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Self-reported impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic inflation on the well-being of low-income U.S. Veterans . Tsai J, Hird R, Collier A. Low-income Veterans reported resilience in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation. J Community Health. 2023 Dec;48(6):970-974.
Prevalence and associations of poor mental health in the third year of COVDI-19: U.S. population-based analysis from 2020 to 2022 . Kim J, Linos E, Rodriguez CI, Chen ML, Dove MS, Keegan TH. Mental health of U.S. adults worsened in the third year of COVID-19 compared to the beginning of the pandemic. Psychiatry Res. 2023 Dec:330:115622.
Using multi-modal electronic health record data for the development and validation of risk prediction models for Long COVID using the Super Learner algorithm . Jin W, Hao W, Shi X, Fritsche LG, Salvatore M, Admon AJ, Friese CR, Mukherjee B. Researchers created a composite risk score for post-acute sequelae of COVID prediction, which could contribute to the identification of individuals at higher risk for Long COVID and inform preventive efforts. J Clin Med. 2023 Nov 25;12(23):7313.
Modifying Whole Health services for successful telehealth delivery: Lessons from Veterans Health Administration’s rapid transition during the COVID-19 pandemic . Wu J, Bolton R, Anwar C, Bokhour BG, Khanna A, Mullur RS, Taylor SL, Hyde J. The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed tele-Whole Health service implementation, utilization, and sustainment. The challenges faced and modifications made during this transition provide lessons learned for other health care systems as they attempt to implement telehealth services. J Integr Complement Med. 2023 Sep 1. Online ahead of print.
Development and cross-sectional evaluation of a text message protocol to support mental health well-being . Whealin JM, Saleem JJ, Vetter B, Roth J, Herout J. The Coping During COVID text messaging protocol can successfully support users’ self-care efforts during the COVID pandemic. Psychol Serv. 2023 Aug;20(3):657-667.
Loss during COVID-19: Moderating effects of meaning and romantic relationships on anxiety and depressive symptoms . Gold AI, Ryjova Y, Corner GW, Rasmussen HF, Kim Y, Margolin G. Cumulative pandemic-related loss is associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms, and meaning in life and romantic relationships may be promising interventional targets. Psychol Trauma. 2023 Jul 31. Online ahead of print.
Pandemic-related posttraumatic psychological growth in U.S. military Veterans: A 3-year, nationally representative, longitudinal study. Kang H, Na PJ, Fischer IC, Tsai J, Tedeschi RG, Pietrzak RH. Results suggest that psychosocial interventions to bolster posttraumatic growth in relation to early life traumas may help facilitate posttraumatic growth in response to the pandemic and related crises. Psychiatry Res. 2023 Jul 24. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19-related media consumption and posttraumatic stress symptoms in U.S. military Veterans: A nationally representative, longitudinal study. Whealin JM, Fischer IC, Na PJ, Pietrzak RH. COVID-19 media consumption is independently linked to a greater likelihood of pandemic-related posttraumatic stress symptoms in Veterans. Psychiatry Res. 2023 July 18;326:115354.
Unmet needs and coping strategies of older underserved Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Haltom TM, Tiong J, Evans TL, Kamdar N, True G, Kunik ME. Veterans’ experiences during the pandemic revealed the importance of social support and access to technology. For those without social support, peer support could protect against negative health outcomes. J Prim Care Community Health. 2023 Jul 2.
The impact of psychological strengths on Veteran populations’ mental health trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic . McCleery A, Wynn JK, Novacek DM, Reavis EA, Senturk D, Sugar CA, Tsai J, Green MF. Across vulnerable and non-vulnerable Veterans, presence of psychological strengths buffered against exacerbation of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2023 Jun 14. Online ahead of print.
