
Amith T Galivanche ◽  
...  

IntroductionPretreatment loss to follow-up (PTLFU)—dropout of patients after diagnosis but before treatment registration—is a major gap in tuberculosis (TB) care in India and globally. Patient and healthcare worker (HCW) perspectives are critical for developing interventions to reduce PTLFU.MethodsWe tracked smear-positive TB patients diagnosed via sputum microscopy from 22 diagnostic centres in Chennai, one of India’s largest cities. Patients who did not start therapy within 14 days, or who died or were lost to follow-up before official treatment registration, were classified as PTLFU cases. We conducted qualitative interviews with trackable patients, or family members of patients who had died. We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) with HCWs involved in TB care. Interview and FGD transcripts were coded and analysed with Dedoose software to identify key themes. We created categories into which themes clustered and identified relationships among thematic categories to develop an explanatory model for PTLFU.ResultsWe conducted six FGDs comprising 53 HCWs and 33 individual patient or family member interviews. Themes clustered into five categories. Examining relationships among categories revealed two pathways leading to PTLFU as part of an explanatory model. In the first pathway, administrative and organisational health system barriers—including the complexity of navigating the system, healthcare worker absenteeism and infrastructure failures—resulted in patients feeling frustration or resignation, leading to disengagement from care. In turn, HCWs faced work constraints that contributed to many of these health system barriers for patients. In the second pathway, negative HCW attitudes and behaviours contributed to patients distrusting the health system, resulting in refusal of care.ConclusionHealth system barriers contribute to PTLFU directly and by amplifying patient-related challenges to engaging in care. Interventions should focus on removing administrative hurdles patients face in the health system, improving quality of the HCW-patient interaction and alleviating constraints preventing HCWs from providing patient-centred care.


Author(s):  
Priyadarshee Patel ◽  
Alfredo Munoz ◽  
Elan Miller ◽  
Shaista Alam ◽  
Robin Dharia ◽  
...  

Introduction : Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a recognized risk factor of ischemic stroke and AF‐related stroke is twice more likely to prove fatal. Long‐term cardiac rhythm monitoring has greater diagnostic yield compared to conventional monitoring in detecting AF. Utility of implantable loop recorder (ILR) in detecting AF was established not only in patients with cryptogenic stroke but more recently in strokes due large artery atherosclerosis and small vessel disease Stroke AF trial. We present a collaborative care pathway and share multi‐year data on ILR implantation. Methods : A review of prospectively collected registry of ILR implantations performed at a Comprehensive stroke center was conducted. Data from 2017–2019 of in‐patient and out‐patient implantation was analyzed. Eligible patients identified by vascular neurology (VN) underwent in‐patient implantation primarily by interventional neurology (IN) and as out‐patient by electrophysiology Cardiology. In‐patient implant and programming were done on the day of discharge. Continuous monitoring was followed by EP Cardiology. AF detection was urgently communicated by EP Cardiology and anticoagulation initiated by VN. Patients lost to follow up or lacking information in medical records were excluded from analysis. Results : Total of 428 ILR implantations were performed over a period of 3 years (1/2017 ‐ 12/2019) with majority implants as in‐patient prior to discharge 290 (67.8%) and out‐patient 78 (32.2%). Inpatient ILR placement was noted to be 75% in 2017, 78% in 2018 and 80% in 2019. 57.2% of in‐patient ILRs were placed by IN and 42.8% by EP. Average time to in‐patient ILR was 4.1 days with 77% within 5, 18.5% within 10, and <5% within 11 or more days post‐stroke. Average time to out‐patient ILR placement was 57 days with only 16% within 15, 29% within 30 day and 53% in more than 30 days from stroke. Over the course of 2 years of monitoring, AFib was detected in 33% with false detection in 1.5% (19.6% in 2017, 26% in 2018 and 36.5% in 2019). Conclusions : A multispecialty collaborative care pathway to increase implantation rate in eligible patients is recommended. In‐patient implantation allows establishing continuity of care, patient retention, prevents lost to follow‐up, avoids delay in monitoring, and importantly decreases the risk of stroke recurrence by early initiation of anticoagulation.


Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Solveig A Cunningham ◽  
Aleena Mosher ◽  
Suzanne E Judd ◽  
Lisa M Matz ◽  
Edmond K Kabagambe ◽  
...  

Background: Alcohol consumption may reduce the risk of stroke. While both stroke and alcohol consumption patterns differ by race and sex, it is not known to what extent alcohol consumption contributes to the elevated risk of stroke in some groups, particularly in men and blacks in general. Methods: Risk of stroke was studied in 25,162 black and white adults aged 45+, in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. Information on alcohol consumption was obtained by telephone interview at baseline. Participants are contacted every 6 months by telephone for self- or proxy-reported stroke; medical records are retrieved and adjudicated by physicians Proportional hazard models, adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic, and stroke risk factors , were used. Results: Participants’ mean age was 64.7 years; 40% were black and 56% were women with 867 stroke events and a median follow-up time of 7.6 years. Compared to current drinkers, non-drinkers had 36% higher hazards of incident stroke which was significantly higher consistent across all race-sex groups except black men. Risks were particularly high among past drinkers (50% higher than among current drinkers), as would be expected since many may have stopped drinking due to health problems. However, risks were also elevated among lifetime abstainers. Differences in stroke risks were explained by demographic and socioeconomic differences between drinkers and non-drinkers. Among those who are current drinkers, those who consumed <1 drink per week had significantly lower hazards of stroke than moderate drinkers, and these protective factors remained marginally significant after accounting for demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral and health characteristics. Conclusions: Results suggest that individuals who do not currently consume alcohol may experience higher risks of stroke, which may be due in part due to socio-demographic and other characteristics associated with consuming alcohol.


2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (12) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
ALAN ROCKOFF
Keyword(s):  

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle M. Lespinasse ◽  
Kristen E. Medina ◽  
Stacey N. Maurer ◽  
Samantha A. Minski ◽  
Renee T. Degener ◽  
...  

Diabetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 1174-P
Author(s):  
RYAN MCDONOUGH ◽  
SARAH THOMAS ◽  
NICOLE RIOLES ◽  
OSAGIE EBEKOZIEN ◽  
MARK A. CLEMENTS ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet Michel

BACKGROUND Background: Online forward triage tools (OFTT) or symptom checkers are being widely used during this COVID-19 pandemic. The effects and utility of such tools however, have not been widely assessed. OBJECTIVE Objective: To assess the effects (quantitatively) and the utility (qualitatively) of a COVID-19 OFTT in a pandemic context, exploring patient perspectives as well as eliciting recommendations for tool improvement. METHODS Methods: We employed a mixed-method sequential explanatory study design. Quantitative data of all users of the OFTT between March 2nd, 2020 and May 12th, 2020 were collected. A follow-up survey of people who consented to participation was conducted. Secondly, qualitative data was collected through key informant interviews (n=19) to explain the quantitative findings, as well as explore tool utility, user experience and elicit recommendations. RESULTS Results: An estimate of the effects, (quantitatively) and the utility (qualitatively) of a COVID-19 OFTT in a pandemic context, and recommendations for tool improvement. In the study period, 6,272 users consulted our OFTT; 560 participants consented to a follow-up survey and provided a valid e-mail address. 176 (31.4%) participants returned a complete follow-up questionnaire. 85.2% followed the recommendations given. 41.5% reported that their fear was allayed after using tool and 41.1% would have contacted the GP or visited a hospital had the tool not existed. Qualitatively, seven overarching themes emerged namely i) accessibility of tool, ii) user-friendliness of tool, iii) utility of tool as an information source, iv) utility of tool in allaying fear and anxiety, v) utility of tool in decision making (test or not to test), vi) utility of tool in reducing the potential for onward transmissions (preventing cross infection) and vii) utility of tool in reducing health system burden. CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated that a COVID-19 OFTT does not only reduce the health system burden, but can also serve as an information source, reduce anxiety and fear, reduce cross infections and facilitate decision making (to test or not to test). Further studies are needed to assess the transferability of these COVID-19 OFTT findings to other contexts as the second wave sweeps across Europe.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document