Community-driven partnerships with Community-Engaged Research teams bring resources and reliable information to Baltimore residents.

This case study presents an analysis of community-driven partnerships, focusing on the nonprofit Baltimore CONNECT (BC) network and its collaborative efforts with a Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) team of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR). BC has built a network of over 30 community-based organizations to provide health and social services in Baltimore City. The study emphasizes the role of CEnR in supporting community-led decision-making, specifically in the planning and implementation of community health resource fairs.

Leveraging digital tools to enhance diversity and inclusion in clinical trial recruitment.

Clinical research is pivotal in assessing the safety and efficacy of new treatments in healthcare. However, the success of such research depends on the inclusion of a diverse and representative participant sample, which is currently lacking. This lack of diversity in biomedical research participants has significant repercussions, limiting the real-world applicability and accessibility of medical interventions, especially for underrepresented groups.

Mixed reality technology for older adults: Evaluating the impact of a novel virtual humanoid coach in a community-based physical exercise program in the Philippines.

Physical inactivity among older adults remains a global burden, leading to a variety of health challenges and even mortality. This study evaluated the impact of a novel virtual humanoid coach-driven physical exercise program among older adults. A non-randomized (quasi) experimental research was conducted in two community senior centers.

Multiethnic Perspectives of Shared Decision-Making in Hypertension: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background: Shared decision-making (SDM) has the potential to improve hypertension care quality and equity. However, research lacks diverse representation and evidence about how race and ethnicity affect SDM. Therefore, this study aims to explore SDM in the context of hypertension management.

Healthcare system barriers and facilitators to hypertension management in Ghana.

Hypertension continues to pose a significant burden on the health systems in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Multiple challenges at the health systems level could impact patients' blood pressure outcomes. There is a need to understand the gaps in health systems to improve their readiness to manage the rising burden of hypertension To explore health system barriers and opportunities for improved management of hypertension in Ghana, West Africa.

Patient Practices, Perceptions, and Barriers to Self-measurement of Blood Pressure in a Rural Health System.

Background: Self-measurement of blood pressure (SMBP) is endorsed by current guidelines for diagnosing and managing hypertension (HTN). We surveyed individuals in a rural healthcare system on practices and attitudes related to SMBP that could guide future practice.

Methods: Survey questions were sent via an online patient portal to a random sample of 56,275 patients with either BP > 140/90 mm Hg or cardiovascular care in the system.

Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Hypertension Outcomes: A Systematic Review.

Despite ample evidence linking social determinants of health (SDoH) and hypertension outcomes, efforts to address SDoH in the context of hypertension prevention and self-management are not commensurate with the burden and impact of hypertension. To provide valuable insights into the development of targeted and effective strategies for preventing and managing hypertension, this systematic review, guided by the Healthy People 2030 SDoH framework, aims to summarize the inclusion, measurement, and evaluation of SDoH in studies examining hypertension outcomes, with a focus on characterizing SDoH constructs and summarizing the current evidence of their influence on hypertension outcomes. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, a comprehensive search of electronic databases identified 10 608 unique records, from which 57 articles meeting inclusion criteria were analyzed.

An evaluation of the impact of social and structural determinants of health on forgone care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Baltimore, Maryland.

Evidence suggests that reductions in healthcare utilization, including forgone care, during the COVID-19 pandemic may be contributing towards excess morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to describe individual and community-level correlates of forgone care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of participants (n = 2,003) who reported needing healthcare in two population-representative surveys conducted in Baltimore, MD in 2021 and 2021-2022.

Prevalence and Disparities in Telehealth Use Among US Adults Following the COVID-19 Pandemic: National Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background: Telemedicine expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic, though use differed by age, sex, race or ethnicity, educational attainment, income, and location. It is unclear if high telehealth use or inequities persisted late into the pandemic.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of, inequities in, and primary reasons for telehealth visits a year after telemedicine expansion.

Social determinants of health and emergency department visits among older adults with multimorbidity: insight from 2010 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey.

Background: Multimorbidity is prevalent among older adults and is associated with adverse health outcomes, including high emergency department (ED) utilization. Social determinants of health (SDoH) are associated with many health outcomes, but the association between SDoH and ED visits among older adults with multimorbidity has received limited attention. This study aimed to examine the association between SDoH and ED visits among older adults with multimorbidity.