The benefits of nursing home air purification on COVID-19 outcomes: A natural experiment. Jutkowitz E, Shewmaker P, Reddy A, Braun JM, Baier RR. Weekly COVID-19 cases declined in nursing homes after air purification systems were installed. Med Dir Assoc. 2023 Jun 8. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19 and lifetime experiences of trauma, moral injury, and institutional betrayal among healthcare providers . DeBeer BB, Mignogna J, Nance M, Bahraini N, Penzenik M, Brenner LA. Findings indicate that trauma exposure was a work hazard for health care providers during the pandemic, which could result in negative long-term mental health outcomes. J Occup Environ Med. 2023 May 24. Online ahead of print.
Factors related to COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among middle-income and low-income adults in the USA. Nguyen VT, Huang Y, Huang M, Tsai J. In an online survey, the three main vaccine concerns were side effects, safety, and mistrust of vaccine distribution. Factors influencing vaccine acceptance included age, education, children, region, mental health and social support, threat perception, opinion of governmental response, risk exposure and prevention activities, and rejecting COVID-19 vaccine concerns. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2023 Mar 8. Online ahead of print.
Moral injury and psychosocial functioning in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weber MC, Smith AJ, Jones RT, Holmes GA, Johnson AL, Patrick RNC, Alexander MD et al. Moral injury is prevalent and impairing for health care workers, which establishes a need for interventions with health care workers in organized settings. Psychol Serv. 2023 Feb;20(1):19-29.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating disorders in U.S. military Veterans. Mitchell KS, Smith BN, Masheb R, Vogt D. Early pandemic mental health symptoms were associated with changes in Veterans’ eating disorder diagnoses one year later. Mental health symptoms increased eating disorder diagnoses via their impact on social and health satisfaction, as well as physical health impacts of the pandemic. Int J Eat Disord. 2023 Jan;56(1):108-117.
Airflow patterns in double-occupancy patient rooms may contribute to roommate-to-roommate transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Cadnum LJ, Jencson AL, Alhmidi H, Zabarsky TF, Donskey CJ. Airflow patterns in double-occupancy patient rooms may contribute to risk for COVID-19 transmission between roommates. Keeping curtains closed between beds may be beneficial in reducing risk. Clin Infect Dis. 2022 Dec 19;75(12):2128-2134.
Real-world evidence on the effectiveness of plexiglass barriers in reducing aerosol exposure. Cadnum JL, Jencson AL, Memic S, Osborne AO, Torres-Teran MM, Wilson BM, Deshpande A, Donskey CJ. In real-world settings, plexiglass barriers vary widely in effectiveness in reducing staff exposure to aerosols, and some barriers may increase risk for exposure if not positions correctly. Pathog Immun. 2022 Nov 4;7(2):66-77.
Moral injury and psychosocial functioning in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weber MC, Smith AJ, Jones RT, Holmes GA, Johnson AL, Patrick RNC, Alexander MD et al. Moral injury is prevalent and impairing for health care workers, which establishes a need for interventions with health care workers in organized care settings. Psychol Serv. 2022 Nov 10. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19 traumatic disaster appraisal and stress symptoms among health care workers: Insights from the Yale Stress Self-assessment. Olson KD, Fogelman N, Maturo L, Alvarado J, Ball S, Forray A, Hu M et al. Findings suggest adverse effects of the pandemic on total worker health, care quality, professionalism, retention, and acute and chronic mental health. J Occup Environ Med. 2022 Nov 1;64(11):934-941.
Mood and activity changes during the COVID-19 pandemic in rural and urban Veterans and their cohabitants. Lennon JC, Hantke N, Mattek N, Wu CY, Dodge H, Wall R, Beattie Z, Kaye J, Silbert LC. The COVID-19 pandemic-associated health precautions, while necessary to curb acute health risks, have created a unique situation that places vulnerable populations at increased risk of low mood. Clin Gerontol. 2022 Oct 8:1-8. Online ahead of print.
Misrepresentation and nonadherence regarding COVID-19 public health measures. Levy AG, Thorpe A, Scherer LD, Scherer AM, Drews FA, Butler JM, Burpo N et al. Nearly half of survey participants reported misrepresentation and/or nonadherence regarding public health measures against COVID-19. JAMA Netw Open. 2022 Oct 3;5(10):e2235837.
