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This study aimed to assess the impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) prevalence in the United States in the week leading to the relaxation of the stay-at-home orders (SAH) on future prevalence across states that implemented different SAH policies. We used data on the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases as of August 21, 2020 on county level. We classified states into four groups based on the 7-day change in prevalence and the state's approach to SAH policy. The groups included: (1) High Change (19 states; 7-day prevalence change ≥50th percentile), (2) Low Change (19 states; 7-day prevalence change <50th percentile), (3) No SAH (11 states: did not adopt SAH order), and (4) No SAH End (2 states: did not relax SAH order). We performed regression modeling assessing the association between change in prevalence at the time of SAH order relaxation and COVID-19 prevalence days after the relaxation of SAH order for four selected groups. After adjusting for other factors, compared to the High Change group, counties in the Low Change group had 33.8 (per 100,000 population) fewer cases (standard error (SE): 19.8, p < 0.001) 7 days after the relaxation of SAH order and the difference was larger by time passing. On August 21, 2020, the No SAH End group had 383.1 fewer cases (per 100,000 population) than the High Change group (SE: 143.6, p < 0.01). A measured, evidence-based approach is required to safely relax the community mitigation strategies and practice phased-reopening of the country., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The article presents a study which explored innovative interventions in which Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) actively engaged physician trainees, enhancing their understanding of maternal population health. Topics discussed include evaluation method and findings, challenges to the training model, and analysis of integrating trainees into local and state MMRCs.

There is growing recognition that social and behavioral risk factors impact population health outcomes. Interventions that target these risk factors can improve health outcomes. This study presents a review of existing literature and proposes a conceptual framework for the integration of social and behavioral data into population health analytics platforms. The authors describe several use cases for these platforms at the patient, health system, and community levels, and align these use cases with the different types of prevention identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They then detail the potential benefits of these use cases for different health system stakeholders and explore currently available and potential future sources of social and behavioral domains data. Also noted are several potential roadblocks for these analytic platforms, including limited data interoperability, expense of data acquisition, and a lack of standardized technical terminology for socio-behavioral factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population health is one of the pillars of the Triple Aim to improve US health care. The authors developed a framework for population health measurement and a proposed set of measures for further exploration to guide the population health efforts in Maryland. The authors searched peer-reviewed, expert-authored literature and current public health measures. Using a semi-structured analysis, a framework was proposed, which consisted of a conceptual model of several domains and identified population health measures addressing them. Stakeholders were convened to review the framework and identified the most feasible population health measures considering the underlying health information technology (IT) infrastructure in Maryland. The framework was organized based on health system factors, determinants of health, and population-based and clinical outcomes. Measurement specifications were developed that addressed different aspects of selected measures and assessed various national and local data sources for selected measures. Data sources were identified based on their key characteristics, challenges, opportunities, and potential applicability to the proposed measures, as well as the issue of interoperability of data sources among different organizations. The proposed framework and measures can act as a platform to quantify the determinants of health and the state overall population health goals. Key considerations for developing a population health measures framework include health IT infrastructure, data denominators, feasibility, health system environment, and policy factors. Measurement development and progression using the framework will largely depend on the users' focus areas and availability of data. The authors believe that the proposed framework and road map can serve as a model for communities elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The disability‑adjusted life‑years (DALYs) lost due to eye diseases and trends in DALYs in Iran has not been previously reported. The object of this study is to report the burden of eye diseases in Iran and to compare changes from 1990 to 2010 based on age and gender. Methods: Data from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010 (GBD 2010) are used to report DALYs for cataract, refraction/accommodation (functional) disorders, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Results: Cataract, refraction/accommodation (functional) disorders, macular degeneration, and glaucoma were the 84th, 87th, 138th, and 151st causes of DALY in 1990 and the 89th, 72nd, 99th, and 137th in 2010, respectively. Cataract accounted for 0.085% of national DALY in 1990 and 0.09% in 2010, refraction/accommodation (functional) disorders accounted for 0.42% in 1990 and 0.47% in 2010, macular degeneration accounted for 0.017% in 1990 and 0.071% in 2010 and glaucoma accounted for 0.0099% in 1990 and 0.025% in 2010. There was a steady increase in DALY with age for each eye disease for both genders and dichotomized for males and females from 1990 to 2010. Conclusions: Epidemiologic transition is reflected in major ophthalmic and blinding diseases in the GBD data for Iran. The burden of macular degeneration is rising, followed by glaucoma. The burden of presbyopia affected individuals past their middle age. The burden of cataract manifested as a slower increase that could be attributable to better access to treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the public health and preventive medicine (PHPM) physicians' career paths in the U.S. It provides an analysis of the Johns Hopkins PHPM Residency Program-trained physicians' career paths. It also reveals evaluation of the characteristics of physicians' PHPM jobs, including working for international nongovernmental organizations and public health agencies such as the World Health Organization.

Introduction: Integrative medicine (IM) is by its very definition patient centric: "It reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches." Best methods for teaching IM in residency have not been well described.Methods: An IM curriculum for preventive medicine (PM) residents was thoughtfully developed and iteratively revised using Kern's six-step approach. The centerpiece of this curriculum was to have learners work collaboratively within teams on projects that would facilitate IM-focused care within primary care practices. Before embarking on specific IM-related projects, residents immersed themselves within the practices to understand the needs of the community.Results: Forty-eight PM residents have participated in the curriculum in the last 3 years, and 27 unique physician preceptors served as mentors for the projects. Both residents and preceptors enjoyed working on the projects, and both groups considered the work to be a valuable educational pursuit. Common IM content areas covered by the projects dealt with interprofessional collaboration, health promotion, and population-based prevention. Although there were challenges associated with implementation of the projects, overcoming these enhanced the PM residents' confidence and ability to serve as agents of change.Conclusions: An IM curriculum was successfully incorporated into a PM residency program. The focus on serving the community, or a population health approach, may not be the most common approach in IM, but it worked effectively to enhance the IM knowledge and skills of PM residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]