Importance: Social distancing is critical to the control of COVID-19, which has disproportionately affected the Black community. Physician-delivered messages may increase adherence to these behaviors.
Objectives: To determine whether messages delivered by physicians improve COVID-19 knowledge and preventive behaviors and to assess the differential effectiveness of messages tailored to the Black community.
Design, Setting, And Participants: This randomized clinical trial of self-identified White and Black adults with less than a college education was conducted from August 7 to September 6, 2020. Of 44 743 volunteers screened, 30 174 were eligible, 5534 did not consent or failed attention checks, and 4163 left the survey before randomization. The final sample had 20 460 individuals (participation rate, 68%). Participants were randomly assigned to receive video messages on COVID-19 or other health topics.
Interventions: Participants saw video messages delivered either by a Black or a White study physician. In the control groups, participants saw 3 placebo videos with generic health topics. In the treatment group, they saw 3 videos on COVID-19, recorded by several physicians of varied age, gender, and race. Video 1 discussed common symptoms. Video 2 highlighted case numbers; in one group, the unequal burden of the disease by race was discussed. Video 3 described US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention social distancing guidelines. Participants in both the control and intervention groups were also randomly assigned to see 1 of 2 American Medical Association statements, one on structural racism and the other on drug price transparency.
Main Outcomes And Measures: Knowledge, beliefs, and practices related to COVID-19, demand for information, willingness to pay for masks, and self-reported behavior.
Results: Overall, 18 223 participants (9168 Black; 9055 White) completed the survey (9980 [55.9%] women, mean [SD] age, 40.2 [17.8] years). Overall, 6303 Black participants (34.6%) and 7842 White participants (43.0%) were assigned to the intervention group, and 1576 Black participants (8.6%) and 1968 White participants (10.8%) were assigned to the control group. Compared with the control group, the intervention group had smaller gaps in COVID-19 knowledge (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.89 [95% CI, 0.87-0.91]) and greater demand for COVID-19 information (IRR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.01-1.11]), willingness to pay for a mask (difference, $0.50 [95% CI, $0.15-$0.85]). Self-reported safety behavior improved, although the difference was not statistically significant (IRR, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.92-1.01]; P = .08). Effects did not differ by race (F = 0.0112; P > .99) or in different intervention groups (F = 0.324; P > .99).
Conclusions And Relevance: In this study, a physician messaging campaign was effective in increasing COVID-19 knowledge, information-seeking, and self-reported protective behaviors among diverse groups. Studies implemented at scale are needed to confirm clinical importance.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04502056.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8280971 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.17115 | DOI Listing |
World J Methodol
December 2024
Pelvic Floor Care Center and Postgraduate, Patricia Lordelo Institute, Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Health, Salvador 40290-000, Brazil.
The advent of the metaverse, including virtual reality, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence, is an undeniable issue that health care scientists need to update. It influences all fields of knowledge, interpersonal relationships, and health. Regarding mental health since the post-coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, it is necessary to consider and understand the potential, possibilities, weaknesses, and consequences arising from and provided by this new scenario.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMater Sociomed
January 2024
Faculty of Medicine, Iuliu Haţieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
Background: Iraq has yet to establish and initiate any vaccination initiatives to address the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak and mitigate its spread and mortality.
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the existing knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding COVID-19 vaccination amid the third wave of the outbreak.
Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized an anonymous online questionnaire, modeled after a study conducted in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to investigate COVID-19 vaccination attitudes and practices during the third wave of the outbreak in the country.
Front Public Health
December 2024
CIEC, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Introduction: The pandemic caused by COVID-19 has accentuated the debate on the need for vaccination and called into question the need to increasingly bring this topic, which is widely disseminated in the scientific world, to school classes at all schooling phases. In this scenario, science education plays a key role in disseminating knowledge about the importance of vaccination and the impacting factors of a lack of immunization. In order to better understand this movement, it is necessary to understand the representations of individuals as a way of broadening paths to change this scenario.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Colorectal Surgery, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay, GBR.
Telemedicine in surgical care has undergone rapid advancements in recent years, leveraging technologies such as telerobotics, artificial intelligence (AI) diagnostics, and wearable devices to facilitate remote evaluation and monitoring of patients. These innovations have improved access to care, reduced costs, and enhanced patient satisfaction. However, significant challenges remain, including technical barriers, limited tactile feedback in telesurgery, and inequities arising from digital literacy and infrastructure gaps.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGMS J Med Educ
December 2024
University Hospital Würzburg, Department of General, Visceral, Transplant, Vascular and Pediatric Surgery, Würzburg, Germany.
Aim: During the COVID-19 pandemic, social restrictions significantly impacted post-graduate training in pediatric surgery. This paper describes the implementation and continuation of a German-language, online training program for pediatric surgery residents, named "KiWI" (Kinderchirurgische Weiterbildung im Internet), which was established during the period of social distancing.
Method: "KiWI" was designed as a monthly, post-graduate online seminar course that combined practical relevance with theoretical knowledge.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!