Randomized Controlled Trials

The Community Collaboration to Combat COVID-19

Johns Hopkins University in Collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Challenge: The CDC tasked us with understanding how COVID-19 has affected Baltimore City families sand households.

We conducted a randomized trial in which households were randomized to identify the optimal SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) testing modality in a population-representative sample of households in Baltimore City, Maryland. 1,386 households in Baltimore City will be randomized 1:1:1 to one of three testing modalities: 1) fixed-site standard of care testing; 2) community-based mobile van testing; or 3) self-collected home, based testing.  Randomization was stratified by geography (n=12 zones) and race/ethnicity (non-hispanic white/other, non-hispanic black and hispanic/latinx). Our findings suggested that eliminating barriers to testing by utilizing mobile-based and home healthcare options increased testing rates.

Additional Skills:

• In-depth interviewing

• Survey development, programming, and implementation

• Analysis and management of EMR data (EPIC)

• Patient recruitment strategies