Socioeconomic challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic for Veterans with psychosis or recent homelessness. McCleery A, Wynn JK, Novacek D, Reavis EA, Tsai J, Green MF. Veterans with psychosis generally faired better than anticipated during the pandemic, possibly reflecting longstanding engagement with VA services. Recently housed Veterans disproportionately experienced certain concerns and hardships. Health Soc Care Community. 2022 Sep;30(5):e2169-e2178
Virtual management of chronic conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from primary care providers and clinical pharmacists. Gray C, Ambady L, Chao S, Smith W, Yoon J. For many patients with chronic conditions, virtual care is a promising approach to provide ongoing management in primary care. However, more tailored strategies may be needed to care for sicker, more vulnerable patients. Mil Med. 2022 Sep 28. Online ahead of print.
Evaluation of independent self-collected blood specimens for COVID-19 antibody detection among the US veteran population. Mohammed T, Brewer JVV, Pyatt M, Whitbourne SB. Gaziano JM, Edson C, Holodniy M. Veterans were able to successfully collect their own blood specimens for COVID-19 testing using two at-home methods. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 2022 Jul 16;104(2):115770.
Quantitative chest CT assessment of small airways disease in post-acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Cho JL, Villacreses R, Nagpal P, Guo J, Pezzulo AA, Thurman AL, Hamzeh NY et al. In survivors of COVID-19, small airways disease occurred independently of initial infection severity. Radiology. 2022 Jul;304(1):185-192.
Factors influencing uptake of telemental health via videoconferencing at high and low adoption sites within the Department of Veterans Affairs during COVID-19: A qualitative study. Connolly SL, Sullivan JL, Lindsay JA, Shimada SL, Heyworth L, Weaver KR, Miller CJ. A survey identified positive influences such as convenience and negative influence such as complexity that affected the uptake of videoconferencing for health care. Implement Sci Commun. 2022 Jun 20;3(1):66.
Self-reported health behaviors and risk perceptions following the COVID-19 vaccination rollout in the USA: An online survey study. Thorpe A, Fagerlin A, Drews FA, Shoemaker H, Scherer LD. COVID-19 vaccine rollout did not result in the rapid abandonment of protective behaviors or dramatic uptake of risk-increasing behaviors. Public Health. 2022 May 18;208:68-71.
Communications to promote interest and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Thorpe A, Fagerlin A, Drews FA, Butler J, Stevens V, Riddoch MS, Scherer LD. Messages with information on the benefits of vaccination, reframing the likelihood of side effects, and emphasizing that post-vaccine symptoms indicate the vaccine is working increased vaccine interest. Veterans were more interested and confident in vaccines than non-Veterans. Am J Health Promot. 2022 Apr 12. Online ahead of print.
An assessment of Veterans attitudes and willingness to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine: A mixed methods study. Gardner J, Brown G, Vargas-Correa J, Weaver F, Rubinstein I, Gordon HS. The study illustrates the complexity of patients’ deliberation about COVID-19 vaccination and may help physicians and other health care providers understand patients’ perspectives about vaccination. BMC Infect Dis. 2022 Mar 29;22(1):308.
Cognitive and functional abilities in an older adult Veteran before and after contracting COVID-19. Okolichany R, Padala PR, Mooney S. No patterns of cognitive changes occurred in a 76-year-old Veteran before and after he contracted COVID-19. High levels of resilience, social support, and exercise, coupled with lower levels of perceived stress and loneliness may protect against cognitive and functional decline in older adults who contract COVID-19. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2022 Mar 25;6(1):115-120.
Home health aides’ increased role in supporting older Veterans and primary healthcare teams during COVID-19: A qualitative analysis. Franzosa E, Judon KM, Gottesman EM, Koufacos NS, Runels T, Augustine M, Hartmann CW, Boockyar KS. Home health aides played a central role in coordinating care during the COVID-19 pandemic, providing hands-on functional, medical, and emotional support. J Gen Intern Med. 2022 Mar 22. Online ahead of print.
