Publications by authors named "Valerie Yelverton"

Article Synopsis
  • Telehealth became a key part of HIV care during the COVID-19 pandemic, but there hasn't been much research on it yet.
  • A study was conducted that combined qualitative interviews and ranking exercises with HIV care providers and people living with HIV to understand their views on telehealth features.
  • The findings showed that different stakeholders have varied preferences regarding the important features of telehealth in HIV care.
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Article Synopsis
  • Telehealth was used during the COVID-19 pandemic to continue HIV care, but its adoption varied significantly among different groups.
  • A study analyzed data from 2,375 individuals living with HIV in South Carolina, finding that only 4.8% utilized telehealth services, with older individuals and non-Hispanic Black patients having notably lower usage rates.
  • The research concluded that telehealth use did not correlate with improved viral suppression or testing, highlighting the need for targeted approaches to increase telehealth accessibility for underrepresented groups.
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Article Synopsis
  • Telehealth has become essential for HIV care during the COVID-19 pandemic, but its use has not been equitable among different populations.
  • A study interviewed 18 people living with HIV and 10 care providers in South Carolina to assess their willingness to use telehealth and their perceptions about its future role.
  • Most participants were open to using telehealth services moving forward, especially for routine care, but suggested that improvements are needed to address issues related to technology, the virtual format, and the diverse needs of people living with HIV.
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Background: Timely vaccination maximizes efficacy for preventing infectious diseases. In the absence of national vaccination registries, representative sample survey data hold vital information on vaccination coverage and timeliness. This study characterizes vaccination coverage and timeliness in Tanzania and provides an analytic template to inform contextually relevant interventions and evaluate immunization programs.

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Background And Objectives:  HPV vaccination coverage is lower than that of other adolescent vaccines in the southern US. This study sought to characterize caregiver attitudes associated with adolescent HPV vaccination in the southern US and to inform interventions to promote HPV vaccination.

Methods: From December 2019 - January 2020, caregivers of adolescents (ages 9-17 years) living in thirteen southern US states were recruited from a nationally-representative online survey panel.

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The objective of this study was to identify factors at the individual, provider, and systems levels that serve as challenges or opportunities for increasing adolescent vaccination-including Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination-in rural communities in the southern United States (US). As part of a broader study to increase HPV vaccine uptake in the southern US, we conducted in-depth interviews with vaccination stakeholders representing public health and education agencies in North Carolina (NC) and South Carolina (SC). Fourteen key stakeholders were recruited using purposive sampling to obtain insights into challenges and solutions to rural-urban disparities in HPV vaccination coverage.

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Among 145 individuals surveyed in Tanzania, 42% indicated willingness to test for human immunodeficiency virus in response to a confidential, phone-based text message. On average, participants were likely to provide contact information for 1.5 members of their social networks, suggesting high feasibility and moderate acceptability of a novel mHealth human immunodeficiency virus testing intervention.

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Background And Objectives: Despite a high burden of human papillomavirus (HPV)-attributable cancers, the southern US lags other regions in HPV vaccination coverage. This study sought to characterize and contextualize predictors of HPV vaccination in the southern US.

Methods: From December 2019 - January 2020, parents of adolescents (ages 9-17 years) living in thirteen southern US states were recruited from a nationally-representative online survey panel and completed a cross-sectional survey.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study developed and validated a 13-item HPV Knowledge Questionnaire (HPV-KQ) to assess parents' understanding of HPV and vaccination behavior in the southern United States.* -
  • The scale revealed two factors: general HPV knowledge and perceptions regarding gender differences in HPV infection and vaccine recommendations, showing strong internal consistency and predictive validity.* -
  • Results indicated that parents of vaccinated adolescents had significantly higher knowledge scores on the HPV-KQ compared to those of unvaccinated adolescents, suggesting that better HPV knowledge predicts vaccination rates among their children.*
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Introduction: No studies from sub-Saharan Africa have attempted to assess HIV service delivery preferences among incarcerated people living with HIV as they transition from prisons to the community ("releasees"). We conducted a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to characterize releasee preferences for transitional HIV care services in Zambia to inform the development of a differentiated service delivery model to promote HIV care continuity for releasees.

Methods: Between January and October 2019, we enrolled a consecutive sample of 101 releasees from a larger cohort prospectively following 296 releasees from five prisons in Zambia.

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To ensure continuing HIV care services during the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has been recommended and implemented in numerous HIV-related facilities. This study aims to understand telehealth utilization for HIV care services in South Carolina (SC), identify barriers to telehealth during COVID-19, and investigate strategies to facilitate remote HIV care delivery. In-depth interviews with 11 management personnel from 8 HIV-related facilities in SC were analyzed using thematic analysis.

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To elaborate the negative impacts of sexual and gender minority (SGM)-related legislation for the HIV epidemic in Zambia, we reviewed Zambian legislation that restricts the rights of SGM people and synthesized its consequences. We retrieved legal documents through the National Assembly of Zambia and the Zambia Legal Information Institute and conducted a critical review based on four academic databases following thematic synthesis methodology. Eighteen literature records and six Zambian laws were included in the review.

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There is conflicting evidence regarding the association between insomnia and the onset of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. This study aimed to evaluate if time-varying insomnia is associated with the development of MCI and dementia. Data from the Health and Retirement Study ( = 13,833) from 2002 to 2014 were used (59.

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Study participants were asked about their interest in switching to novel drug delivery systems that reduce the dosing frequency of antiretroviral regimens. Across a diverse, treatment-experienced cohort, we describe greatest interest in switching to an oral regimen taken once weekly, followed by injections taken every other month and twice-annual implants.

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As the number of effective antiretroviral therapy (ART) options increases, there is greater opportunity to involve HIV patients in ART selection. To establish the parameters for a shared ART decision-making process, we sought to identify ART characteristics that are important to patients and understand considerations in ART selection from both patient and provider perspectives. Using a mixed-methods approach, 16 patients and 12 healthcare providers were interviewed, and ranking tasks were conducted with 26 patients to identify ART characteristics that are relevant for shared decision making.

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