The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations
Background: Health inequalities in African American communities have been further exacerbated by COVID-19. Public health departments and other safety-net providers across the United States have partnered with community-based organizations to address barriers to COVID-19 testing in disproportionately...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Mary Ann Liebert
2024-12-01
|
| Series: | Health Equity |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2022.0185 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850031437960445952 |
|---|---|
| author | Chavon Hamilton-Burgess Jannette Berkley-Patton Jenifer Allsworth Carole Bowe Thompson Frank E. Thompson Tacia Burgin Eric D. Williams Kathryn P. Derose |
| author_facet | Chavon Hamilton-Burgess Jannette Berkley-Patton Jenifer Allsworth Carole Bowe Thompson Frank E. Thompson Tacia Burgin Eric D. Williams Kathryn P. Derose |
| author_sort | Chavon Hamilton-Burgess |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Health inequalities in African American communities have been further exacerbated by COVID-19. Public health departments and other safety-net providers across the United States have partnered with community-based organizations to address barriers to COVID-19 testing in disproportionately impacted communities. This narrative review summarizes lessons learned from published examples of these community-based COVID-19 testing efforts. Methods: We searched online databases for peer-reviewed articles on community-based COVID-19 testing interventions in the United States aimed at increasing COVID-19 testing among African American populations. We abstracted information about each example and synthesized the primary lessons learned and key aspects that contributed to their success. Results: Seven examples of community-based COVID-19 testing aimed at increasing testing among African Americans and other underserved populations were identified and described, across various U.S. locations and involving multiple types of partners (1) St. Paul, MN (faith, health centers, Mayo Clinic); (2) Chicago, IL (university hospital and health centers); (3) NC (health centers, Community Advisory Board); (4) Baltimore, MD (hospitals, community clinic, mobile clinic); (5) Marion County, FL (health department and community partners); (6) New Orleans, LA (health department and health system); and (7) New York City, NY health and hospital system, mobile clinic). Discussion: Several key aspects of the COVID-19 testing models included the following: (1) close proximity of the testing site to affected communities and availability of walk-up and drive-through testing options; (2) partnerships between safety-net providers and broad community networks, which facilitated outreach and trust; (3) increased resources for safety-net providers; and (4) the use of data to identify areas of need and track impact. The merging of resources and relationships among well-equipped, safety-net providers and other health care institutions and culture-rich, community-centered organizations, to jointly address structural and systemic inequities, is key to cultivating health equity in the distribution of COVID-19 testing and other essential public health services. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94f0a9f653ee47ef8e125e88ad3bd105 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2473-1242 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | Mary Ann Liebert |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Health Equity |
| spelling | doaj-art-94f0a9f653ee47ef8e125e88ad3bd1052025-08-20T02:58:58ZengMary Ann LiebertHealth Equity2473-12422024-12-018114715610.1089/heq.2022.0185The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American PopulationsChavon Hamilton-Burgess0Jannette Berkley-Patton1Jenifer Allsworth2Carole Bowe Thompson3Frank E. Thompson4Tacia Burgin5Eric D. Williams6Kathryn P. Derose7Department of Health Promotion and Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.Department of Biomedical and Health Informatics, University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC) School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.Kansas City MO Health Department, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.Department of Psychology, University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), Kansas City, Missouri, USA.Calvary Temple Baptist Church, Calvary Community Outreach Network, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.Department of Health Promotion and Policy, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.Background: Health inequalities in African American communities have been further exacerbated by COVID-19. Public health departments and other safety-net providers across the United States have partnered with community-based organizations to address barriers to COVID-19 testing in disproportionately impacted communities. This narrative review summarizes lessons learned from published examples of these community-based COVID-19 testing efforts. Methods: We searched online databases for peer-reviewed articles on community-based COVID-19 testing interventions in the United States aimed at increasing COVID-19 testing among African American populations. We abstracted information about each example and synthesized the primary lessons learned and key aspects that contributed to their success. Results: Seven examples of community-based COVID-19 testing aimed at increasing testing among African Americans and other underserved populations were identified and described, across various U.S. locations and involving multiple types of partners (1) St. Paul, MN (faith, health centers, Mayo Clinic); (2) Chicago, IL (university hospital and health centers); (3) NC (health centers, Community Advisory Board); (4) Baltimore, MD (hospitals, community clinic, mobile clinic); (5) Marion County, FL (health department and community partners); (6) New Orleans, LA (health department and health system); and (7) New York City, NY health and hospital system, mobile clinic). Discussion: Several key aspects of the COVID-19 testing models included the following: (1) close proximity of the testing site to affected communities and availability of walk-up and drive-through testing options; (2) partnerships between safety-net providers and broad community networks, which facilitated outreach and trust; (3) increased resources for safety-net providers; and (4) the use of data to identify areas of need and track impact. The merging of resources and relationships among well-equipped, safety-net providers and other health care institutions and culture-rich, community-centered organizations, to jointly address structural and systemic inequities, is key to cultivating health equity in the distribution of COVID-19 testing and other essential public health services.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2022.0185COVID-19 testingAfrican Americancommunity networkshealth equity |
| spellingShingle | Chavon Hamilton-Burgess Jannette Berkley-Patton Jenifer Allsworth Carole Bowe Thompson Frank E. Thompson Tacia Burgin Eric D. Williams Kathryn P. Derose The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations Health Equity COVID-19 testing African American community networks health equity |
| title | The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations |
| title_full | The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations |
| title_fullStr | The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations |
| title_short | The Importance of Community-Based and Community-Partnered COVID-19 Testing for Reducing Disparities Among African American Populations |
| title_sort | importance of community based and community partnered covid 19 testing for reducing disparities among african american populations |
| topic | COVID-19 testing African American community networks health equity |
| url | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/heq.2022.0185 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chavonhamiltonburgess theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT jannetteberkleypatton theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT jeniferallsworth theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT carolebowethompson theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT frankethompson theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT taciaburgin theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT ericdwilliams theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT kathrynpderose theimportanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT chavonhamiltonburgess importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT jannetteberkleypatton importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT jeniferallsworth importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT carolebowethompson importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT frankethompson importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT taciaburgin importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT ericdwilliams importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations AT kathrynpderose importanceofcommunitybasedandcommunitypartneredcovid19testingforreducingdisparitiesamongafricanamericanpopulations |