In April 2020, the Healthcare Worker Exposure Results & Outcomes (HERO) program launched with a simple question: What priorities are important to healthcare workers serving on the pandemic’s front lines and how can we help support them? That simple question yielded powerful results, and as the pandemic has lingered and evolved, so too has the HERO program’s mission. As 2021 comes to a close, let’s take a look back at the extraordinary journey of the HERO program through the year.
Looking back
If the nation has learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that we won’t make progress until we find ways to join forces and fight it together. We also learned that while healthcare workers are on the frontlines, they are part of a larger community. That’s why HERO expanded its registry enrollment in April 2021 to capture the perspectives of healthcare worker’s family and community members. Today, with more than 55,000 registry members, insights are beginning to surface on specific questions of interest.
Conducting research
In August 2021, the first HERO trial — HERO-HCQ published results revealing that while hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is safe, the study found no significant evidence to support HCQ’s ability to prevent COVID-19 in healthcare workers. HERO-HCQ showcased a new paradigm for conducting decentralized clinical trials using digital technologies, and has helped pave the way for other studies, including HERO-TOGETHER, a post-vaccination study.
The first participant enrolled in HERO-TOGETHER in December 2020 once the first COVID-19 vaccine received emergency-use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Less than 9 months later, the team celebrated meeting its recruitment goal with more than 20,000 participants enrolled in September 2021. By collecting post-vaccination experiences from diverse groups of people, HERO-TOGETHER fills an important need across the nation for transparency that can be used to build confidence in vaccines. While HERO-TOGETHER participants will continue to share their post-vaccine experiences for the next two years, interim results have been shared with the FDA and will soon be shared with participants.
Probing hot topics
The HERO program has surveyed its cadre of participants periodically to keep its finger on the pulse of the pandemic throughout 2021. Responses to these surveys provide important answers to questions about the pandemic’s impact on childcare, personal finances, and moral injury, as well as the influence of employer vaccine requirements. As the nation continues to navigate challenges posed by the pandemic, HERO’s “hot topic” surveys offer important glimpses into the wellbeing and collective mindset of our communities. These “hot topics” also help maintain the connectivity of the HERO program – participants can see they are not alone in their experiences, and also have an outlet to voice their experiences and opinions.
“This pandemic continues to evolve at breakneck speed, with new variants and other challenges delivering a constant stream of curveballs and questions,” said Emily O’Brien, PhD, principal investigator of the HERO Registry and HERO-TOGETHER. “With 55,000-plus participants who are ready and willing to share their on-the-ground experiences, the HERO Registry is a valuable resource in the search for answers. I’m incredibly proud of what all of our HERO teams have accomplished throughout 2021, and we plan to keep up the good work in 2022 and beyond.”
Looking ahead
In the New Year, more projects are on the horizon for HERO, with all members of the HERO community invited to participate in new trials to address important questions. In addition to ongoing “hot topic” surveys, HERO will also be working to enhance the diversity of the Registry to better represent Black, Hispanic, and Native American communities, as well as ensuring representation from all healthcare service roles, from food service to housekeeping, and technicians. Participants will also have the opportunity to enter a monthly raffle as a token of thanks for their contributions.
“As I reflect on 2021, I’m humbled and thankful for HERO’s healthcare workers and community members, who are not only serving the public health in hospitals and clinics, but also through participation in the HERO program,” said Adrian Hernandez, MD, MHS, principal investigator for the HERO Research program. “Best wishes to our entire HERO community for a happy and healthy holiday, and I’m looking forward to accomplishing more together in the New Year.”