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18 Mar 2020
Podcast

AIR Informs Episode #1: Focusing on Facts and Evidence During a Health Crisis

Listen to all episodes in the AIR Informs podcast series >>

Image of Elizabeth Salisbury-AfsharIn this podcast, Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, a practicing physician, researcher, and director of the AIR Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions (AIR CARES), provides some advice for finding reliable sources of information, rooted in science and evidence, while avoiding a sense of panic.

  1. Stay calm. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by what seems like endless sources of information and minute-by-minute updates and advice.
  2. Focus on what you can control personally. This includes hand-washing, enhanced cleaning practices, social distancing, and working remotely when it’s an option.
  3. Keep informed. Check in regularly with reliable sources: pick one at the national level—such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—and another at the state or local level, such as a city or county health department.
  4. Rely on experts. When looking at resources from non-public health resources, pay attention to the credentials of the people providing information and updates—make sure they are epidemiologists or infectious disease specialists. Avoid online forums or similar resources where people do not have to confirm their identity or experience before giving advice.

Salisbury-Afshar also noted that COVID-19 presents additional challenges for people who have substance use disorders. “It’s really important for those of us who work in substance use treatment and at social service agencies to think about how we make sure our patients get the services, the treatments, and the medications they need without unnecessarily increasing their risk of exposure when we’re all being asked to practice social distancing,” she says.

Related Centers

Center

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Image of addiction counselor and patients

Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions (AIR CARES)

Opioid misuse, overdose, and death has become a national public health emergency. AIR has a launched the Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions (AIR CARES) to study and coordinate multi-system solutions to the opioid epidemic.

Related Work

1 Dec 2020
Spotlight

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Illustration of woman with cell phone

AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. This virus, also known as COVID-19, has dramatically changed the lives of people around the globe, touching all aspects of life, from health care to education to the economy. In this new world of rapidly changing information about the virus, AIR seeks to be a source of evidence-based information that examines and begins to understand the various complexities of this crisis.
Topic: 
Education, Social and Emotional Learning, Technology for Teaching and Learning, Health, Health Cost and Coverage, Mental Health, Patient, Family, and Stakeholder Engagement, Trauma-Informed Care, Workforce, Adult Learning
1 Aug 2019
Q & A

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Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar

Meet the Expert: Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar

As an expert on substance use disorders, Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, M.D., directs the Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions at AIR (AIR CARES). She is board certified in family medicine, preventive medicine/public heath, and addiction medicine and holds a Master of Public Health degree in health disparities and human rights.
Topic: 
No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Health, Substance Use Disorders
23 Jul 2020
Podcast

AIR Informs: Responding to the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic

AIR takes an evidence-based approach to its research, evaluation, training, and technical assistance work on a daily basis. For our latest podcast series, AIR Informs, AIR experts explore the different ways the coronavirus pandemic is affecting our lives and how we can address the challenges it presents.
Topic: 
Education, Afterschool and Expanded Learning, Social and Emotional Learning, Special Education, Health, Chronic and Infectious Diseases, Workforce, Disability and Rehabilitation

Further Reading

  • AIR Informs: Responding to the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic
  • Tackling the Opioid Epidemic Through Research and Patient Care
  • A Quick Word With: Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, Director of AIR’s Center for Addiction Research and Effective Solutions (AIR CARES)
  • AIR’s COVID-19 Response and Resources
  • Meet the Expert: Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar
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Chronic and Infectious Diseases
Substance Use Disorders

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