Development and Initial Evaluation of a Nurse-Led Healthcare Clinic for Homeless and At-Risk Populations in Tasmania, Australia: A Collaborative Initiative

People who are homeless experience significantly poorer health than the general population and often face multifaceted challenges engaging with public healthcare services. Mission Health Nurse-led Clinic (MHNC) was established in 2019 to meet the healthcare needs of this marginalised population in Launceston, Tasmania. This study examines barriers to healthcare access amongst individuals who experience homelessness, client and staff perceptions of the MHNC services and explored opportunities for service expansion. Descriptive statistics were drawn from administrative data, and all interviews were thematically analysed. A total of 426 presentations were reported for 174 individuals experiencing homelessness over 26 months. The median client age was 42 years and 60.9% were male; A total of 38.5% were homeless or lived in a supported accommodation. The predominant reasons for clinic visits included prescription requests (25.3%) and immunisations (20.1%). A total of 10 clients and 5 City Mission staff were interviewed with three themes emerging from the findings: personal vulnerability, disconnectedness and acceptability of the MHNC. The MHNC services were reported to be highly appreciated by all clients. Mental health and allied health, extra operating hours and maintaining the flexibility of walk-in appointments were suggested as expansion areas for the service and were highlighted as ways to increase engagement for improved health outcomes. Continued partnerships with interprofessional primary healthcare providers would contribute to addressing unmet healthcare needs in this vulnerable population.

Understanding Barriers to Healthcare Access for Heart Failure Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Early outpatient follow-up within two weeks after hospital discharge is an effective strategy for improving transitions of care in older patients with heart failure (HF). However, implementing timely follow-up care for HF patients has been challenging, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This convergent mixed-methods study identified patients’ barriers to accessing care and ascertained their recommendations for addressing these barriers. We enrolled 264 HF patients admitted to the Duke Heart Center between May 2020 and August 2021. A standardized survey and electronic health records (EHR) were used to collect patients’ sociodemographic, psychosocial, behavioral, and clinical data. For patients who reported some difficulty accessing their healthcare (n=30), semi-structured interviews were conducted to understand these barriers. Data were analyzed using rapid analysis techniques. Barriers to accessing care varied across participants, with scheduling an appointment being the most common barrier (12 of the 30 responses). Participants indicated that job-related conflicts, providers’ availability, or COVID-19 contributed most to the difficulty in scheduling an appointment. Some participants experienced more difficulties during the pandemic due to fewer appointments available for non-acute and non-COVID-19 related needs. Transportation was another critical barrier, which was often associated with the participants’ physical functional status. Participants identified the benefits of using telemedicine to address access to care barriers; however, they shared their concerns that telemedicine visits may not be sufficient to assess their HF conditions. Study findings highlight the need for more continual, tailored, and patient-centered interventions to improve access to care in older HF patients.

Poor Outcomes of Older Adults with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL) Regardless of Insurance Types

Introduction Prior studies report multiple factors, including insurance status, as significant barriers to healthcare access in the United States. Barriers to healthcare access may lead to worse outcomes in APL, which requires timely diagnosis and prompt treatment. We performed a large database analysis to examine the effects of insurance type and other factors on one-month mortality and overall survival (OS) in patients ≥65 years of age with APL. Methods We aimed to compare one-month mortality and OS of patients on private insurance with patients on non-private insurance, which included Medicare, Medicaid, and other government insurance. Patients ≥65 years of age who were diagnosed with APL between 2004-2015 were identified from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the effects of insurance type on the probability of one-month mortality. The Kaplan-Meier method estimated overall survival (OS), which was defined as the time from APL diagnosis to last contact or death from any cause. We used Cox regression model to determine the effects of insurance type on mortality risk adjusting for the other covariates of interest. Results We analyzed a total of 1520 patients- either private (12%) or non-private (88%), which included Medicare (85%), Medicaid (2%), and other government insurance (1%). Among total patients, 60% were 65-74 years of age, 46% were female, 87% were white, 84% had Charlson-Deyo comorbidity index (CCI) of 0 or 1, and 52% were treated at academic centers. One-month mortality was 18% for patients with private insurance and 23% for patients with non-private insurance. In a multivariate regression analysis, insurance type did not affect one-month mortality (Table 1). One-month mortality was higher for older patients; patients ≥75 years of age were more likely to die at one month compared to patients 65-74 years (Odds ratio [OR] 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53-2.57, p<0.0001). Compared to patients with CCI of 0, patients with CCI of 1 (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.43-2.55, p<0.0001), CCI 2 (OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.10-2.56, p=0.01), and CCI ≥3 (OR 2.88, 95% CI 1.75-4.73, p<0.0001) had worse one-month mortality. One-month mortality was higher for patients treated at comprehensive community cancer center compared to those treated at academic cancer center. Median follow-up for surviving patients was 4.5 years (0.03-13.72). Three-year OS was 56% for private insurance and 50% for non-private insurance (Table 2, Figure 1). In Cox proportional hazard model, there was no statistically significant difference in OS based on insurance type. (Table 3). OS did decrease with increasing age. Compared to patients 65-74 years of age, the likelihood of death was higher for patients ≥75 years (Hazard ratio [HR] 1.80, 95% CI 1.57-2.07, p><0.001). OS decreased with increasing comorbidities: HR 1.31 (95% CI 1.12-1.54, p=0.0007) for CCI 1, HR 1.60 (95% CI 1.28-1.99, p<0.0001) for CCI 2, and HR 1.80 (95% CI 1.37-2.37, p<0.0001) for CCI ≥3 compared to patients with CCI of 0. OS was lower for patients treated at comprehensive community cancer center compared to those treated at academic cancer center. Higher income status and diagnosis after 2009 were associated with improved OS. Conclusion In our large database analysis, while insurance types were not associated with mortality in patients ≥65 years of age with APL, one-month mortality (about 20%) still remains high and only half of older adults are alive at 3 years. Our study highlights a significant effect of increasing age on mortality even among older adults, with approximately 2-fold higher risk of mortality among patients ≥75 years versus those 65-74 years. Other factors associated with higher mortality included treatment outside of academic centers and lower income status. Unlike younger adults, APL in older adults still has significant unmet need. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Gundabolu: Bristol-Myers Squibb Company: Consultancy; Blueprint Medicines: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding; Samus Therapeutics: Research Funding; BioMarin Pharmaceuticals: Consultancy. Bhatt: Servier Pharmaceuticals LLC: Consultancy; Partnership for health analytic research, LLC: Consultancy; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Jazz: Research Funding; Incyte: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Tolero Pharmaceuticals, Inc: Research Funding; National Marrow Donor Program: Research Funding; Abbvie: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Consultancy; Rigel: Consultancy.

