Participation Rates in 11 National Dental Practice-Based Research Network Surveys 2014-2022.

Surveys of health professionals typically have low response rates, which have decreased in recent years. We report on the methods used, participation rates, and study time for 11 national questionnaire studies of dentists conducted from 2014-2022. Participation rates decreased (87%-25%).

Training Health Center Staff in the Provision of Culturally Responsive Care for Sexual and Gender Minority Patients: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The study was designed to evaluate whether an educational intervention to train the health center (HC) staff to optimize care for sexual and gender minority (SGM) patients could improve documentation of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and increase preventive screenings. Twelve HCs were matched and randomized to either receive a tailored, multicomponent educational intervention or a 1-hour prerecorded webinar. Documentation of SGM status and clinical testing was measured through analysis of data that HCs report annually.

Development of telehealth principles and guidelines for older adults: A modified Delphi approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic elevated telehealth as a prevalent care delivery modality for older adults. However, guidelines and best practices for the provision of healthcare via telehealth are lacking. Principles and guidelines are needed to ensure that telehealth is safe, effective, and equitable for older adults.

Deep caries removal strategies: Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network.

Background: The International Caries Consensus Collaboration (ICCC) has published recommendations on carious tissue removal to treat cavitated carious lesions in a manner that preserves hard tissue and retains teeth long term. This study quantifies The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network dentists' use of selective caries removal.

Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire study assessed reported use of selective caries removal when treating deep caries in asymptomatic and symptomatic teeth in response to clinical case scenarios.

Wide Variability in Documentation of Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Preventive Health Screenings in a Diverse Sample of U.S. Community Health Centers.

This study was conducted to characterize documentation of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) and provision of screening and preventive services in a diverse sample of community health centers (CHCs). Twelve CHCs provided data submitted to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in 2018 from their Uniform Data System (UDS) reports. Prevalence of SOGI documentation, screenings, and preventive services were calculated.

COVID-19 Vaccination in VA Home Based Primary Care: Experience of Interdisciplinary Team Members.

Objectives: Describe how Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) team members discussed the COVID-19 vaccine with Veteran patients and their caregivers; describe HBPC team members' experiences providing care during the pandemic; identify facilitators and barriers to vaccinating HBPC Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design: Online survey that included 3 open-ended COVID-19 vaccine-related questions.

Setting And Participants: HBPC Program Directors from 145 VA Medical Centers were invited to participate and share the survey invitation with team members.

Integrating Principles of Safety Culture and Just Culture Into Nursing Homes: Lessons From the Pandemic.

Decades of concerns about the quality of care provided by nursing homes have led state and federal agencies to create layers of regulations and penalties. As such, regulatory efforts to improve nursing home care have largely focused on the identification of deficiencies and assignment of sanctions. The current regulatory strategy often places nursing home teams and government agencies at odds, hindering their ability to build a culture of safety in nursing homes that is foundational to health care quality.

Assessing Social Functioning During COVID-19 and Beyond: Tools and Considerations for Nursing Home Staff.

Social functioning is defined as how a person operates in their unique social environment (ie, engagement in activities, connectedness with others, and contributions to social roles). Healthy social functioning is important for nursing home residents as they are at increased risk for loneliness and isolation. Social functioning has long been an underacknowledged aspect of nursing home residents' health, but now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, residents' risk for decreased social functioning is increased.

The Use of Robotic Pets with Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objectives: We describe two robotic pet demonstration projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Key project components are stakeholders (settings), inputs (activities), and outputs (interest in programs and participant benefit).

Results: Stakeholders are an aging services organization in western NY (Lifespan) which served community-dwelling older adults, and a Veteran's Dementia Care Neighborhood (nursing home) that served 14 older Veterans.

Factors Associated With Hospitalization by Veterans in Home-Based Primary Care.

Objectives: This study examined the extent to which program site-based and Veteran characteristics were associated with potentially avoidable hospitalizations or other hospitalization of Veterans enrolled in the Veterans Affairs (VA) Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC).

Design: Retrospective claims-based study.

Setting And Participants: HBPC programs that responded to a national survey of HBPC programs (n = 189) in fiscal year (FY) 2016 were studied.

Care Transitions to the Community from Veterans Affairs Nursing Homes: Experiences of Social Connection and Disconnection.

Objective: This study aimed to further knowledge of older Veterans' experiences with transitioning to the community from Veterans Affairs nursing homes (Community Living Centers or CLCs) with emphasis on social functioning.

Design: A qualitative study design was used in addition to administration of standardized depression and mental status screens.

Setting And Participants: Veterans (n = 18) and caregivers (n = 14) were purposively sampled and recruited from 2 rural CLCs in Upstate New York.

Benchmarking Site of Death and Hospice Use: A Case Study of Veterans Cared by Department of Veterans Affairs Home-based Primary Care.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine site of death and hospice use, identifying potential disparities among veterans dying in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Based Primary Care (VA-HBPC).

