Nurse model increases public health reach during emergency

Underserved Black and Latino individuals participating in a nurse-led program to increase COVID-19 testing to reduce virus spread during the pandemic tested more often than underserved minorities not in the program, a study published in Nursing Outlook found. Teams of nurses and community health workers visited families in their homes to encourage them to use COVID-19 testing to stop virus spread and provide updates on COVID-19 testing. The researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial of 146 households, or 393 people, who were followed for nine months starting in August 2021. The authors conclude the program could improve the reach of health care services in historically underserved communities during public health emergencies. (Nursing Outlook article, 11/6/25)