Gauging the Effectiveness of COVID-19 Burden Mitigation Policies

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) examines the effectiveness of COVID-19 policies implemented by states and territories to reduce the impact of the pandemic on older adults served by home health care agencies and nursing homes. Researchers created a dataset and a data visualization dashboard to evaluate 1,400 policies enacted across 50 states and five territories. The analysis found that many policies did not correspond with reductions in COVID-19 cases or mortality rates, suggesting that policy effectiveness may depend on implementation and compliance. The study also revealed that policies often focused more on nursing homes than home health care agencies, 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, combined policy data from the Council of State Governments with COVID-19 burden data from the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services to conduct the analysis.

The authors emphasized that the dataset and dashboard could serve as tools for policymakers and health professionals to improve decision-making in future public health crises. “We also suggest that these types of tools are made available during crises to ensure decision-making is data-driven,” said Stone.

The study, published on April 22, 2024, was supported by the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Institute on Aging.