Methods: Administrative data (2008, 2012, and 2016) were compiled using the VA Residential-History-File which tracks health care service location, daily. Outcomes were site of death [home, nursing home (NH), hospital, inpatient hospice]; and hospice use on the day of death.

Trends in smoking documentation rates in safety net clinics.

Objective: To assess the impact of provider incentive policy on smoking status documentation.

Data Sources: Primary data were extracted from structured electronic medical records (EMRs) from 15 community health centers (CHCs).

Study Design: This was an observational study of data from 2006 to 2013, assessing changes in documentation of smoking status over time.

Dedicated to the Mission: Strategies US Department of Veterans Affairs Home-Based Primary Care Teams Apply to Keep Veterans at Home.

Background/objectives: The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) Program provides interdisciplinary, long-term primary care for frail, disabled, or chronically ill veterans. This research identifies strategies used by HBPC teams to support veterans in their homes, rather than in institutionalized care.

Design: Focus groups and semistructured interviews were conducted with HBPC interdisciplinary team (IDT) members, including program directors, medical directors, and key staff, from September 2017 to March 2018.

Telehealth in Home-Based Primary Care: Factors and Challenges Associated With Integration Into Veteran Care.

Objectives: To describe the structural characteristics and challenges associated with home telehealth (HT) use in the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program.

Design: We designed a national survey to collect information about HBPC program structural characteristics. The survey included eight organizational and service domains, one of which was HT.

High-Intensity Telemedicine Reduces Emergency Department Use by Older Adults With Dementia in Senior Living Communities.

Objectives: Individuals with dementia have high rates of emergency department (ED) use for acute illnesses. We evaluated the effect of a high-intensity telemedicine program that delivers care for acute illnesses on ED use rates for individuals with dementia who reside in senior living communities (SLCs; independent and assisted living).

Design: We performed a secondary analysis of data for patients with dementia from a prospective cohort study over 3.

Standards for the Use of Telemedicine for Evaluation and Management of Resident Change of Condition in the Nursing Home.

Objectives: This document offers guidance to clinicians and facilities on the use of telemedicine to deliver medically necessary evaluation and management of change of condition for nursing home residents.

Settings And Participants: Members of the telemedicine workgroup of AMDA-The Society for Post-Acute Long-Term Medicine-developed this guideline through both telephonic and face-to-face meetings between April 2017 and September 2018. The guideline is based on the currently available research, experience, and expertise of the workgroup's members, including a summary of a recently completed systematic mixed studies literature review to determine evidence for telemedicine to reduce emergency department visits or hospitalizations of nursing home residents.

Perceived Effectiveness of Home-Based Primary Care Teams in Veterans Health Administration.

Background And Objectives: Previous studies have shown that staff perception of team effectiveness is related to better health outcomes in various care settings. This study focused on the Veterans Health Administration's Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program. We examined variations in HBPC interdisciplinary teamwork (IDT) and identified modifiable team and program characteristics that may influence staff perceptions of team effectiveness.

Interdisciplinary Team Perspectives on Mental Health Care in VA Home-Based Primary Care: A Qualitative Study.

Objectives: This qualitative study describes the structure and processes of providing care to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) enrollees with mental health care needs; explains the role of the HBPC psychologist; and describes how mental health treatment is integrated into care from the perspective of HBPC team members.

Pharmacy Diabetes Management of a Veteran Population in a Long-Term Care Setting: A Program Evaluation.

Background: The benefits of an outpatient pharmacy diabetes clinic has been established, with improved patient outcomes and reduced total costs of care. We describe the benefits of an inpatient clinical pharmacy diabetes service within a Department of Veterans Affairs long-term care facility.

Methods: Patients were referred to the pharmacy diabetes monitoring program between February 2016 and August 2016.

National Structural Survey of Veterans Affairs Home-Based Primary Care Programs.

Objectives: To describe the current structural and practice characteristics of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program.

Design: We designed a national survey and surveyed HBPC program directors on-line using REDCap.

Participants: We received 236 surveys from 394 identified HBPC sites (60% response rate).

Patient characteristics associated with poor inhaler technique among a cohort of patients with COPD.

Background: Inhaled therapies are the cornerstone of pharmacologic management for COPD. Each device requires a unique series of steps to be most effective, making appropriate instruction in inhaler technique a key part of the management of COPD.

Objectives: Examine characteristics of patients and devices associated with poor technique among patients with COPD.

HIV and Hepatitis C Virus Screening Practices in a Geographically Diverse Sample of American Community Health Centers.

Because of the advent of highly effective treatments, routine screening for HIV and hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been recommended for many Americans. This study explored the perceived barriers surrounding routine HIV and HCV screening in a diverse sample of community health centers (CHCs). The Community Health Applied Research Network (CHARN) is a collaboration of CHCs, with a shared clinical database.