Publications by authors named "Maria-Linda Burola"

Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic revealed health disparities in underserved Latino/a communities, particularly regarding testing access.
  • The CO-CREATE project developed a community-driven, culturally-tailored COVID-19 testing program in San Ysidro in partnership with local health organizations.
  • Over two years, the program provided 24,422 tests to a primarily Latino/a population, significantly enhancing testing rates and emphasizing the need for future public health strategies to improve access for underserved communities.
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Introduction: Meaningful engagement of partners in co-creating and refining health-related programs can increase the initial uptake, sustained implementation, broad reach, and effectiveness of these programs. This is especially important for underserved communities where resources are limited and need to be prioritized. Brainwriting premortem is a novel qualitative approach to partner engagement that combines the strengths of individual idea generation with the concept of premortem exercise that addresses failure points prior to the implementation of new programs.

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Background: There continues to be a need for COVID-19 testing that is pragmatic, community-centered, and sustainable. This study will refine and test implementation strategies prioritized by community partners: (1) walk-up no-cost testing, (2) community health worker (promotores)-facilitated testing and preventive care counseling, (3) vending machines that dispense no-cost, self-testing kits.

Methods: A co-designed Theory of Change from an earlier study phase and the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainment Model (PRISM) will guide the study design, measures selection, and evaluation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 incidence are pronounced in underserved U.S./Mexico border communities, with risk factors intensified by limited access to testing.
  • A survey conducted with 179 community members in San Ysidro aimed to assess their knowledge and attitudes regarding COVID-19 risk and testing accessibility.
  • Results indicated that while a significant portion of respondents felt moderately to highly at risk for infection, 68% had been tested, primarily reporting easy access, although barriers such as appointment availability and cost were noted.
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