August 2017 Research Round-Up

See below for publications recently added to the SIREN Evidence Library.

As always, if you are aware of resources you think should be added to the Evidence Library, please send them our way!

Simulations Test Impact of Education, Employment, and Income Improvements on Minority Patients with Mental Illness
M. Alegria, R.E. Drake, H.A. Kang, et al.
Health Affairs
This simulation study found that increasing employment among people with mental health conditions was significantly correlated with improvements in mental health outcomes, while increasing education and income produced weak or nonsignificant correlations.

Strategies to Strengthen Health and Housing Partnerships Through Medicaid to Improve Health Care for Individuals Experiencing Homelessness
H. Dorr & C. Townley
National Academy for State Health Policy
In this new issue brief, the National Academy for State Health Policy explores how state Medicaid agencies have leveraged a range of federal authorities and care models to increase access to housing-related services for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Community Health Worker Support for Disadvantaged Patients with Multiple Chronic Diseases: A Randomized Clinical Trial
S. Kangovi, N. Mitra, D. Grande, H. Huo, R.A. Smith, J.A. Long
American Journal of Public Health
This randomized controlled trial examines health and utilization outcomes of a community health worker (CHW) intervention where CHWs help execute patient-identified action plans around social and behavioral determinants of health to attain a disease management goal. Support from CHWs (vs. goal-setting alone) led to improvements in chronic disease control, mental health, quality of care, and hospitalizations. No differences were observed in patient activation or self-rated physical health.

Bridging Health Disparity Gaps through the Use of Medical Legal Partnerships in Patient Care: A Systematic Review
O. Martinez, J. Boles, M. Muñoz-Laboy, et al.
The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics
This article analyzes two decades of pilot studies to investigate the capacity of MLPs to address legal and health disparities.

Innovative Models in Health and Housing
Mercy Housing and The Low-Income Investment Fund
The California Endowment & The Kresge Foundation
This report presents nine case studies of health and housing sector collaborations to build safe, sustainable, and affordable housing.

Primary Care Providers with More Experience and Stronger Self-Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Women Veterans Screen More Frequently for Interpersonal Violence
L.S. Meredith, G. Azhar, A. Okunogbe, et al.
Womens Health Issues
This article identifies factors associated with increased screening rates for military sexual trauma (MST) and/or intimate partner violence (IPV) in VA medical centers.

Working Together Toward Better Health Outcomes
E. Miller, T. Nath, & L. Line
Nonprofit Finance Fund and Center for Health Care Strategies
This report, informed by a survey of more than 200 health care-related partnerships serving one or more of all 50 US states, explores ways that health care organizations and community-based organizations are partnering in shared pursuit of better health outcomes.

Diffusion of Community Health Workers within Medicaid Managed Care: A Strategy to Address Social Determinants of Health
C. Nkouaga, A. Kaufman, C. Alfero, & C. Medina
Health Affairs Blog
The authors of this blog post describe the drivers and successful diffusion of clinically-integrated community health workers to identify and address social determinants of health throughout New Mexico.

The State of the Medical-Legal Partnership Field: Findings from the 2016 National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership Surveys
M. Regenstein, J. Trott & A. Williamson
National Center for Medical-Legal Partnerships
This report describes patients screened and treated by medical-legal partnerships in 2016, and how these programs advance health and wellbeing. It also offers insights into the organizations that participate in these programs.

Emerging Strategies for Integrating Health and Housing: Innovations to Sustain, Expand, and Replicate
C. Scally, E. Waxman, R. Gourevitch, & S. Adeeyo
Urban Institute
This report examines emerging interventions that integrate housing and health services for low income people, with a focus on interventions where health care organizations have taken a significant leadership role.

Improving the Healthcare Response to Domestic Violence and Abuse in Sexual Health Clinics: Feasibility Study of a Training, Support and Referral intervention
A.H. Sohal, N. Pathak, S. Blake, et al.
Sexually Transmitted Infections

Assessing for Domestic Violence in Sexual Health Environments: A Qualitative Study
J. Horwood, A. Morden, J.E. Bailey, N. Pathak, G. Feder
Sexually Transmitted Infections
These two studies examine the feasibility of and provider reactions to an evidence-based domestic violence and abuse training intervention employed in female sexual health walk-in clinics in the U.K.

Developing and Implementing a Food Insecurity Screening Initiative for Patients Living with Diabetes
B. Thomas, S. Fitzpatrick, S. Sidani, & E. Gucciardi
Canadian Journal of Diabetes
This pilot study of a food insecurity screening initiative in a diabetes care setting found that patients are willing to share their experiences of food insecurity, despite the sensitivity of this topic. Care providers found this information helpful in directing their care and support for patients.