PISC Publications and News Features
Michelle Kondo and colleagues analyzed four sources of greenspace data in Philadelphia, revealing significant differences in how park boundaries are mapped. These inconsistencies may impact research on the relationship between greenspace exposure and health. Read more.
A study team, led by Elinore Kaufman and including Jamie Song, analyzed the treatment of injured rural residents across different hospital types. The research revealed that rural non-trauma centers (NTCs) provided care for over half of injured rural patients, including those with severe injuries. Rural NTCs managed 77.5% of cases definitively, showing they play a crucial role in trauma care. Read more.
Research led by Kristy Arbogast analyzed head acceleration data from 98 NFL players, revealing that 59% of the most severe head acceleration events were caused by facemask impacts. This highlights the need for improved facemask designs and changes in player techniques to reduce these impacts. Read more.
Research led by Laura Vargas, with contributions from Terry Richmond and Stephen Hargarten, has uncovered significant findings on the experiences of Latinx immigrants facing extortion during their migration to the US. The study revealed that participants paid an average of $804 in extortion, with the most common perpetrators being police and immigration officials across Latin America. The research also found that extortion is associated with a greater severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among the victims. This pioneering study underscores the need to consider extortion as a major stressor in the migrant experience, particularly for adults traveling with children. Learn more about the research here
Kevin Rix, Kate McDonald, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study analyzing the relationship between the time of day and injury incidence among e-scooter riders in a large U.S. city. The study found that e-scooter injury incidence is significantly higher during the evening and early morning hours, with riders injured most often between 18:00–23:59. Although e-scooter usage peaks on Saturdays, injuries are most prevalent on Fridays. The results emphasize the importance of targeted safety measures to reduce injury risk during high-incidence periods. Read the full study here.
Shoshana Aronowitz and Maggie Lowenstein led a qualitative study examining the implementation of CareConnect, an innovative program developed by Penn Medicine to increase access to buprenorphine for individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) in Philadelphia. The study revealed that CareConnect successfully fills a critical gap in care by offering same-day buprenorphine prescriptions and linking patients to ongoing OUD care. Key factors contributing to the program’s success include leveraging existing virtual clinic infrastructure, involving an interdisciplinary team, and maintaining strong relationships with external stakeholders, such as pharmacists and community care providers. This research highlights the potential of innovative models like CareConnect to improve OUD treatment access nationwide. Learn more about the study here.
Joel Fein and colleagues investigate the link between firearm access, fighting behavior, and conflict perception among adolescents in an urban emergency department. Their analysis reveals that youth who report fighting are more likely to have firearm access, especially if they perceive ongoing conflict after a fight. These findings suggest the need for comprehensive risk assessments in the ED to prevent retaliation and reinjury. Read more here.
Bernadette D’Alonzo, Andrea Schneider, and colleagues studied sex differences in concussion recovery, highlighting the role of sport contact level. Using data from the Ivy League–Big Ten Epidemiology of Concussion Study, they found that while recovery timelines appear similar between male and female athletes, differences become evident when considering contact level. These findings are critical for concussion management and future research. Read the full study here.
“These HOLC maps will undoubtedly remain part of how we understand structural racism in the United States. The question now is how we change the current realities and examine empirically, as clinicians and health researchers, how racism and economic exclusion broadly manifest in the spatial nature of firearm violence risk,” Sara Jacoby and Gina South write in an Annals of Internal Medicine editorial.
Millan AbiNader led a study that demonstrated that an established national dataset – the National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) – can be used to surveil domestic assaults in communities and respond to population-specific needs.
Gabi Khazanov and team discovered financial barriers and facilitators to secure firearm and medication storage among veterans with elevated suicide risk, based on interviews with veterans receiving care at the VA.
A validation study led by Jeff Ebert, Kate McDonald, and Kit Delgado demonstrated that a widely used algorithm for classifying driver trips vs. passenger trips using smartphone kinematics was 97% accurate and robust to a variety of phone characteristics, vehicle features, and driving habits.