PrEP-aring stylists: Development of a stylist educational workshop to increase PrEP awareness and knowledge among Black women in the US south

BACKGROUND

Black cis-gender women are disparately affected by HIV and require prioritization in prevention efforts, including pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Preparing trusted community leaders such as salon stylists as health-based opinion leaders may be promising to increasing awareness, knowledge, and uptake of PrEP among Black women. We sought to develop training and better understand stylists who may participate in a salon-based PrEP intervention for Black women.

METHODS

A community-research partnership designed a stylist training workshop for stylists with a majority Black women clientele. A two-session workshop focused on HIV knowledge, HIV prevention including PrEP, and the role of an opinion leader to influence community social and health norms. An exploratory research design and analysis was conducted to examine stylists and provide training feedback.

CONCLUSIONS

Stylists showed a high level of knowledge and willingness to serve as an opinion leader in their salons and with their communities. Stylists also verified medical mistrust in the healthcare system that makes community-based interventions attractive. This article discusses how the training was piloted and accepted by stylists.

UPDOs Protective Styles, a Multilevel Intervention to Improve Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Uptake Among Black Cisgender Women: Pretest-Posttest Evaluation

ABSTRACT

In the United States, Black cisgender women account for one in five new HIV infections with Black Americans, accounting for 57% of new diagnoses in the South. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is 99% effective at preventing HIV. Still, Black women's uptake remains at 2% due to multiple documented barriers, including lack of awareness and knowledge, mistrust, stigma, and low perceived risk. Culturally relevant interventions leveraging trusted venues, such as beauty salons, can overcome these barriers. This article reports preliminary results of an intervention to improve PrEP knowledge and awareness, PrEP stigma, PrEP trust, and uptake among Black cisgender women. This multilevel, mixed-methods study used a community-engagement approach to develop and pilot a salon-based intervention, Using PrEP and Doing it for Ourselves (UPDOs) Protective Styles. The intervention improved knowledge, awareness, and trust around PrEP among Black cisgender women. PrEP use stigma within interpersonal relationships decreased, but low perceived risk and social stigma remained constant. Culturally and socially acceptable interventions like UPDOs Protective Styles can model health care delivery to improve trust, thus improving uptake over time for this population.

A spotlight on avoidance coping to manage fear of recurrence among breast cancer survivors in an eHealth intervention

Background

Fear of recurrence (FoR) is prevalent among breast cancer survivors (BCS) and may be exacerbated by avoidance coping. This study examined BCS with avoidance coping and their engagement in a FoR eHealth intervention (FoRtitude).

Methods

BCS (N = 196) with elevated FoR participated in FoRtitude. Patient-reported measures assessed avoidance coping with FoR and baseline emotional and behavioral health. Intervention engagement was measured quantitatively (e.g., website logins, telecoaching attendance) and qualitatively (i.e., telecoaching notes).

Results

38 BCS (19%) endorsed avoidance coping, which was associated with more severe post-traumatic anxiety-related symptoms and worse global mental health (ps < .05), but not anxiety (p = .19), depression (p = .11), physical health (p = .12), alcohol consumption (p = .85), or physical activity (p = .39). Avoidance coping was not associated with engagement levels (ps > .05) but did characterize engagement-related motivators and barriers.

Conclusions

Avoidance coping was not a barrier to FoRtitude engagement. eHealth delivery is a promising modality for engaging survivors with avoidance coping in FoR interventions.

Mindset and team communication in pharmacists: Examination of pharmacist's self-views

OBJECTIVES

Pharmacists provide care in a complex adaptive system, which requires action and teamwork to address unexpected outcomes. We assessed practicing pharmacists' self-views of growth mindset and team communication across multiple practice settings.

DESIGN

The validated Growth Mindset and Team Communication (GMTC) tool, a multicomponent quantitative and qualitative survey instrument was used to conduct a descriptive study of pharmacist self views.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Survey instrument was distributed electronically to all licensed North Carolina pharmacists.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The survey consisted of 4 sections: (1) growth mindset self-evaluation (14 questions), (2) team communication self-evaluation (13 questions), (3) description of previous teamwork experience (1 question), and (4) demographics (8 questions). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and responses to the open-ended question were assessed using qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 507 pharmacists participated in the survey. Participants reported primary practice settings, 42.1% in community, 38.9% in health system, and 17.3% in other settings, and 52.1% reported more than 20 years' total pharmacy experience. The total GMTC scale average score was 81.9 ± 7.9 out of 108 possible points. The growth mindset subscale indicated an overall average score of 43.5 ± 4.4 out of 56 possible points The team communication subscale indicated an overall average score of 38.3 ± 5.2 out of 52 possible points. The self-view of a growth mindset was not affected by years of pharmacy experience or primary practice site, but additional teamwork credentials were positively correlated with the overall GMTC score driven by the team communication subscale.

