In a new study published in Open JAMA Networkresearchers have created a dataset and data visualization dashboard to assess the effectiveness of state and territory policies enacted to reduce the severity of the impact of COVID-19 on older people in care agencies medical at home and nursing homes.
The authors found that many policies within states and territories did not correspond with reductions in the burden of COVID-19 at the community or nursing home level (ie, case numbers and death counts). This suggests that policy effectiveness may depend on implementation and enforcement. The study also found that policies focused less on home health care agencies compared to nursing homes, despite both settings serving the most vulnerable older populations.
“This suggests a gap in public health planning, which raises questions about resource allocation and prioritization across health care settings during the pandemic,” the paper says.
The research team, led by Patricia Stone, Ph.D., Centennial Professor of Health Policy at Columbia Nursing, conducted this study by first combining data on COVID-19 policies from the Council of State Governments with caseload data from Center’s COVID-19. for Medicare and Medicaid services. The team then used data visualization software to plot the information. They were able to identify 1,400 policies in 50 states and five territories.
“Both tools can be used by policymakers and medical professionals to learn from the past and prepare for the future as we anticipate more public health crises. We also suggest that these types of tools be available during crises to ensure that decision-making is data-driven,” says Stone.
Other study authors include Suning Zhao, MPH, Ashley M. Chastain, DrPH, Uduwanage G. Perera, Ph.D. and Jingjing Shang, Ph.D., all of Columbia’s Center for Health Policy; Laurent Glance, MD, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative and Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine; and Andrew W. Dick, Ph.D., RAND Health, RAND Corporation.
More information:
Patricia W. Stone et al, COVID-19 Policies and Burden of Disease for Nursing Homes at the State and Territorial Levels, Open JAMA Network (2024). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.7683
Taught by Columbia University School of Nursing
Subpoena: Study measures effectiveness of policies to mitigate burden of COVID-19 (2024, April 30) Retrieved April 30, 2024, from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024- 04-gauges-effectiveness-covid-burden-mitigation.html
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