Development of a City-wide Rapid Antiretroviral Therapy Initiation Toolkit for People Newly Diagnosed With HIV in the Southern United States.

Background: Rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, in which individuals with HIV start treatment within days of diagnosis, is a key component of the United States (US) Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative. The Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area ranks second in the US for HIV incidence, yet only ∼60% of individuals link to treatment within 1 month of diagnosis. This study aimed to identify barriers and strategies for implementing rapid ART initiation in Memphis.

Health misinformation: protocol for a hybrid concept analysis and development.

Background: Misinformation represents a serious and growing concern for public health and healthcare health; and has attracted much interest from researchers, media, and the public over recent years. Despite increased concern about the impacts of misinformation on health and wellbeing, however, the concept of health misinformation remains underdeveloped. In particular, there is a need to clarify how certain types of health information come to be designated as "misinformation," what characteristics are associated with this classification, and how the concept of misinformation is applied in health contexts.

Spirituality, Self-Efficacy, and Medication Use in African American Women with Hypertension: Beyond the Prescriptions.

This study aimed to determine the relationship between spiritual, religious, and existential well-being and self-efficacy for appropriate medication use in African American women with hypertension. In this study, we conducted cross-sectional correlations using linear regression analysis. An African American sample of women from across the United States with hypertension was chosen through a purposive sampling technique.

Management of infodemics in outbreaks or health crises: a systematic review.

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) defined an infodemic as an overabundance of information, accurate or not, in the digital and physical space, accompanying an acute health event such as an outbreak or epidemic. It can impact people's risk perceptions, trust, and confidence in the health system, and health workers. As an immediate response, the WHO developed the infodemic management (IM) frameworks, research agenda, intervention frameworks, competencies, and processes for reference by health authorities.

Chatbots and COVID-19: Taking Stock of the Lessons Learned.

While digital innovation in health was already rapidly evolving, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the generation of digital technology tools, such as chatbots, to help increase access to crucial health information and services to those who were cut off or had limited contact with health services. This theme issue titled "Chatbots and COVID-19" presents articles from researchers and practitioners across the globe, describing the development, implementation, and evaluation of chatbots designed to address a wide range of health concerns and services. In this editorial, we present some of the key challenges and lessons learned arising from the content of this theme issue.

Associations Between Sociodemographic Variables, Social Determinants of Health, and Diabetes: Findings From a Congregational Health Needs Assessment.

Purpose: To examine associations between sociodemographic variables, social determinants of health (SDOHs) and diabetes using health needs assessment data.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Faith-based communities in the Mid-South U.

Informing social media analysis for public health: a cross-sectional survey of professionals.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the field of infodemic management has grown in response to urgent global need. Social listening is the first step in managing the infodemic, and many organizations and health systems have implemented processes. Social media analysis tools have traditionally been developed for commercial purposes, rather than public health, and little is known of the experiences and needs of those professionals using them for infodemic management.

Flat-panel detector CT to assess intracranial hemorrhage immediately following mechanical thrombectomy.

Background And Purpose: The risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) approaches 5% despite mechanical thrombectomy (MT) efficacy for ischemic stroke secondary to large vessel occlusion. Flat-panel detector CT (FDCT) imaging with Syngo Dyna CT imaging (Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA) can be used immediately following MT to detect ICH.

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy and reliability of FDCT imaging with Dyna CT compared to conventional post-MT CT and MRI.

Case study of VA Caribbean Healthcare System's community response to Hurricane Maria.

Background: Hurricane Maria, which hit Puerto Rico in 2017, catastrophically impacted infrastructure and severely disrupted medical services. The US Department of Veterans Affairs Caribbean Healthcare System (VA CHCS), which serves approximately 67,000 patients and has most of its facilities on the island of Puerto Rico, was able to successfully maintain operations after the hurricane. As a part of the larger VA system, VA CHCS also has a mission to support "national, state, and local emergency management, public health, safety and homeland security efforts.

Health Equity and the Dynamism of Structural Racism and Public Policy.

Policy Points Both public policy and structural racism are dynamic systems that reinforce each other. Efforts to address the health effects of structural racism must account for the nature of these systems. Politics and policy are critical for understanding the persistence of racial health inequities and creating policies and interventions that can mitigate the effects of structural racism on health.

Comprehensive Process Mapping and Qualitative Interviews to Inform Implementation of Rapid Linkage to HIV Care Programs in a Mid-Sized Urban Setting in the Southern United States.

Background: Rapid antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation, in which people living with HIV start ART within days of diagnosis, is a key component of the US Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative.

Setting: The Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area ranked fourth in the United States for the highest HIV incidence per 100,000 population in 2018. Rapid ART programs are limited in the Memphis Metropolitan Statistical Area, and our objective was to identify local implementation barriers.

