Benjamin P Linas
Biographic Data
| ID | 5542468 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Benjamin P Linas |
| GIVEN NAMES | Benjamin P |
| FAMILY NAME | Linas |
| SIGNATURE | LINAS B P |
| AFFILIATIONS | Boston University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-9781-9690 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 23 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 15 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 23 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Cost-effectiveness of in-kind nutritional support for impoverished persons with tuberculosis to reduce mortality and disengagement from care in India
BACKGROUND: Undernutrition is a leading risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) mortality and poor treatment outcomes. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of providing in-kind nutritional support to impoverished persons with TB (PWTB) in India. METHODS: We developed a Markov model comparing standard care with a household-level nutritional food-basket intervention. Model parameters were informed from systematic reviews and a recent cluster-randomised st…
Immigrant perspectives on navigating the US healthcare system in the Post-Covid-19 landscape
Introduction The experiences of immigrants navigating the United States (US) healthcare system in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era are unknown. This study explores the experiences of recently arrived Haitian and Ugandan immigrants navigating this greatly changed system. Methods This single-center study used photo-elicitation, a qualitative method in which photos taken by participants served as an interview guide. Participants were recruited between…
Health and Economic Impact of Periodic Hepatitis C Virus Testing Among People Who Inject Drugs
In this economic evaluation study, based on common benchmarks for cost-effectiveness, frequent HCV testing among PWID was cost-effective in both lower and higher transmission settings
Comparing Implementation and Effectiveness Outcomes for Two Implementation Strategies of the Keep It Up! Digital HIV Prevention Program
This study sought to compare implementation and effectiveness outcomes for two delivery strategies of a digital HIV prevention intervention: community-based organization (CBO) versus direct-to-consumer (DTC). A type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial compared two implementation strategies of Keep It Up! (KIU! ) for young men who have sex with men (YMSM) (n = 2124). Data were collected at baseline and 12-weeks in 2019-2023. DTC enrolled…
Impact of a minimal monitoring HCV treatment approach on Health-Related Quality of Life
Long Covid awareness and receipt of medical care
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by disparities in disease burden and medical care provision. Whether these disparities extend to long COVID awareness and receipt of medical care is unknown. We aimed to characterize awareness of long COVID and receipt of medical care for long COVID symptoms among populations who experience disparities in the United States (US). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among a nationa…
A Qualitative Study of Health Equity’s Role in Community Coalition Development
Opioid overdose deaths are dramatically increasing in the United States and disproportionately affecting minority communities, with the increasing presence of fentanyl exacerbating this crisis. Developing community coalitions is a long-standing strategy used to address public health issues. However, there is a limited understanding of how coalitions operate amid a serious public health crisis. To address this gap, we leveraged data from the HEALi…
Long Covid impacts
There is a need for multilingual, accessible information about Long COVID symptoms, improved outreach and healthcare delivery, and increased ease of enrollment in long-term disability and economic support programs
Potential impact of curative and preventive interventions toward hepatitis C elimination in people who inject drugs–A network modeling study
DAA treatments are effective in reducing both prevalence and incidence of HCV infection in PWID, but preventive interventions play a significant role in reducing incidence when intervention coverage is low. Increasing coverage, including efforts in reaching individuals with the most injection partners, preventing reinfection, and improving compliance and retention in preventive services can substantially improve the outcomes. PWID network charact…
At the intersection of trust and mistrust
INTRODUCTION: The underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals in healthcare research limits generalizability and contributes to healthcare inequities. Existing barriers and attitudes toward research participation must be addressed to increase the representation of safety net and other underserved populations. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with patients at an urban safety net hos…
Community members have more impact on their neighbors than celebrities”
This study illustrates a need for community-engaged COVID-19 vaccine messaging which reflects the nuances of the COVID-19 vaccine and pandemic without oversimplifying information. In highlighting common concerns of the Greater Boston Area which contribute to a lack of confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, we underscore important considerations for public health and healthcare leadership in the development of initiatives which work to advance health…
Resources Required for Implementation of Sars‐CoV ‐2 Screening in Massachusetts K‐12 Public Schools in Winter/Spring 2021
BACKGROUND: The financial costs and human resource requirements at the school and district level to implement a SARS-CoV-2 screening program are not well known. METHODS: A consortium of Massachusetts public K-12 schools was formed to implement and evaluate a range of SARS-CoV-2 screening approaches. Participating districts were surveyed weekly about their programs, including: type of assay used, individual vs. pooled screening, approaches to retu…
Projecting Covid-19 Mortality as States Relax Nonpharmacologic Interventions
This simulation study estimated that the SARS-CoV-2 virus would likely continue to take a major toll in the US, even as cases continued to decrease. Because of the high transmissibility of the recent Delta and Omicron variants, premature lifting of NPIs could pose a substantial threat of rebounding surges in morbidity and mortality. At the same time, continued delay in lifting NPIs may not prevent future surges
Variation in Initiation, Engagement, and Retention on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Based on Health Insurance Plan Design
BACKGROUND: The association between cost-sharing and receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is unknown. METHODS: We constructed a cohort of 10,513 commercially insured individuals with a new diagnosis of opioid use disorder and information on insurance cost-sharing in a large national deidentified claims database. We examined 4 cost-sharing measures: (1) pharmacy deductible; (2) medical service deductible; (3) pharmacy medication co…
HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis and Buprenorphine at a Drug Detoxification Center During the Opioid Epidemic
How simulation modeling can support the public health response to the opioid crisis in North America
A review of network simulation models of hepatitis C virus and HIV among people who inject drugs
Cost-effectiveness of integrating buprenorphine-naloxone treatment for opioid use disorder into clinical care for persons with HIV/hepatitis C co-infection who inject opioids
The Burden of Untreated HCV Infection in Hospitalized Inmates
Estimated Prevalence of Opioid Use Disorder in Massachusetts, 2011–2015
Objectives. To estimate the annual prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) in Massachusetts from 2011 to 2015. Methods. We performed a multisample stratified capture–recapture analysis to estimate OUD prevalence in Massachusetts. Individuals identified from 6 administrative databases for 2011 to 2012 and 7 databases for 2013 to 2015 were linked at the individual level and included in the analysis. Individuals were stratified by age group, sex, an…
Assessing the Impact of Federal HIV Prevention Spending on HIV Testing and Awareness
Objectives. The United States allocates more than $900 million annually for the prevention of HIV infection. We assessed the impact of this funding on HIV testing and knowledge. Methods. We linked data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with tracking of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV prevention funding. We developed and validated regression models of the relation between HIV prevention funding to a responden…
New York City pharmacists' attitudes toward sale of needles/syringes to injection drug users before implementation of law expanding syringe access
New York State pharmacists' attitudes toward needle and syringe sales to injection drug users before implementation of syringe deregulation
Estimated Prevalence of Opioid Use Disorder in Massachusetts, 2011–2015
Objectives. To estimate the annual prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) in Massachusetts from 2011 to 2015. Methods. We performed a multisample stratified capture–recapture analysis to estimate OUD prevalence in Massachusetts. Individuals identified from 6 administrative databases for 2011 to 2012 and 7 databases for 2013 to 2015 were linked at the individual level and included in the analysis. Individuals were stratified by age group, sex, an…
New York State pharmacists' attitudes toward needle and syringe sales to injection drug users before implementation of syringe deregulation
New York City pharmacists' attitudes toward sale of needles/syringes to injection drug users before implementation of law expanding syringe access
Assessing the Impact of Federal HIV Prevention Spending on HIV Testing and Awareness
Objectives. The United States allocates more than $900 million annually for the prevention of HIV infection. We assessed the impact of this funding on HIV testing and knowledge. Methods. We linked data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with tracking of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV prevention funding. We developed and validated regression models of the relation between HIV prevention funding to a responden…
New York City pharmacists' attitudes toward sale of needles/syringes to injection drug users before implementation of law expanding syringe access
New York State pharmacists' attitudes toward needle and syringe sales to injection drug users before implementation of syringe deregulation
Assessing the Impact of Federal HIV Prevention Spending on HIV Testing and Awareness
Objectives. The United States allocates more than $900 million annually for the prevention of HIV infection. We assessed the impact of this funding on HIV testing and knowledge. Methods. We linked data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System with tracking of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV prevention funding. We developed and validated regression models of the relation between HIV prevention funding to a responden…
The Burden of Untreated HCV Infection in Hospitalized Inmates
Estimated Prevalence of Opioid Use Disorder in Massachusetts, 2011–2015
Objectives. To estimate the annual prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) in Massachusetts from 2011 to 2015. Methods. We performed a multisample stratified capture–recapture analysis to estimate OUD prevalence in Massachusetts. Individuals identified from 6 administrative databases for 2011 to 2012 and 7 databases for 2013 to 2015 were linked at the individual level and included in the analysis. Individuals were stratified by age group, sex, an…
Cost-effectiveness of integrating buprenorphine-naloxone treatment for opioid use disorder into clinical care for persons with HIV/hepatitis C co-infection who inject opioids
HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis and Buprenorphine at a Drug Detoxification Center During the Opioid Epidemic
How simulation modeling can support the public health response to the opioid crisis in North America
A review of network simulation models of hepatitis C virus and HIV among people who inject drugs
Resources Required for Implementation of Sars‐CoV ‐2 Screening in Massachusetts K‐12 Public Schools in Winter/Spring 2021
BACKGROUND: The financial costs and human resource requirements at the school and district level to implement a SARS-CoV-2 screening program are not well known. METHODS: A consortium of Massachusetts public K-12 schools was formed to implement and evaluate a range of SARS-CoV-2 screening approaches. Participating districts were surveyed weekly about their programs, including: type of assay used, individual vs. pooled screening, approaches to retu…
Projecting Covid-19 Mortality as States Relax Nonpharmacologic Interventions
This simulation study estimated that the SARS-CoV-2 virus would likely continue to take a major toll in the US, even as cases continued to decrease. Because of the high transmissibility of the recent Delta and Omicron variants, premature lifting of NPIs could pose a substantial threat of rebounding surges in morbidity and mortality. At the same time, continued delay in lifting NPIs may not prevent future surges
Variation in Initiation, Engagement, and Retention on Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Based on Health Insurance Plan Design
BACKGROUND: The association between cost-sharing and receipt of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is unknown. METHODS: We constructed a cohort of 10,513 commercially insured individuals with a new diagnosis of opioid use disorder and information on insurance cost-sharing in a large national deidentified claims database. We examined 4 cost-sharing measures: (1) pharmacy deductible; (2) medical service deductible; (3) pharmacy medication co…
At the intersection of trust and mistrust
INTRODUCTION: The underrepresentation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals in healthcare research limits generalizability and contributes to healthcare inequities. Existing barriers and attitudes toward research participation must be addressed to increase the representation of safety net and other underserved populations. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with patients at an urban safety net hos…
Community members have more impact on their neighbors than celebrities”
This study illustrates a need for community-engaged COVID-19 vaccine messaging which reflects the nuances of the COVID-19 vaccine and pandemic without oversimplifying information. In highlighting common concerns of the Greater Boston Area which contribute to a lack of confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine, we underscore important considerations for public health and healthcare leadership in the development of initiatives which work to advance health…
Long Covid awareness and receipt of medical care
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by disparities in disease burden and medical care provision. Whether these disparities extend to long COVID awareness and receipt of medical care is unknown. We aimed to characterize awareness of long COVID and receipt of medical care for long COVID symptoms among populations who experience disparities in the United States (US). Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey among a nationa…
A Qualitative Study of Health Equity’s Role in Community Coalition Development
Opioid overdose deaths are dramatically increasing in the United States and disproportionately affecting minority communities, with the increasing presence of fentanyl exacerbating this crisis. Developing community coalitions is a long-standing strategy used to address public health issues. However, there is a limited understanding of how coalitions operate amid a serious public health crisis. To address this gap, we leveraged data from the HEALi…
Long Covid impacts
There is a need for multilingual, accessible information about Long COVID symptoms, improved outreach and healthcare delivery, and increased ease of enrollment in long-term disability and economic support programs
Potential impact of curative and preventive interventions toward hepatitis C elimination in people who inject drugs–A network modeling study
DAA treatments are effective in reducing both prevalence and incidence of HCV infection in PWID, but preventive interventions play a significant role in reducing incidence when intervention coverage is low. Increasing coverage, including efforts in reaching individuals with the most injection partners, preventing reinfection, and improving compliance and retention in preventive services can substantially improve the outcomes. PWID network charact…
Health and Economic Impact of Periodic Hepatitis C Virus Testing Among People Who Inject Drugs
In this economic evaluation study, based on common benchmarks for cost-effectiveness, frequent HCV testing among PWID was cost-effective in both lower and higher transmission settings
Comparing Implementation and Effectiveness Outcomes for Two Implementation Strategies of the Keep It Up! Digital HIV Prevention Program
This study sought to compare implementation and effectiveness outcomes for two delivery strategies of a digital HIV prevention intervention: community-based organization (CBO) versus direct-to-consumer (DTC). A type III hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial compared two implementation strategies of Keep It Up! (KIU! ) for young men who have sex with men (YMSM) (n = 2124). Data were collected at baseline and 12-weeks in 2019-2023. DTC enrolled…
Impact of a minimal monitoring HCV treatment approach on Health-Related Quality of Life
Cost-effectiveness of in-kind nutritional support for impoverished persons with tuberculosis to reduce mortality and disengagement from care in India
BACKGROUND: Undernutrition is a leading risk factor for tuberculosis (TB) mortality and poor treatment outcomes. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of providing in-kind nutritional support to impoverished persons with TB (PWTB) in India. METHODS: We developed a Markov model comparing standard care with a household-level nutritional food-basket intervention. Model parameters were informed from systematic reviews and a recent cluster-randomised st…
Immigrant perspectives on navigating the US healthcare system in the Post-Covid-19 landscape
Introduction The experiences of immigrants navigating the United States (US) healthcare system in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era are unknown. This study explores the experiences of recently arrived Haitian and Ugandan immigrants navigating this greatly changed system. Methods This single-center study used photo-elicitation, a qualitative method in which photos taken by participants served as an interview guide. Participants were recruited between…
Medicine (20 works) · Environmental health (10 works) · Nursing (10 works) · Public health (9 works) · HIV, Drug Use, Sexual Risk (8 works) · Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (7 works) · Family medicine (6 works) · Health care (6 works) · Political science (6 works) · Virology (6 works)