Worse sleep, worsening post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Poor sleep quality associated with increases in PTSD symptoms amongst those experiencing high threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Straus LD, Dolsen EA, Nishimi K, Neylan TC, O’Donovan A. Poor sleep quality may enhance vulnerability to later PTSD symptoms during the pandemic, particularly among those who perceived the pandemic as threatening for their future. J Sleep Res. 2022 Feb 23. Online ahead of print.
Genetic loci associated with COVID-19 positivity and hospitalization in white, Black, and Hispanic Veterans of the VA Million Veteran Program. Peloso GM, Tcheandjiue C, McGeary JE, Posner DC, Ho YL, Zhou JJ, Hilliard AT et al. A genome-wide association study identified four independent genetic variants contributing to COVID-19 positivity, including one novel locus found exclusively among Hispanics. The study also found trends in blood type related to COVID-19 susceptibility. Front Genet. 2022 Feb 3;12:777076.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, occupational functioning, and professional retention among health care workers and first responders. Hendrickson RC, Slevin RA, Hoerster KD, Chang BP, Sano E, McCall CA, Monty GR et al. The results show potentially treatable psychiatric symptoms in health care workers and first responders, impacting both well-being and the health care system. J Gen Intern Med. 2021 Dec 16. Online ahead of print.
Associations between misinformation around COVID-19 pandemic, severity of social isolation, and cognitive impairment. Marin A, Vives-Rodriguez A, DeCaro R, Schiloski KA, Hajos GP, Di Crosta A, Ceccato I et al. Social isolation and cognitive impairment were associated with a higher degree of misinformation about COVID-19 and less information about protective measures against infection. Alzheimers Dement. 2021 Dec;17 Suppl 7:e054468.
Do pliexiglass barriers reduce the risk for transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)? Cadnum JL, Jencson AL, Donskey CJ. In simulations, physical barriers with no openings were effective in reducing contamination with an aerosolized benign virus or fluorescent microspheres, but barriers with openings were not. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2021 Nov 2;1-4.
Attitudes and intentions of US Veterans regarding COVID-19 vaccination. Jasuja GK, Meterko M, Bradshaw LD, Carbonaro R, Clayman ML, LoBrutto L, Miano D et al. Survey findings provide information needed to develop trusted messages to address Veteran vaccine hesitancy. Conversations need to emphasize societal reasons for getting vaccinated and benefits to one’s own health. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Nov 1;4(11):e2132548.
Impact of exposure to patients with COVID-19 on residents and fellows: An international survey of 1420 trainees. Cravero AL, Kim NJ, Feld LD, Berry K, Rabiee A, Bazarbashi N, Bassin S et al. Exposure to patients with COVID-19 is significantly associated with higher burnout rates in physician trainees. Postgrad Med J. 2021 Nov;97(1153):706-715.
Does a lack of vaccine side effects correlate with reduced BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine response among healthcare workers and nursing home residents? Ovebanji OA, Wilson B, Keresztesy D, Carias L, Wilk D, Payne M, Aung H et al. Subjects who reported post-vaccination reactions developed higher antibody levels. Aging Clin Exp Res. 2021 Oct 15:1-10
Development and validation of a clinical risk score to predict hospitalization within 30 days of coronavirus disease 2019 diagnosis. Aboumrad M, Zwain G, Smith J, Neupane N, Powell E, Dempsey B, Reyes C, Satram S, Young-Xu Y. The prediction tool developed in this study demonstrated that it could identify patients with COVID-19 who are at risk for hospitalization. Mil Med. 2021 Oct 6. Online ahead of print.
COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and access among Black and Latinx communities. Blasuriya L, Santilli A, Morone J, Ainooson J, Roy B, Njoku A, Mendiola-Iparraguirre A et al. A survey identified three major themes that may represent facilitators and barriers to COVID-19 vaccinations: pervasive mistreatment of Black and Latinx communities and associated distrust; informing trust via trusted messengers and messages, choice, social support, and diversity; and addressing structural barriers to vaccine access. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Oct 1;4(10):e2128575.
Effectiveness of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine among U.S. health care personnel. Pilishvili T, Gierke R, Fleming-Dutra KE, Farrar JL, Mohr NM, Talan DA, Krishnadasan A et al. The mRNA vaccines were highly effective under real-world conditions in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 in health care personnel, including in those at risk for severe COVID-19 and those in racial and ethnic groups that have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic. N Eng J Med. 2021 Sep 22. Online ahead of print.
Machine-learning-based COVID-19 mortality prediction model and identification of patients at low and high risk of dying. Banoei MM, Dinparastisaleh R, Zadeh AV, Mirsaeidi M. Machine-learning approaches are able to predict hospital mortality in patients with COVID-19. Crit Care. 2021 Sep 8;25(1):328.
Comparison of antigen- and RT-PCR-based testing strategies for detection of SARS-CoV-2 in two high-exposure settings. Love J, Wimmer MT, Toth DJA, Chandran A, Makhija D, Cooper CK, Samore MH, Keegan LT. Antigen-based COVID-19 surveillance testing coupled with isolation greatly reduces disease burden and carries a lower cost than RT-PCR-based strategies. The two testing types perform different functions in reducing disease burden. PLoS One. 2021 Sep 7;16(9):e0253407.
COVID-19 related moral injury: Associations with pandemic-related perceived threat and risky and protective behaviors. Khan AJ, Nishimi K, Tripp P, Maven D, Jiha A, Woodward E, Inslicht S et al. Betrayal and transgression by others were associated with greater future threat of COVID-19 to health. Stronger endorsement of transgression by self was associated with more frequently engaging in risky behaviors for contracting COVID-19. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Jul 22;142:80-88.
Anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune responses in patients receiving an allogeneic stem cell or organ transplant. Atanackovic D, Luetkens T, Avila SV, Hardy NM Lutfi F, Sanchez-Petitto G, Vander Mause E et al. Some organ or stem cell transplant patients are able to mount an anti-COVID-19 immune response. However, time between transplant and exposure may be necessary, some patients may lose acquired immunity after transplant, and some transplant patients may be unable to build an immune response. Vaccines (Basel) 2021 Jul 3;9(7):737.
Readability, content, and quality of COVID-19 patient education materials from academic medical centers in the United States. Kruse J, Toledo P, Belton TB, Testani EJ, Evans CT, Grobman WA, Miller ES, Lang EMS. Despite availability of web-based patient educational materials for COVID-19, the reading level was significantly higher than recommended, and usable material was low. Am J Infect Control. 2021 Jun;49(6):690-693.
Clinical and functional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing on vulnerable Veterans with psychosis or recent homelessness. Wynn JK, McCleerey A, Novacek D, Reavis EA, Tsai J, Green MF. Although initially reporting worse clinical outcomes, Veterans with psychotic disorders and those experiencing homelessness exhibited improvements in depression and anxiety as the pandemic went on. This effect could be due to the availability of VA services. J Psychiatr Res. 2021 Jun;138:42-49.
An app-based intervention to support first responders and essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: Needs assessment and mixed methods implementation study. Vilendrer S, Amano A, Brown Johnson CG, Favet M, Safaeinili N, Villasenor J, Shaw JG, Hertelendy AJ, Asch SM, Mahoney M. First responders and essential workers both reported challenges related to obtaining accurate information, testing services, and other resources. A mobile app has the potential to combat these challenges. J Med Internet Res. 2021 May 20, 23(5):e26573.
Suicidal ideation and thoughts of self-harm during the COIVD-19 pandemic: The role of COVID-19-related stress, social isolation, and financial strain. Elbogen EB, Lanier M, Blakey SM, Wagner HR, Tsai J. COVID-19-related stress symptoms, loneliness, and financial strain were associated with thoughts of suicide and self-harm. Depress Anxiety. 2021 May 5. Online ahead of print.