Nurse Executive Experiences With COVID-19: Now We Know-We Are Not Going Back.

We conducted semistructured telephone interviews with 2 hospital-based nurse leaders who supervised nurses during the initial phases of the COVID-19 pandemic in northeastern region of the United States. These interviews are a subset of a larger study with 11 nurse executives who supervised nurses during both natural and human-made disasters in different regions of the United States. Qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, followed by a content analysis of emerging themes.

Longitudinal associations between insomnia symptoms and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults: a population-based cohort study.

To date, there is no scientific consensus on whether insomnia symptoms increase mortality risk. We investigated longitudinal associations between time-varying insomnia symptoms (difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakening, and nonrestorative sleep) and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older adults during 14 years of follow-up. Data were obtained from 2004 through 2018 survey waves of the Health and Retirement Study in the United States for a population-representative sample of 15 511 respondents who were ≥50 years old in 2004.

Expansion of telemedicine during COVID-19 at a VA specialty clinic.

Background: COVID-19 rapidly accelerated the implementation of telemedicine in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) specialty care clinics.

Predictors of COVID-19 Vaccination among Veterans Experiencing Homelessness.

Sufficient uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine is key to slowing the spread of the coronavirus among the most vulnerable in society, including individuals experiencing homelessness. However, COVID-19 vaccination rates among the Veteran homeless population are currently unknown. This study examines the COVID-19 vaccination rate among homeless Veterans who receive care at the U.

Quitline Information Included on Cigarette Packaging: An Assessment of Country Adherence to WHO FCTC Guidelines, 2007 to 2018.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate country adherence to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) guidelines in terms of including quitline information on cigarette packaging. Data were gathered from the WHO's Global Health Observatory database. The study included countries that were signatories to the FCTC, had a toll-free quitline, and required health warnings on cigarette packaging.

'PrEP'ing Memphis: A qualitative process evaluation of peer navigation support.

Background: HIV PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) navigation comprises intervention strategies used to improve PrEP uptake via education, linkage, and follow-up/ongoing engagement. During 2016-2019, the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) implemented a CDC-funded demonstration project ("Project PrIDE") focused on PrEP navigation in Memphis community-based organizations (CBOs) and the Shelby County Health Department (HD). A process evaluation was conducted to determine facilitators and barriers to the implementation of the Memphis-based Project PrIDE PrEP navigation activities.

Household Preparedness and Perceptions of Workforce Preparedness During Pandemics: A Health Care Employee Survey at the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Objective: To examine the effects of household preparedness on perceptions of workplace preparedness during a pandemic among all employees at the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facilities.

Methods: The VA Preparedness Survey (October-December 2018, Los Angeles, CA) used a stratified simple random, web-based survey. Multivariate statistical analyses examined the effect of household preparedness on perceptions of workforce preparedness during a pandemic: institutional readiness; desire for additional training; and understanding their role and its importance.

Insomnia symptoms and incident heart failure: a population-based cohort study.

Aims: Heart failure (HF) is an ongoing epidemic and a serious clinical and public health issue. Currently, little is known about prospective associations between insomnia symptoms and HF incidence. We investigated the longitudinal associations between time-varying insomnia symptoms (difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, early-morning awakening, non-restorative sleep) and incident HF.

Three case studies of community behavioral health support from the US Department of Veterans Affairs after disasters.

Background: Community disaster resilience is comprised of a multitude of factors, including the capacity of citizens to psychologically recover. There is growing recognition of the need for public health departments to prioritize a communitywide mental health response strategy to facilitate access to behavioral health services and reduce potential psychological impacts. Due to the US Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) extensive experience providing trauma-informed behavioral healthcare to its Veterans, and the fact that VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) are located throughout the United States, the VA is well situated to be a key partner in local communities' response plans.

Determinants of Workforce Preparedness during Pandemics Among Healthcare Workers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Objective: An infectious disease outbreak can place a significant burden on healthcare systems, however, our understanding of the broader healthcare workforce's preparedness during a pandemic is limited. This study examines factors that influence perceived workforce preparedness at the U.S.

Prevalence of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors by Key Demographic Variables Among Mid-South Church Leaders from 2012 to 2017.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors were examined among church leaders (n = 2309) who attended Mid-South United Methodist Church annual meetings between 2012 and 2017 using repeated cross-sectional data. There was a significant increase in body mass index (BMI) (b = 0.24, p = 0.

Preparedness and response activities of the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home-based primary care program around the fall 2017 hurricane season.

Background: Large-scale natural disasters disproportionally affect both the medically complex and the older old, groups that are responsible for most medical surge after a disaster. To understand how to ameliorate this surge, we examined the activities of the nine US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) programs impacted during the 2017 Fall Hurricane Season.

Methods: Convergent mixed methods design, incorporating independently conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses.