Articles: pandemics.
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Food insecurity is a major public health problem in the United States which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We used a multi-method approach to understand barriers and facilitators to implementing food insecurity screening and referrals at safety net health care clinics in Los Angeles County before the pandemic. ⋯ Integrating food insecurity assessment in clinical settings requires infrastructure support, staff training, clinic buy-in, and more coordination and oversight from local government, health center entities, and public health agencies.
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The COVID-19 pandemic caused potentially disruptive shocks to chronic condition care. We examined how diabetes medication adherence, related hospitalizations, and primary care use changed in high-risk veterans prepandemic and postpandemic. ⋯ Adherence to diabetes medications and primary care use remained high for most patients even though virtual care replaced in-person care. Black and nonelderly patients may require additional intervention to address lower adherence.