Increasing facemask compliance among healthcare personnel during the COVID-19 pandemic. Datta R, Glenn K, Pellegrino A, Tuan J, Linde B, Kayani J, Patel K, Carlo L, Dembry LM, Fisher A. Facemask compliance remains suboptimal among health care personnel despite a facility-wide mandate for universal masking. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2021 May 3:1-22.
Psychological distress and alcohol use disorder during the COVID-19 era among middle- and low-income U.S. adults. Tsai J, Elbogen EB, Huang M, North CS, Pietrzak RH. Predisposing factors are stronger predictors of psychological distress than personal COVID-19 infection or exposure during the pandemic. J Affect Disord. 2021 April 4;288:41-49.
Association of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder with posttraumatic psychological growth among US Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pietrzak RH, Tsai J, Southwick SM. Many Veterans reported positive post-traumatic growth related to dealing with the pandemic, with this effect highest in those who screened positive for COVID-19-associated PTSD symptoms. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Apr 1;4(4):e214972.
Association between risk factors for complications from COVID-19, perceived chances of infection and complications, and protective behavior in the US. Schoeni RF, Wiemers EE, Seltzer JA, Langa KM. Adults with risk factors for COVID-19 complications reported higher perceived susceptibility to complications. During common activities, the majority of adults, including the highly susceptible, did not consistently wear masks. JAMA Netw Open. 2021 Mar 1;4(3):e213984.
Why couldn’t I go in to see him? Bereaved families’ perceptions of end-of-life communication during COVID-19. Feder S, Smith D, Griffin H, Shreve ST, Kinder D, Kutney-Lee A, Ersek M. Communication between patients, families, and health care teams at the end of life remains critically important during times of limited in-person visitation. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Mar;69(3):587-592.
Emergency physicians and personal narratives improve the perceived effectiveness of COVID-19 public health recommendations on social media: A randomized experiment. Solnick RE, Chao G, Ross RD, Kraft-Todd GT, Kocher KE. Emergency physicians sharing personal narratives on Twitter are perceived to be more effective at communicating COVID-19 health recommendations compared to federal officials sharing impersonal guidance. Acad Emerg Med. 2021 Feb;28(2):172-183.
Characterization of hospital airborne SARS-CoV-2. Stern RA, Koutrakis P, Martins MAG, Lemos B, Dowd SE, Sunderland EM, Garshick E. Results show that COVID-ward hospital controls are effective at controlling disease spread, and that the virus can possibly be spread through airborne transmission over distances greater than six feet. Respir Res. 2021 Feb 26;22(1):73.
Psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers during the pandemic surge in New York City. Feingold JH, Peccoralo L, Chan CC, Kaplan CA, Kaye-Kauderer H, Charney D, Verity J, Hurtado A, Burka L, Syed SA, Murrough JW, Feder A, Pietrzak RH, Ripp J. Out of more than 3,000 health care workers surveyed, 39% experienced symptoms of COVID-19-related PTSD, major depressive disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder. Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks). 2021 Feb 1;5.
Feasibility and acceptability of VA CONNECT: Caring for our nation’s needs electronically during the COVID-19 transition. Gromatsky M, Sullivan SR, Mitchell EL, Spears AP, Edwards ER, Goodman M. Preliminary assessment of VA CONNECT, a telehealth group intervention for mental health, supports its feasibility and acceptability by VA patients. Psychiatry Res. 2021 Feb; 296:11370.
Patient volume and disposition in a VA psychiatric emergency room during COVID-19. Mitchell L, Fuehrlein B. A decline in psychiatric emergency room use likely indicates that many Veterans postponed necessary mental health and substance use treatment because of the pandemic. Community Ment Health J. 2021 Jan 30:1-3.
Social isolation and loneliness among San Francisco Bay area older adults during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders. Kotwal AA, Holt-Lunstrad J, Newmark RL, Cenzer I, Smith AK, Covinsky KE, Escueta DP, Lee JM, Perissinotto CM. Many older adults are adjusting to COVID-19 restrictions since the start of shelter-in-place orders. Additional steps are critically needed to address the psychological suffering and unmet medical needs of those with persistent loneliness or barriers to technology-based interactions. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2021 Jan;69(1):20-29.
