Community-Engaged Survey Approach to Pandemic Impacts on Marginalized Communities, Massachusetts, 2020-2021.

To describe how an innovative, community-engaged survey illuminated previously unmeasured pandemic inequities and informed health equity investments. The methodological approach of Massachusetts' COVID-19 Community Impact Survey, a cross-sectional online survey, was driven by key health equity principles: prioritizing community engagement, gathering granular and intersectional data, capturing root causes, elevating community voices, expediting analysis for timeliness, and creating data-to-action pathways. Data collection was deployed statewide in 11 languages from 2020 to 2021.

Multiple marginalized identities: A qualitative exploration of intersectional perinatal experiences of birthing people of color with substance use disorder in Massachusetts.

Introduction: Racial and ethnic inequities persist in receipt of prenatal care, mental health services, and addiction treatment for pregnant and postpartum individuals with substance use disorder (SUD). Further qualitative work is needed to understand the intersectionality of racial and ethnic discrimination, stigma related to substance use, and gender bias on perinatal SUD care from the perspectives of affected individuals.

Methods: Peer interviewers conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with recently pregnant people of color with SUD in Massachusetts to explore the impact of internalized, interpersonal, and structural racism on prenatal, birthing, and postpartum experiences.

The Massachusetts Racial Equity Data Road Map: Data as a Tool Toward Ending Structural Racism.

Background: In 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) adopted a Title V maternal and child health priority to "promote health and racial equity by addressing racial justice and reducing disparities." A survey assessing staff capacity to support this priority identified data collection and use as opportunities for improvement. In response, MDPH initiated a quality improvement project to improve use of data for action to promote racial equity.

Disparities in Opioid Overdose Death Trends by Race/Ethnicity, 2018-2019, From the HEALing Communities Study.

To examine trends in opioid overdose deaths by race/ethnicity from 2018 to 2019 across 67 HEALing Communities Study (HCS) communities in Kentucky, New York, Massachusetts, and Ohio. We used state death certificate records to calculate opioid overdose death rates per 100 000 adult residents of the 67 HCS communities for 2018 and 2019. We used Poisson regression to calculate the ratio of 2019 to 2018 rates.

A National Measurement Framework to Assess and Improve Sickle Cell Care in 4 US Regions.

Objectives: Coordinated measurement strategies are needed to inform collaborative approaches to improve access to and quality of care for persons with sickle cell disease (SCD). The objective of our study was to develop a multilevel measurement strategy to assess improvements in access to and quality of care for persons with SCD in 4 US regions.

Methods: From 2014 through 2017, regional grantees in the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program collected administrative and patient-level electronic health record (EHR) data to assess quality improvement initiatives.