TY - JOUR
T1 - “As protective gear began to run low, guidance on protection became looser” - Healthcare workers' perspectives on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Aulanko, Ida
AU - Nikuri, Petra
AU - Oksanen, Lotta
AU - Oksanen, Sampo
AU - Lahdentausta, Laura
AU - Pietiäinen, Milla
AU - Paju, Susanna
AU - Kivimäki, Anne
AU - Pussinen, Pirkko
AU - Geneid, Ahmed
AU - Sanmark, Enni
N1 - Funding Information:
IA has received funding from the Tampere Tuberculosis Foundation, the Medical Society of Finland, the Väinö and Laina Kivi Foundation, and the Helsinki University Hospital Research Fund and also supported by the City of Helsinki. LL has received funding from Finnish Dental Society Apollonia and the Finnish Women Dentists' Association.
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2022 Aulanko, Nikuri, Oksanen, Oksanen, Lahdentausta, Pietiäinen, Paju, Kivimäki, Pussinen, Geneid and Sanmark.
PY - 2022/11/10
Y1 - 2022/11/10
N2 - Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed several risk factors to healthcare workers' (HCWs') emotional distress. The purpose of the study was to enhance understanding of the experiences and feelings of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, with specific reference to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and guidance, focusing on the quality and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), guidelines, and management. With a qualitative approach, we aimed to enable a wider narrative; to gain a more detailed understanding related to PPE use and identify experiences that can be overlooked in forced-choice questionnaires. Methods: An online questionnaire was conducted among HCWs of the City of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital between 12.6.2020 and 5.4.2021. Altogether 1,580 HCWs participated in the study, from whom 579 shared 1,666 free-text responses. These responses were analyzed qualitatively, and the results were combined with statistical data on the participants' working conditions and backgrounds. Results: We identified problems in PPE availability and changing guidelines as factors causing the most distress in the participants. Regarding availability, running out of masks and respirators emerged as the most worrying issue, and inadequate PPE was associated with the excessive workload (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.01–2.25). The results also highlight the importance of transparent and clear communication regarding IPC instructions and guidance, and clear IPC guidance was associated with better levels of reported recovery from work (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.06–2.14). Conclusions: Our study highlights the importance of adequate PPE provision, transparent communication, clear guidance, and supportive supervisory work in this ongoing pandemic and potential new ones. We suggest more rigorous preparation, with crisis communication planning and emergency storage of PPE.
AB - Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed several risk factors to healthcare workers' (HCWs') emotional distress. The purpose of the study was to enhance understanding of the experiences and feelings of HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic, with specific reference to infection prevention and control (IPC) practices and guidance, focusing on the quality and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE), guidelines, and management. With a qualitative approach, we aimed to enable a wider narrative; to gain a more detailed understanding related to PPE use and identify experiences that can be overlooked in forced-choice questionnaires. Methods: An online questionnaire was conducted among HCWs of the City of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital between 12.6.2020 and 5.4.2021. Altogether 1,580 HCWs participated in the study, from whom 579 shared 1,666 free-text responses. These responses were analyzed qualitatively, and the results were combined with statistical data on the participants' working conditions and backgrounds. Results: We identified problems in PPE availability and changing guidelines as factors causing the most distress in the participants. Regarding availability, running out of masks and respirators emerged as the most worrying issue, and inadequate PPE was associated with the excessive workload (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.01–2.25). The results also highlight the importance of transparent and clear communication regarding IPC instructions and guidance, and clear IPC guidance was associated with better levels of reported recovery from work (OR 1.51, CI 95% 1.06–2.14). Conclusions: Our study highlights the importance of adequate PPE provision, transparent communication, clear guidance, and supportive supervisory work in this ongoing pandemic and potential new ones. We suggest more rigorous preparation, with crisis communication planning and emergency storage of PPE.
KW - communication
KW - experiences
KW - health personnel
KW - personal protective equipment
KW - surveys and questionnaires
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85142603995&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.982738
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2022.982738
M3 - Article
C2 - 36438292
AN - SCOPUS:85142603995
SN - 2296-2565
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
M1 - 982738
ER -
