The Caucus on Homelessness invites abstracts to be submitted for APHA’s 2021 Annual Meeting and Expo. We are particularly excited to review submissions that support this year’s theme: Creating the Healthiest Nation: Strengthening Social Connectedness. 

The Caucus looks forward to highlighting the value of this theme to health care for the homeless (HCH) research and to the often marginalized and underserved groups we work with, particularly under the straining conditions over the past year due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Potentially relevant topic areas may include utilization of technology to enhance or ensure delivery of care, implementation of screening or addressing social determinants of health, or creatively providing or increasing access to care through holistically clinical or non-clinical practices.

Please Note: Because of the limited session allocation of our program, it is preferred that abstracts are submitted on their individual merits, and not as part of a dedicated panel session. As abstracts are blindly reviewed, this does not necessarily disqualify related abstracts to be submitted.

Under which track should I submit? 

Submitters who ONLY want to be considered for poster presentations should submit under “Poster Session.” Those who would prefer oral presentations, or who have no preference, should submit under one of the themed categories.

The suggested domains below are adapted from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on the Social Determinants of Health. Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) are conditions in the places where people live, learn, work, and play that affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes.

After reviewing the track descriptions below, please submit under the one most appropriate for your proposal’s content; If you think your proposal could be used in multiple tracks, please note this with your submission.

Healthy People 2030 uses a place-based framework that outlines five key areas of SDOH:

• COH Poster Session
  Only submit under this track if you know that you do not want to be accepted as an oral presentation. Those that have no preference may still submit under any other track and may still be accepted as poster presentations.
• Economic Stability
  The connection between the financial resources people have – income, cost of living, and socioeconomic status – and their health. This area includes key issues such as poverty, employment, food security, and housing stability.  
• Education Access and Quality
  The connection of education to health and well-being. This domain includes key issues such as graduating from high school, enrollment in higher education, educational attainment in general, language and literacy, and early childhood education and development.
• Healthcare Access and Quality
  The connection between people’s access to and understanding of health services and their own health. This domain includes key issues such as access to healthcare, access to primary care, health insurance coverage, and health literacy.
• Neighborhood and Built Environment
  The connection between where a person lives – housing, neighborhood, and environment – and their health and well-being. This includes topics like the quality of housing, access to transportation, availability of healthy foods, air and water quality, and neighborhood crime and violence.  
• Social and Community Context
  The connection between characteristics of the contexts within which people live, learn, work, and play, and their health and well-being. This includes topics like cohesion within a community, civic participation, discrimination, conditions in the workplace, and incarceration.
• Other: Proposals That May Not Align with the Above Track Descriptions May be Submitted Under This Track
  If you are unsure of which track is best for your proposal, please submit here. High scoring submissions may be placed in one of the other relevant tracks or grouped with other submissions of similar topic areas. Topics related to this year's theme will be prioritized.

Abstracts may be 250 - 400 words. Abstracts will be reviewed anonymously and rated based on the following criteria:

• Quality and description of subject matter
• Innovative/Original nature of topic
• Sophistication/rigor of methodology or program approach used
• Results, conclusions, or program outcomes adequately discussed and based on sufficient data
• Importance/Relevance of topic to the field
• Relevance to the 2021 theme of “Strengthening Social Connectedness”
• Ability to be CE accredited (see guidelines below)

IMPORTANT! You do not need to be an APHA member to submit an abstract. However, if your abstract is accepted for presentation, the presenting author MUST become an APHA Individual Member, and you MUST register for the Annual Meeting by the September pre-registration deadline. (APHA Learning Institute faculty excluded.) Submission of an abstract implies a commitment to make the presentation at the annual meeting, therefore please make sure you understand what is required of you before submitting.

Abstracts with student researchers as senior authors are encouraged. The Caucus on Homelessness will present an award for the best student abstract submitted. The abstract will be selected by a committee. Please notify the program committee in the comments section if you are submitting a student abstract, so that it can be considered for this award. For additional information contact the program chair.

Continuing Education Credit

APHA values the ability to provide continuing education credit to physicians, nurses, health educators, veterinarians, and those certified in public health at its annual meeting. Please complete all required information when submitting an abstract so members can claim credit for attending your session. These credits are necessary for members to keep their licenses and credentials.

For a session to be eligible for Continuing Education Credit, each presenter must provide:

• An abstract free of trade and/or commercial product names
• At least one MEASURABLE outcome (DO NOT USE “To understand” or “To learn” as objectives, they are not measurable). Examples of acceptable Measurable Action Words:  Explain, Demonstrate, Analyze, Formulate, Discuss, Compare, Differentiate, Describe, Name, Assess, Evaluate, Identify, Design, Define or List.
• A signed Conflict of Interest (Disclosure) form with a relevant Qualification Statement. See an example of an acceptable Qualification Statement on the online Disclosure form.

Contact Mighty Fine at mighty.fine@apha.org if you have any questions concerning continuing education credit. Please contact the program planner for all other questions.

Technology-based/Technology-dependent Presentations

All scientific session rooms are equipped with an LCD projector, computer (no Internet access) and screen.

If your presentation is dependent on additional technology (i.e., internet, video projection) do not submit to a Section, SPIG, Caucus or Forum. Submit your presentation to the Health Informatics Information Technology Theater (HIIT) Center. The HIIT Center is an environment for live presentations of information and computer technology applications for public health. The meeting room is equipped with Internet access, and theater-quality video projection and stereo audio. For more information and detailed requirements click on the program below. (Please note there are a very limited number of openings environment).

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Ready?

Program Planner Contact Information:

Brett Poe,
bpoe@nhchc.org
615-226-2292