How much does the (social) environment matter? Using artificial intelligence to predict COVID-19 outcomes with socio-demographic data. Makridis CA, Mudide A, Alterovitz G. Using machine learning models, researchers found that socio-demographic and social capital characteristics are important determinants of public health outcomes, especially for vulnerable groups like Veterans. Pac Symp Biocomput. 2021;26:328-335.
Longitudinal examination of COVID-19 public health measures on mental health for rural patients with serious mental illness. Riblet NB, Stevens SP, Shiner B, Cornelius S, Forehand J, Scott RC, Watts BV. Rural patients with serious mental illness may be fairly resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic when they have access to treatment and supports. Mil Med. 2020 Dec 30. Online ahead of print.
“At home, with care”: Lessons from New York City home-based primary care practices managing COVID-19. Franzosa E, Gorbenko K, Brody AA, Leff B, Ritchie CS, Kinosian B, Ornstein KA, Federman AD. Keeping older, medically complex patients safe in their homes requires considerable flexibility, transparency, teamwork, and partnerships with outside providers. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2020 Nov 12. Online ahead of print.
Suddenly becoming a “virtual doctor”: Experiences of psychiatrists transitioning to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uscher-Pines L, Sousa J, Raja P, Mehrotra A, Barnett ML, Huskamp HA. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a dramatic shift in how psychiatrists deliver care. Psychiatr Serv. 2020 Nov 1;71(11):1143-1150.
Reinventing palliative care delivery in the era of COVID-19: How telemedicine can support end of life care. Ritchey KC, Foy A, McArdel E, Gruenewald DA. The work identified the need for system innovation in palliative care and a quality improvement approach to structure telemedicine palliative care. Information gleaned from a patient’s family in a case study helped bedside staff to tailor care toward aspects meaningful to the patient. Am J Hosp Palliat Care. 2020 Nov;37(11):992-997.
Successful transfer of anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity using convalescent plasma in an MM patient with hypogammaglobulinemia and COVID-19. Luetkens T, Metcalf R Planelles V, Zheng Y, Larragoite ET, Spivak ES, Spivak AM, Steinbach M, Blaylock RC, Avila SV, Hankey KG, Martins TB, Slev PR, Mannuel HD, Sajadi M, Rapoport AP, Atanackovic D. A severely immunocompromised patient with multiple myeloma and COVID-19 who received a convalescent plasma product showed SARS-CoV-2 clearance. Convalescent plasma immunity against SARS-Co-V-2 proteins was successfully transferred to the patient. Blood Adv. 2020 Oct 12;4(19):4864-4868.
Suddenly becoming a ‘virtual doctor’: Experiences of psychiatrists transitioning to telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Uscher-Pines L, Sousa J, Raja P, Mehrotra A, Barnett ML, Huskamp HA. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a dramatic shift in how psychiatrists deliver care. Although there are some concerns about quality of care, the transition has been largely positive for both patients and physicians. Psychiatr Serv. 2020 Sep 16. Online ahead of print.
Assessing COVID-19 transmission to healthcare personnel: The global ACT-HCP case-control study. Lentz RJ, Colt H, Chen H, Cordovilla R, Popevic S, Tahura S, Candoli P, Tomassetti S, Meachery GJ, Cohen BP, Harris BD, Talbot TR, Maldonado F. COVID-10 transmission to health care providers was associated with medical exposures currently considered lower-risk and exposures outside work. Exposures associated with proper use of appropriate personal protective equipment were protective. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2020 Sep 9;1-22.
Modeling suicide risk among parents during the COVID-19 pandemic: Psychological inflexibility exacerbates the impact of COVID-19 stressors on interpersonal risk factors for suicide. Crasta D, Daks JS, Rogge RD. The findings highlight the value of targeting psychological inflexibility as an important strategy to reduce suicide risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Contextual Behav Sci. 2020 Sep 8. Online ahead of print.