Shared Decision-Making in Cardiovascular Risk Factor Management: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: The effect of shared decision-making (SDM) and the extent of its use in interventions to improve cardiovascular risk remain unclear.

Objective: To assess the extent to which SDM is used in interventions aimed to enhance the management of cardiovascular risk factors and to explore the association of SDM with decisional outcomes, cardiovascular risk factors, and health behaviors.

Data Sources: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, a literature search was conducted in the Medline, CINAHL, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Scopus, and ClinicalTrials.

Identification of Fatigue Subtypes and Their Correlates in Prevalent Heart Failure: A Secondary Analysis of the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study.

Background: Among patients with heart failure (HF), fatigue is common and linked to quality of life and functional status. Fatigue is hypothesized to manifest as multiple types, with general and exertional components. Unique subtypes of fatigue in HF may require differential assessment and treatment to improve outcomes.

Blood Pressure Measurements Obtained by Community-Dwelling Adults Are Similar to Nurse-Obtained Measurements: The SMART-BP Validate Study.

Background: Self-measured blood pressure (SMBP) is an effective strategy for managing and controlling hypertension. However, uncertainty regarding patients' ability to accurately measure their blood pressure (BP) contributes to treatment inertia. Therefore, we compared BP measurements with the Omron HEM-9210T device obtained by nurses and community-dwelling adults after training.

Grassroots and Digital Outreach Strategies Raise Awareness of COVID-19 Information and Research in Baltimore City.

We aimed to disseminate reliable COVID-19 information to the Black and Latino communities of Baltimore City, Maryland, between July 2020 and December 2022. With community partners, we disseminated evidence-based COVID-19 information via grassroots and digital strategies, including Hopkins Opportunity for Participant Engagement, and connected volunteers to COVID-19 research. Using a multimodal approach facilitated dissemination of reliable information and raised awareness of research; evaluation of trust is ongoing.

Association Between the Composite Cardiovascular Risk and mHealth Use Among Adults in the 2017-2020 Health Information National Trends Survey: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Numerous studies have suggested that the relationship between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and the usage of mobile health (mHealth) technology may vary depending on the total number of CVD risk factors present. However, whether higher CVD risk is associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in specific mHealth use among US adults is currently unknown.

Objective: We aim to assess the associations between the composite CVD risk and each component of mHealth use among US adults regardless of whether they have a history of CVD or not.

The associations between rapid response systems and their components with patient outcomes: A scoping review.

Background: While rapid response systems have been widely implemented, their impact on patient outcomes remains unclear. Further understanding of their components-including medical emergency team triggers, medical emergency team member composition, additional roles in patient care beyond responding to medical emergency team events, and their involvement in "Do-Not-Resuscitate" order placement-may elucidate the relationship between rapid response systems and outcomes.

Objective: To explore how recent studies have examined rapid response system components in the context of relevant adverse patient outcomes, such as in-hospital cardiac arrests and hospital mortality.

Using rapid response system trigger clusters to characterize patterns of clinical deterioration among hospitalized adult patients.

Background: Many rapid response system (RRS) events are activated using multiple triggers. However, the patterns in which multiple RRS triggers occur together to activate RRS events are unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify these patterns (RRS trigger clusters) and determine their association with outcomes among hospitalized adult patients.

Use of Human-Centered Design Methodology to Develop a Digital Toolkit to Optimize Heart Failure Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy.

Background: Guideline-directed medical therapies (GDMTs) improve quality of life and health outcomes for patients with heart failure (HF). However, GDMT utilization is suboptimal among patients with HF.

Objective: The aims of this study were to engage key stakeholders in semistructured, virtual human-centered design sessions to identify challenges in GDMT optimization posthospitalization and inform the development of a digital toolkit aimed at optimizing HF GDMTs.

Strategies for Improving Enrollment of Diverse Populations with a Focus on Lipid-Lowering Clinical Trials.

Purpose Of Review: We review under-representation of key demographic groups in cardiovascular clinical trials, focusing on lipid-lowering trials. We outline multilevel strategies to recruit and retain diverse populations in cardiovascular trials.

Recent Findings: Barriers to participation in trials occur at the study, participant, health system, sponsor, and policy level, requiring a multilevel approach to effectively increase participation of under-represented groups in research.