Disruption of medical care among individuals in the southeastern United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Widespread disruptions of medical care to mitigate COVID-19 spread and reduce burden on healthcare systems may have deleterious public health consequences.Design and Methods: To examine factors contributing to healthcare interruptions during the pandemic, we conducted a COVID-19 impact survey between 10/7-12/14/2020 among participants of the Southern Community Cohort Study, which primarily enrolled low-income individuals in 12 southeastern states from 2002-2009. COVID survey data were combined with baseline and follow-up data.Results: Among 4,463 respondents, 40% reported having missed/delayed a health appointment during the pandemic; the common reason was provider-initiated cancellation or delay (63%). In a multivariable model, female sex was the strongest independent predictor of interrupted care, with odds ratio (OR) 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40-1.89). Those with higher education (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.05-1.54 for college graduate vs ≤high school) and household income (OR 1.47; 95% CI 1.16-1.86 for >$50,000 vs <$15,000) were at significantly increased odds of missing healthcare. Having greater perceived risk for acquiring (OR 1.42; 95% CI 1.17-1.72) or dying from COVID-19 (OR 1.25; 95% CI 1.04-1.51) also significantly increased odds of missed/delayed healthcare. Age was inversely associated with missed healthcare among men (OR for 5-year increase in age 0.88; 95% CI 0.80-0.96) but not women (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.91-1.04; p-interaction=0.04). Neither race/ethnicity nor comorbidities were associated with interrupted healthcare.Conclusions: Disruptions to healthcare disproportionately affected women and were primarily driven by health system-initiated deferrals and individual perceptions of COVID-19 risk, rather than medical co-morbidities or other traditional barriers to healthcare access.

Abstract P127: Heals Med-Tech: A Hypertension Control Program For African American Communities Using Telehealth Technologies

Background: Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, remain the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in the US. Hypertension (HTN) is the single most chronic condition among African-American (AA) adults with health disparities in respect to control, awareness, and compliance. HEALS Med-Tech (HMT) is a 12-month HTN management program. This abstract will present findings from the first 3 months of HMT on BP reduction in diagnosed AA adults. Primary outcomes of interest are changes in systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), and weight at 3, 6, and 12 months. Methods: HMT has 3 components: a) HEALS (Healthy Eating And Living Spiritually) a group-based, 12-month behavioral lifestyle intervention (3-months of weekly sessions followed by 9 monthly maintenance sessions) modified from the NIH-funded DASH and PREMIER programs; b) Med-component provides HTN management through medications and social support provided by PCPs; and c) Tech-component provides an interactive telehealth by mobile phone to combat barriers to healthcare access. Results: A total of 62 eligible AA participants were enrolled and randomized to either HEALS Med-Tech or standard care (control). The study is currently in maintenance phase. The least squares mean SBP at baseline was 144.1 mm Hg, and after 12 weeks of intervention, the SBP was 134.0 mm Hg. Similar changes were seen in DBP at 12 weeks from baseline. Conclusion: A multidisciplinary, community-engaged approach utilizing technology, supported by community peers, could improve HTN management in high-risk AAs. This study will contribute to understanding methods to empower AAs to increase self-care management of HTN and improve access to healthcare.