The impact of COVID-19 on access to Parkinson’s disease medication. Cheong JL, Goh ZH, Marras C, Tanner CM, Kasten M, Noice AJ. Access to Parkinson’s diseases medication is likely to have been affected by COVID-19 and result in deterioration of patients’ symptomatic control. Move Disord. 2020 Aug 28. Online ahead of print.
The COVID-19 telepsychology revolution: A national study of pandemic-based changes in U.S. mental health care delivery. Pierce BS, Perrin PB, Tyler CM, McKee GB, Watson JD. Although there has been a remarkable increase in telepsychology use during the COVID-19 pandemic, individual and practice characteristics affect psychologists’ ability to adopt telepsychology. Am Psychol. 2020 Aug 20. Online ahead of print.
When to rule out COVID-19: How many negative RT-PCR tests are needed? Isikbay M, Henry TS, Frank JA, Hope MD. This case study presents a framework for how to weigh repeatedly negative test results in clinical decision-making when there is ongoing concern for COVID-19. Respir Med Care Rep. 2020 Aug 18. Online ahead of print.
A SARS-CoV-2 prediction model from standard laboratory tests. Bayat V, Phelps S, Ryono R, Lee C, Parekh H, Mewton J, Sedghi F, Etminani P, Holodniy M. A machine-learning model was able to predict the results of SARS-CoV-2 tests with 86% accuracy from standard laboratory results. Clin Infect Dis. 2020 Aug 12. Online ahead of print.
A model for treating COVID-19-related guilt, shame, and moral injury. Haller M, Norman SB, Davis BC, Capone C, Browne K, Allard CB. Trauma-informed guilt reduction therapy is a brief intervention that helps people accurately appraise their role in a stressful event, such as those experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and find positive ways to express important values going forward. Psychol Trauma. 2020 Aug;12(S1):S174-S176.
Is increased sleep responsible for reductions in myocardial infarction during the COVID-19 pandemic? Advani I, Gunge D, Banks S, Mehta S, Park K, Patel M, Malhotra A, Crotty Alexander LE. Changes in subjects’ sleep patterns due to the pandemic led to longer sleep duration, which may impact the rates of heart attack. PLoS One. 2020 Jul 27;15(7):e0236554.
Automated EHR score to predict COVID-19 outcomes at US Department of Veterans Affairs. Osborne TF, Veigulis ZP, Arreola DM, Röösli E, Curtin CM. VA’s Care Assessment Need (CAN) score, an existing risk assessment tool, is well-positioned for broad use across the VA to enhance clinical decision-making about COVID-19. PLoS One. 2020 Jul 27;15(7):e0236554.
National geriatric network rapidly addresses trainee telehealth needs in response to COVID-19. Nearing KA, Lum HD, Dang S, Powers B, McLaren J, Gately M, Hung W, Moo L. The Veterans Health Administration rapidly identified and responded to telehealth training needs of geriatrics trainees to optimize care for rural older adults as part of a rapid response to COVID-19. J AM Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jul 8. Online ahead of print.
Establishment of a COVID-19 recovery unit in a Veterans Affairs post-acute facility. Sohn L, Lysaght M, Schwartzman WA, Simon SR, Goetz MB, Yoshikawa T. Researchers report on a novel approach of utilizing long-term care beds at a VA health care facility for managing recovering COVID-19 patients. J AM Geriatr Soc. 2020 Jun 18. Online ahead of print.
Combating heightened social isolation of nursing home elders: The Telephone Outreach in the COVID-19 Outbreak program. Van Dyck LI, Wilkins KM, Ouellet J, Ouellet GM, Conroy ML. A telephone outreach program achieved initial success and promotes the social well-being of nursing home residents. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2020 Jun 5;S1064-7481(20)30365-1.
Veterans’ response to an automated text messaging protocol during the COVID-19 pandemic. Saleem JJ, Read JM, Loehr BM, Frisbee KL, Wilck NR, Murphy JJ, Vetter BM, Herout J. Veterans responded well to automated text messaging about COVID-19 from the VA app “Annie.” J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2020 May 29. Online ahead of print.
