Identifying the Secondary Health Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Patients of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)
The overarching goal of the pilot project is to identify the secondary health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among patients of Family Health Centers of San Diego with pre-existing Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). This mixed-methods pilot project will use electronic health records (EHR) to quantify the effect of the pandemic on disease management among T2DM patients, and telephone interviews with patients and providers to explain the unique health care needs of this at-risk population. The project will be guided by the following specific aims: 1) assess management of T2DM during the pandemic, 2) identify factors that affected management of pre-existing T2DM during the COVID-19 pandemic and 3) assess patient and provider experiences and perceived needs related to managing T2DM during the pandemic. By examining clinical markers of T2DM, management along with patient characteristics and treatment histories derived from the EHR (aims 1-2), we will be able to specify how management was affected during the pandemic, and who may be at greatest risk for long-term adverse health outcomes. Further, interviews with patients, providers and clinic staff (aim 3) will help contextualize the clinical data and identify best practices for offering tailored treatment interventions in the future.