Columbia Nursing Study Gauges Effectiveness of COVID-19 Burden Mitigation Policies

Newswise — In a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers created a dataset and data visualization dashboard to evaluate the effectiveness of state and territory-level policies enacted to reduce the severity of COVID-19's impact on older people served by home health care agencies and nursing homes.  

The authors found many policies within states and territories did not correspond with reductions in community or nursing home-level COVID-19 burden (i.e. number of cases and mortality counts). This suggests that policy effectiveness may depend on implementation and compliance. The study also found that policies focused less on home health care agencies compared with nursing homes, despite both settings serving vulnerable older populations.  

“This suggests a gap in public health planning, raising questions about resource allocation and prioritization among health care settings during the pandemic,” the paper says. 

The research team, led by Patricia Stone, PhD, Centennial Professor of Health Policy at Columbia Nursing, conducted this study by first combining data on COVID-19 policies from the Council of State Governments with COVID-19 burden data from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The team then used data visualization software to depict the information. They were able to identify 1,400 policies across 50 states and five territories.  

“Both tools can be used by policymakers and medical professionals to learn from the past and prepare for the future as we anticipate more public health crises. We also suggest that these types of tools are made available during crises to ensure decision-making is data-driven,” says Stone.  

The paper was published in the April 22, 2024 issue of JAMA. Other study authors include Suning Zhao, MPH, Ashley M. Chastain, DrPH, Uduwanage G. Perera, PhD, and Jingjing Shang, PhD, all of Columbia Nursing’s Center of Health Policy; Laurent Glance, MD, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative and Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Rochester School of Medicine; and Andrew W. Dick, PhD, RAND Health, RAND Corporation. Funding was provided by the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Institute on Aging.  

About Columbia University School of Nursing  

Columbia University School of Nursing is advancing nursing education, research, and practice to advance health for all. As one of the top nursing schools in the country, we offer direct-entry master’s degrees, advanced nursing, and doctoral programs with the goal of shaping and setting standards for nursing everywhere. And, as a top recipient of NIH research funding, we address health disparities for under-resourced populations and advance equitable health policy and delivery.    

Through our expansive network of clinical collaborations in New York City and around the world —including our dedicated faculty practice, the ColumbiaDoctors Nurse Practitioner Group — we cultivate a culture of innovation and diversity and champion a community-centered approach to care. Across the Columbia Nursing community, we encourage active listening, big thinking, and bold action, so that, together, we’re moving health forward.    

Columbia University School of Nursing is part of Columbia University Irving Medical Center, which also includes the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, and the College of Dental Medicine.