CONCLUSIONS

A growth mindset is prevalent among experienced pharmacists from multiple practice settings. Pharmacists recognize teamwork as an essential work element and rate their team communication skills highly.

A Teamwork Workshop to Improve Pharmacy Students' Growth Mindset and Communication Skills

Objective. To determine the impact of a workshop on the growth mindset and team communication of first year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students.Methods. A multi-week workshop was developed for first year pharmacy students. The workshop included completion of the StrengthsFinder 2.0, a session on identifying individual and team member strengths, a session on situational communication and conflict resolution models, and a work-up of two pharmacy scenarios requiring conflict resolution. The workshop was delivered to two intervention groups (fall 2019 and fall 2018) and compared to a control group (fall 2017). A pre-post survey was administered to measure change in students' growth mindset and team communication using the validated Growth Mindset and Team Communication (GMTC) tool. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t tests, and chi-square tests to compare difference and association. Focus groups were conducted in fall 2017 and fall 2018 to assess students' views regarding teamwork.Results. Team communication subscale scores increased significantly among students in the intervention group while there was no significant change in these scores among students in the control group. The focus groups reflected that students had overall positive views about team communication and collaboration, which were also supported by discussions of advantages and challenges during teamwork.Conclusion. A teamwork workshop affected pharmacy students' communication skills. Future work should focus on longitudinal measurement of students' self-views to determine the long-term impact of teamwork training interventions.

Rates and Types of Medication-Related Problems in Patients Rehospitalized Within 30 Days of Discharge From a Community Hospital

Background: Impact of medication-related problems (MRPs) on persistently high hospital readmission rates are not well described. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the rate and type of MRPs attributed to rehospitalization within 30 days of discharge from a general internal medicine hospitalists' service at a nonacademic medical center. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted evaluating consecutive patients readmitted within 30-days after discharge to home from an internal medicine hospitalist service. Readmissions attributed to MRPs in physician documentation were systematically classified as indication, effectiveness, adverse drug reaction, or nonadherence problems and evaluated for possible preventability. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the rate and type of MRP. Results: Evaluation of consecutive 30-day readmissions (n = 203) to a nonteaching community hospital identified 50.2% of admissions attributed to MRPs. MRPs (n = 102) were categorized as problems of indication (34.3%), efficacy (19.6%), adverse drug events (18.6%), and nonadherence (27.5%). One third of 30-day readmissions in this cohort were attributed to potentially preventable MRPs. Conclusion: MRPs are frequently implicated in 30-day hospital readmissions in a nonteaching community hospital representing an opportunity for context-specific improvements.

Vertically integrated educational collaboration between a college of veterinary medicine and a non-profit animal shelter

The College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) at Texas A&M University (TAMU) has developed a multifaceted program in partnership with the Brazos Animal Shelter to provide teaching opportunities with shelter animals during all four years of the professional curriculum. In the first three semesters of the professional program, students working in small groups spend two hours per semester at the shelter performing physical examinations, administering vaccinations and anthelmintics, completing heartworm or FeLV/FIV testing, and performing simple medical treatments. In an expanded fourth-year program, groups of six students spend 16 contact hours at the shelter during two-week rotations, completing similar tasks. Through this program, each student practices animal-handling skills and routine procedures on an average of 150 to 200 dogs and cats. In addition, during third- and fourth-year surgery courses, student teams spay or neuter an average of 12 to 18 dogs or cats each week. More than 800 animals are spayed/neutered annually through this program, and each student directly participates in 12 to 15 spay/neuter survival surgeries. The program represents a creative approach to veterinary training that conscientiously uses animal resources in a positive fashion. We believe that this is a successful partnership between a state-supported veterinary college and a non-profit shelter that benefits both agencies. We encourage other veterinary colleges to explore similar partnership opportunities to provide optimal training for professional students while using animal resources efficiently.

Cost analysis of immunomagnetic marrow purging for neuroblastoma: in-house purging versus submission to purging centers

High-dose chemoradiotherapy in conjunction with autologous bone marrow transplantation has been used in the treatment of advanced stage neuroblastoma. Because of frequent marrow involvement, marrow purging methods, such as the immunomagnetic technique, have been developed. Current cost constraints force institutions to consider in-house purging versus submission of marrow to purging centers. Our analysis demonstrates that 15 procedures per year are needed to justify an up-front investment in equipment and supplies with a break-even period of 5 years. This number is also required to keep technical proficiency current without frequent retraining of personnel. The analysis includes start-up costs for institutions without a bone marrow processing laboratory, as well as for institutions already processing marrow or peripheral blood stem cells. For institutions performing fewer procedures per year, submission of marrow to purging centers is more cost effective than in-housing purging.