Journal of Maine Medical Center最新文献

{"title":"Factors Associated with COVID-19 Testing in Structurally Vulnerable Populations: An Exploratory Study in Southern Maine.","authors":"Grace L Price, Kathleen M Fairfield, Sumayo Awale, Renee Fay-LeBlanc, Caroline Fernandes, Ann Marie R Hess, Elizabeth A Jacobs, Donna Lawlor, David Ngandu, Leslie Nicoll, Kinna Thakarar, Ellyn Touchette, Andrew Volkers, Gloria D Sclar","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1241","DOIUrl":"10.46804/2641-2225.1241","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected structurally vulnerable populations in the United States. COVID-19 testing was instrumental in controlling viral spread and linking people to treatment; however, testing rates were lower among racial and ethnic minority groups. Our objective was to identify factors associated with desired COVID-19 testing behavior among vulnerable populations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted an exploratory cohort study of at-home COVID-19 testing between March 2022 and November 2023 in Portland, Maine. Partnering with trusted community organizations, we engaged participants from immigrant, housing-unstable, substance-using, and low-income/uninsured communities. Participants received 5 at-home COVID-19 tests every 8 weeks for 48 weeks. Participants completed a baseline survey and follow-up surveys every 4 weeks on COVID-19 exposures and symptoms, as well as use of COVID-19 tests, with additional questions every 8 weeks on behavioral factors (ie, risk perceptions, attitudes, norms) around COVID-19 testing. The primary outcome was \"desired testing behavior score,\" or the proportion of instances a participant tested when they should have based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We enrolled 93 participants, of whom 39 (42%) were immigrants, 30 (32%) were unhoused or had a history of chronic homelessness, 28 (30%) reported substance use, and 60 (65%) were low income and/or uninsured. Overall, participants tested 66% of the recommended times. In bivariate regression, 4 factors (age, confidence in ability to use a COVID-19 test, perceived usefulness of testing, and commitment to testing) were significantly associated with desired testing behavior. However, these associations were not statistically significant in multivariable linear regression.</p><p><strong>Discussion and conclusions: </strong>Participants from vulnerable communities engaged with COVID-19 testing when provided with at-home tests, but more research is needed to understand what factors drive testing behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13132520/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147824596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Survey of MaineHealth Cancer Care Network Providers on Cannabis Use: Preparation for Studies Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute.","authors":"Jill M Prescott, Jamie G Saunders, Leslie S Bradford, Scot C Remick","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1245","DOIUrl":"10.46804/2641-2225.1245","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cannabis and cannabinoid use in patients with cancer has rapidly scaled up over the past decade and is a topic of considerable clinical, research, and public health interest.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cannabis landscape survey among front-line providers in the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network (MHCCN) before applying and participating in National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored studies on cannabis use in patients with cancer. The results of the survey can better inform participation in national studies and provide a departure point for provider educational activities focused on cannabis use in the cancer care setting.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Notable observations from our survey included a 58% (100/171) response rate, which signals awareness and interest in cannabis use by our provider teams. Also, 30% of providers/care team members inquire about their patients' cannabis use, 89% agree that cannabis can be effective for managing symptoms, 54% are sensitive to stigma surrounding cannabis use (as well as 57% of their patients), only 15% considered themselves knowledgeable, and 85% are receptive to learning more about cannabis use.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These observations confirmed interest among our care teams to engage in cannabis-focused studies. They also paved a way toward participating in NCI-sponsored studies to address gaps in knowledge and the benefits and harms of cannabis and cannabinoid use in patients with cancer. Barriers and themes from the survey related to conducting research in this therapeutic area are discussed.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Longitudinal studies evaluating the benefits and harms of cannabis use remain scarce. Significant gaps in knowledge persist for both providers and patients, compounded by regulatory, ethical, and drug provision hurdles in this research area. Our survey results offer a foundation for educating care team members about cannabis use. Alongside participation in a large, first-ever national study, we outline plans for a small pilot study that uses an innovative application to capture cannabis use and product type.</p>","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12867164/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146121414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Best Practices in the Conduct of Community Engagement Studios at MaineHealth Institute for Research.","authors":"Francesca Piccolo, Emma DayBranch, Carolyn Sullivan, Elizabeth Woods, Neil Korsen, Jan Carney, Jenna Schiffelbein, Kathleen Fairfield","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1238","DOIUrl":"10.46804/2641-2225.1238","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Problem statement: </strong>Community engagement (CE) Studios are an established method for integrating lived-experience expertise into research at 1 or more specific points within a project. Although many researchers understand the value of incorporating community input, they often lack the tools, skills, or infrastructure to do so effectively. CE Studios address this challenge by offering a structured, consultative approach to engagement.