Factors associated with healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses among mothers of children under five in Chad

Background Poor healthcare-seeking behaviour is a major contributing factor for increased morbidity and mortality among children in low- and middle-income countries. This study assessed the individual and community level factors associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses among mothers of children under five in Chad. Methods The study utilized data from the 2014–2015 Chad Demographic and Health Survey. A total of 5,693 mothers who reported that their children under five had either fever accompanied by cough or diarrhea or both within the two weeks preceding the survey were included in this study. The outcome variable for the study was healthcare-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses. The data were analyzed using Stata version 14.2. Multilevel binary logistic regression model was employed due to the hierarchical nature of the dataset. Results were presented as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) at 95% confidence interval (CI). Results Out of the 5,693 mothers who reported that their children under five had either fever accompanied by cough, diarrhea or both at any time in the 2 weeks preceding the survey, 79.6% recalled having sought treatment for their children’s illnesses. In terms of the individual level factors, mothers who faced financial barriers to healthcare access were less likely to seek healthcare for childhood illnesses, relative to those who faced no financial barrier (aOR = 0.80, 95% CI = 0.65–0.99). Mothers who reported that distance to the health facility was a barrier were less likely to seek healthcare for childhood illnesses, compared to those who faced no geographical barrier to healthcare access (aOR = 79, 95% CI = 0.65–0.95). Mothers who were cohabiting were less likely to seek healthcare for childhood illnesses compared to married mothers (aOR = 0.62 95% CI = 0.47–0.83). Lower odds of healthcare seeking for childhood illnesses was noted among mothers who did not listen to radio at all, relative to those who listened to radio at least once a week (aOR = 0.71, 95% CI = 0.55–0.91). Mothers who mentioned that their children were larger than average size at birth had a lesser likelihood of seeking childhood healthcare, compared to those whose children were of average size (aOR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.66–0.95). We further noted that with the community level factors, mothers who lived in communities with medium literacy level were less likely to seek childhood healthcare than those in communities with high literacy (aOR = 0.73, 95% CI = 0.53–0.99). Conclusion The study revealed that both individual (financial barriers to healthcare access, geographical barriers to healthcare access, marital status, frequency of listening to radio and size of children at birth) and community level factors (community level literacy) are associated with healthcare-seeking behaviour for childhood illnesses in Chad. The government of Chad, through multi-sectoral partnership, should strengthen health systems by removing financial and geographical barriers to healthcare access. Moreover, the government should create favourable conditions to improve the status of mothers and foster their overall socio-economic wellbeing and literacy through employment and education. Other interventions should include community sensitization of cohabiting mothers and mothers with children whose size at birth is large to seek healthcare for their children when they are ill. This can be done using radio as means of information dissemination.

Access to Healthcare for Migrant Patients in Europe: Healthcare Discrimination and Translation Services

Background: Discrimination based on ethnicity and the lack of translation services in healthcare have been identified as main barriers to healthcare access. However, the actual experiences of migrant patients in Europe are rarely present in the literature. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess healthcare discrimination as perceived by migrants themselves and the availability of translation services in the healthcare systems of Europe. Methods: A total of 1407 migrants in 10 European Union countries (consortium members of the Mig-HealthCare project) were surveyed concerning healthcare discrimination, access to healthcare services, and need of translation services using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Migrants in three countries were excluded from the analysis, due to small sample size, and the new sample consisted of N = 1294 migrants. Descriptive statistics and multivariable regression analyses were conducted to investigate the risk factors on perceived healthcare discrimination for migrants and refugees in the EU. Results: Mean age was 32 (±11) years and 816 (63.26%) participants were males. The majority came from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, and Iran. Older migrants reported better treatment experience. Migrants in Italy (0.191; 95% CI [0.029, 0.352]) and Austria (0.167; 95% CI [0.012, 0.323]) scored higher in the Discrimination Scale to Medical Settings (DMS) compared with Spain. Additionally, migrants with better mental health scored lower in the DMS scale (0.994; 95% CI [0.993, 0.996]), while those with no legal permission in Greece tended to perceive more healthcare discrimination compared with migrants with some kind of permission (1.384; 95% CI [1.189, 1.611]), as opposed to Austria (0.763; 95% CI [0.632, 0.922]). Female migrants had higher odds of needing healthcare assistance but not being able to access them compared with males (1.613; 95% CI [1.183, 2.199]). Finally, migrants with chronic problems had the highest odds of needing and not having access to healthcare services compared with migrants who had other health problems (3.292; 95% CI [1.585, 6.837]). Conclusions: Development of culturally sensitive and linguistically diverse healthcare services should be one of the main aims of relevant health policies and strategies at the European level in order to respond to the unmet needs of the migrant population.