Pretest-post-test evaluation with lay midwives in remote Guatemala after educational activities about COVID-19.

Introduction: Guatemalan lay midwives are well-respected community leaders in a country that lacks the institutional capacity to meet healthcare needs related to pregnancy, newborns, and COVID-19. Thus, Guatemalan lay midwives, who attend the majority of births in their country and who attend most births at home, are in an optimal position to offer frontline support to pregnant women and newborns regarding the global pandemic. The primary objective of this program of study was to dispel myths about COVID-19 and to provide culturally relevant educational activities to low-literacy Guatemalan lay midwives about issues related to the virus, such as signs and symptoms, risks to the mother and fetus, which patients are most vulnerable, appropriate responses, benefits and side-effects of the vaccine, timing of the vaccine, how the virus interacts with breastfeeding, and breastfeeding recommendations.

Evolution of Department of Defense Disability Evaluation and Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury: Overview of Policy Changes, 2001-2018.

For almost two decades, the United States has been engaged in continuous combat operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other theaters. Some service members have sustained injuries or developed medical conditions as a consequence of military service that affect their ability to perform their military duties. The process by which the U.

"What will we do if we get infected?": An interview-based study of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the health and safety of sex workers in the United States.

Emerging evidence suggests that sex workers face unique and profound risks arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. To illuminate the pandemic's effects on sex worker health and safety and identify intervention opportunities, from May-August 2020 in-depth interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 sex workers, four service providers and two individuals who were both. Sampled sex workers included eight people of color, eight cisgender women, five cisgender men, three non-binary people, and one transgender woman.

Health and Social Services in Puerto Rico Before and After Hurricane Maria: Predisaster Conditions, Hurricane Damage, and Themes for Recovery.

"In September 2017, Puerto Rico was struck by two major hurricanes-Irma and Maria-that intensified existing challenges in Puerto Rico's health and social services infrastructure. In the aftermath, the government of Puerto Rico created a long-term recovery plan built on an evidence-based assessment of the damage from the hurricanes and the ongoing needs across Puerto Rico. Development of the recovery plan was supported by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, other federal agencies, local stakeholders, and analysis from the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC), operated by RAND Corporation under contract with the U.

Understanding the characteristics of Latino individuals with first-time DUI offenses to facilitate effective interventions.

Literature shows that Latinos who drink are more likely to experience alcohol-related consequences and less likely to seek care for alcohol misuse than Whites. We aim to understand characteristics, consumption patterns, and openness to treatment among Latino first-time offenders driving under the influence. Latino participants were significantly younger (29.

Effects of Health Care Payment Models on Physician Practice in the United States: Follow-Up Study.

This study, sponsored by the American Medical Association (AMA), describes how alternative payment models (APMs) affect physicians, physicians' practices, and hospital systems in the United States and also provides updated data to the original 2014 study. Payment models discussed are core payment (fee for service, capitation, episode-based and bundled), supplementary payment (shared savings, pay for performance, retainer-based), and combined payment (medical homes and accountable care organizations). The effects of changes since 2014 in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and of new alternative payment models (APMs), such as the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) Quality Payment Program (QPP), are also examined.

Coordinating across correctional, community, and VA systems: applying the Collaborative Chronic Care Model to post-incarceration healthcare and reentry support for veterans with mental health and substance use disorders.

Background: Between 12,000 and 16,000 veterans leave incarceration annually. As is known to be the case for justice-involved populations in general, mental health disorders (MHDs) and substance use disorders (SUDs) are highly prevalent among incarcerated veterans, and individuals with MHDs and SUDs reentering the community are at increased risk of deteriorating health and recidivism. We sought to identify opportunities to better coordinate care/services across correctional, community, and VA systems for reentry veterans with MHDs and SUDs.

Profiles of Clinical Need Among Homeless Individuals with Dual Diagnoses.

This study explored patterns of clinical need among homeless individuals with dual diagnoses, and explored whether certain profiles are characteristic of different demographic groups. Data were drawn from two larger studies conducted with dually diagnosed, homeless individuals (n = 373). Hierarchical cluster analysis identified four subgroups: (1) Clinically least severe, characterized by less frequent psychological symptoms and no history of physical or sexual abuse; (2) Moderate clinical needs, including shorter history of substance use and less frequent psychological symptoms, but symptoms consistent with severe mental illness; (3) Clinically severe, with frequent anxiety, depression, past and recent physical or sexual abuse, and long history of substance use; (4) Least frequent psychological symptoms, but frequent history of physical or sexual abuse and long history of drug use.

A novel application of process mapping in a criminal justice setting to examine implementation of peer support for veterans leaving incarceration.

Background: Between 12,000 and 16,000 veterans leave incarceration every year, yet resources are limited for reentry support that helps veterans remain connected to VA and community health care and services after leaving incarceration. Homelessness and criminal justice recidivism may result when such follow-up and support are lacking. In order to determine where gaps exist in current reentry support efforts, we developed a novel methodological adaptation of process mapping (a visualization technique being increasingly used in health care to identify gaps in services and linkages) in the context of a larger implementation study of a peer-support intervention to link veterans to health-related services after incarceration ( https://clinicaltrials.

A two-state comparative implementation of peer-support intervention to link veterans to health-related services after incarceration: a study protocol.

Background: Approximately 600,000 persons are released from prison annually in the United States. Relatively few receive sufficient re-entry services and are at risk for unemployment, homelessness, poverty, substance abuse relapse and recidivism. Persons leaving prison who have a mental illness and/or a substance use disorder are particularly challenged.

Understanding Treatment of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in the Military Health System.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is considered a signature injury of modern warfare, though TBIs can also result from training accidents, falls, sports, and motor vehicle accidents. Among service members diagnosed with a TBI, the majority of cases are mild TBIs (mTBIs), also known as concussions. Many of these service members receive care through the Military Health System, but the amount, type, and quality of care they receive has been largely unknown.

Injury Surveillance of Head, Neck, and Facial Injuries in Collegiate Ice Hockey Players, 2009-2010 Through 2013-2014 Academic Years.

Context:   Ice hockey is a high-speed, full-contact sport with a high risk of head/face/neck (HFN) injuries. However, men's and women's ice hockey differ; checking is allowed only among men.

Objectives:   To describe the epidemiology of HFN injuries in collegiate men's and women's ice hockey during the 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 academic years.

A Hybrid III stepped wedge cluster randomized trial testing an implementation strategy to facilitate the use of an evidence-based practice in VA Homeless Primary Care Treatment Programs.

Background: Homeless veterans often have multiple health care and psychosocial needs, including assistance with access to housing and health care, as well as support for ongoing treatment engagement. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed specialized Homeless Patient Alignment Care Teams (HPACT) with the goal of offering an integrated, "one-stop program" to address housing and health care needs of homeless veterans. However, while 70% of HPACT's veteran enrollees have co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, HPACT does not have a uniform, embedded treatment protocol for this subpopulation.

Firearm Prevalence and Homicides of Law Enforcement Officers in the United States.

Objectives: In the United States, state firearm ownership has been correlated with homicide rates. More than 90% of homicides of law enforcement officers (LEOs) are committed with firearms. We examined the relationship between state firearm ownership rates and LEO occupational homicide rates.

Occupational homicide of law enforcement officers in the US, 1996-2010.

Objective: To understand the circumstances surrounding the occupational homicides of law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the USA.

Methods: Narrative text analysis of Federal Bureau of Investigation Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted reports.

Results: A total of 796 officers were killed in the line of duty between 1996 and 2010.