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>CE Studios occur at any point across the research lifecycle and are used to inform research design, feasibility, relevance, recruitment, implementation, and translation. In a 1-time, 2-hour consultation, CE Studios bring lived-experience expertise into the research process, helping projects center patients' perspectives and inform research direction. Rooted in prior work by the Vanderbilt Institute for Clinical and Translational Research, this model builds rapport with intended audiences and strengthens capacity for engagement among researchers and community members.</p><p><strong>Application: </strong>CE Studios require institutional support through the establishment of a neutral team trained in the model. At MaineHealth Institute for Research, a CE Studios team comprising community engagement and outreach navigators and staff was established in fall 2022. The CE Studio program is supported by the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research Network infrastructure grant and nested within a larger community-engaged research effort. Since launch, the team has supported 14 CE Studios for 11 projects and collaborated with 5 institutions across Northern New England. This paper describes the implementation process at MaineHealth Institute for Research, as well as team roles, CE Studios structure, and lessons learned from launching and sustaining the model.</p>","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13021149/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147576961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digital Storytelling to Communicate COVID-19 Research Efforts.","authors":"Carolyn E Gray, Kelly Waters, Kathyrn Bizier, Brenda M Joly","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1208","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1208","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Problem statement: </strong>COVID-19 was a once-in-a-century pandemic that hit the world in March 2020. Overnight, the SARS-CoV-2 virus threatened not only survival, but also food security, social supports, transportation issues, financial constraints, and more. Timely research became crucial to understanding how to mitigate viral spread, treat patients, and address the consequences and health implications.</p><p><strong>Background: </strong>Advancing the infrastructure to support research in northern New England has been the focus of the Northern New England Clinical and Translational Research (NNE-CTR) Network since 2017. The NNE-CTR Network is a multi-year initiative in Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire that brings together academic institutions, health care organizations, and local community stakeholders to foster new research and address health challenges unique to the northeast region. The NNE-CTR Network was well-positioned to help address COVID-19, not only locally, but also nationally and worldwide.</p><p><strong>Application: </strong>The NNE-CTR Network's Tracking and Evaluation Core (TEC) assessed the NNE-CTR Network's COVID-19 research during the first 3 years of the pandemic. Using an innovative, arts-based dissemination method known as digital storytelling, the TEC summarized and shared the NNE-CTR Network's immediate and broad response to the pandemic. The analysis revealed 4 major ways the NNE-CTR Network responded to the pandemic: (1) quickly reallocating funding for early pandemic research, (2) providing innovative laboratory support and technologies, (3) collaborating in national research efforts, and (4) conducting research on a range of pandemic topics. The TEC used digital storytelling to highlight 18 research projects that addressed the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11999667/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144065091","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hepatitis A Cases on the Rise and What Can Be Done About It","authors":"Dana McCarney, Stephen Rawlings","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1179","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1179","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"49 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141813231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"2024 MITE Teaching Awards","authors":"","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1191","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1191","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"106 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141683475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geographic Distribution of Melanoma Cases in Maine: Identifying Vulnerable Counties for Targeted Intervention","authors":"Joshua R. Parbs, Madeline A Prentiss, Calla Hladky, Henry Stoddard, Kathryn Stevens, E. Seiverling, Peggy Cyr","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1173","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"71 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140665372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MITE Monthly Tip February 2024 Audience Response Systems","authors":"Sarah Hipkens","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1185","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1185","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":" 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140091237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MITE Monthly Tip January 2024 Letting the Learner Lead: Utilizing the SNAPPS method for outpatient teaching","authors":"Sarah Dodwell","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1184","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1184","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"125 18","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140087728","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COVID-19 Prevalence and Trends Among Pregnant and Postpartum Persons in Maine by Rurality and Pregnancy Conditions","authors":"Charlie O Grantham, C. Ackerman-Banks, Heather S. Lipkind, Kristin Palmsten, Katherine A Ahrens","doi":"10.46804/2641-2225.1156","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1156","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":93781,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Maine Medical Center","volume":"32 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140413359","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}