What would framework for policy responses to pandemic diseases look like?

This scoping paper discusses how information on government policy responses to pandemic diseases (e.g. non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) and public health and social measures (PHSMs), and including behavioural rules, testing and contact tracing systems, policies to incentivise vaccination, etc.) have, can, and should be collected, analysed, and incorporated into the broader array of pandemic data (e.g. epidemiological, virological, behavioural, etc.) to build preparedness. It draws on both the academic and policy literature, as well as a series of interviews with policymakers and researchers, as well as a guided stakeholder workshop held in December 2022

Efficacy of the Motion Guidance Visual Feedback System on Correcting Medial Knee Displacement During a Single Leg Squat

Research shows individuals perform better with an external focus of attention rather than an internal focus of attention. Research has not investigated Motion Guidance™ as an effective external focus of attention to correct medial knee displacement (MKD), which is shown to be a risk factor for injury. The purpose of this research is to compare the change in MKD across two conditions (external focus, internal focus) during the single-leg squat. Using a randomized crossover research design, all participants will perform each condition on a single day. Participants will be 18-25 y/o with MKD during the single-leg squat, free from lower extremity injury, or balance impairments. A two-dimensional video will be recorded to calculate peak MKD during the single-leg squat. A dependent samples t-test will be used to compare MKD change scores between conditions. We hypothesize that Motion Guidance™ will be more efficacious in decreasing MKD compared to standardized verbal instruction

“Increasing Warm Handoffs: Optimizing Community Based Referrals in Primary Care Using QI Methodology”

Social and environmental factors have an outsized effect on one’s health. Children are particularly impacted by the adverse effects of poverty. While social determinants of health (SDH) screening in healthcare settings has proliferated there remain gaps in best practices for screening processes. As research has shown that patient navigation leads to an improvement in unmet social needs and family-reported child health, warm handoffs may be a key factor in assuring that the social needs of families are effectively addressed. Using quality improvement (QI) methods our pediatric clinic worked to increase the warm handoff rate between Community Health Workers (CHWs) and patients with unmet social needs. CHW warm handoff rates increased two-fold over the intervention period. Our results illustrate that QI methods can be used to optimize workflows to increase warm handoffs with CHWs. This is important as health centers work to improve their social needs screening and referral programs

Risk Factors for Pediatric Asthma Readmissions: A Systematic Review

To systematically review the literature on pediatric asthma readmission risk factors. We searched PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, PsycINFO, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for published articles (through November 2019) on pediatric asthma readmission risk factors. Two authors independently screened titles and abstracts and consensus was reached on disagreements. Full-text articles were reviewed and inclusion criteria applied. For articles meeting inclusion criteria, authors abstracted data on study design, patient characteristics, and outcomes, and 4 authors assessed bias risk. Of 5749 abstracts, 74 met inclusion criteria. Study designs, patient populations, and outcome measures were highly heterogeneous. Risk factors consistently associated with early readmissions (≤30 days) included prolonged length of stay (OR range, 1.1-1.6) and chronic comorbidities (1.7-3.2). Risk factors associated with late readmissions (>30 days) included female sex (1.1-1.6), chronic comorbidities (1.5-2), summer discharge (1.5-1.8), and prolonged length of stay (1.04-1.7). Across both readmission intervals, prior asthma admission was the most consistent readmission predictor (1.3-5.4). Pediatric asthma readmission risk factors depend on the readmission interval chosen. Prior hospitalization, length of stay, sex, and chronic comorbidities were consistently associated with both early and late readmissions. CRD42018107601