The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has required faculty and students to adapt to an unprecedented challenge and rapidly transition from traditional face-to-face instruction to distance learning formats through virtual classrooms. While most campuses trained faculty to ensure quality and maintenance of the curriculum through virtual classrooms, less consideration has been given to training students, who face equal challenges in adapting to this abrupt change in the delivery of the curriculum. Few approaches have been developed for students to facilitate their involuntary transition to virtual classrooms and maintenance of appropriate online learning behaviours and etiquette. Presented here are a series of propositions to help to maintain and enhance the quality of college student engagement and activity in the virtual classroom. These guidelines are from one example of the State University of New York public educational system perspective, at the pandemic’s epicentre, while serving a diverse student population. Initiating a meaningful dialogue between faculty, who are engaged in efforts to cope and adapt to the pandemic, may prove useful in re-envisioning and re-designing future curriculum. This may facilitate future discussions on creating best practices guidelines for asynchronous/synchronous virtual classrooms post the pandemic. The present rapid communication suggests a framework for faculty to develop such guidelines to address the current gap in the literature.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the impact and feasibility of a pilot Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention to improve diabetes management among Bangladeshi-American individuals with Type 2 diabetes living in New York City. Methods Participants were recruited at clinic- and community-based venues. The intervention consisted of six monthly, CHW facilitated group sessions on topics related to management of diabetes. Surveys were collected at baseline and follow-up time points. Study outcomes included clinical, behavioral, and satisfaction measures for participants, as well as qualitative measures from CHWs. Results Improvements were seen in diabetes knowledge, exercise and diet to control diabetes, frequency of checking feet, medication compliance, and self-efficacy of health and physical activity from baseline to 12 months. Additionally, there were decreases in A1C, weight, and BMI. Program evaluation revealed a high acceptability of the intervention, and qualitative findings indicated that CHWs helped overcome barriers and facilitated program outcomes through communal concordance, trust and leadership. Conclusions The intervention demonstrated high acceptability and suggested efficacy in improving diabetes management outcomes among Bangladeshi immigrants in an urban setting. The U.S. Bangladeshi population will continue to increase, and given the high rates of diabetes, as well as linguistic and economic barriers faced by this community, effective and culturally-tailored health interventions are needed to overcome barriers and provide support for diabetes management.

This article reports results from a patient-centered intervention to improve management of type 2 diabetes in the New York City Bangladeshi community. The DREAM (Diabetes Research, Education, and Action for Minorities) intervention is a randomized trial among Bangladeshi immigrants with type 2 diabetes comparing those enrolled in a community health worker (CHW) intervention to those in usual care. Participants in the intervention group received five group-based educational sessions and two one-on-one visits delivered by a trained CHW, whereas those in the control group received only the first group educational session. Main outcomes include changes in A1C, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, weight, BMI, and patient-centered outcomes such as knowledge and behavior related to type 2 diabetes management.