Barriers and motivators to preparedness during the COVID 19 Emergency [COVID-19]
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Healthcare professionals’ perception of the barriers and motivators to preparedness during the COVID 19 emergency: A UK based study
IRAS ID
284586
Contact name
Derralynn Hughes
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Royal Free Hospital NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 25 days
Research summary
Preparedness is considered essential for healthcare organisations to respond effectively to outbreaks but worryingly, in 2019 the first annual report of Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, declared the world as ill prepared. Whilst there is widespread recognition of policy failures during previous serious outbreaks there has been less discussion on how policy-makers, health organisations and professionals can work together to better prepare and respond, which is what this study address.\n\nThe literature on disaster preparedness has largely been conducted in the countries that were worst affected by previous infectious disease outbreaks which means the perspectives of those countries with less experience such as the UK, are not well known. It has also been observed that this research typically addresses individual professions and rarely analyse different professional groups simultaneously. \n\nIt is not yet known whether healthcare professionals in the UK have benefitted from the previous research, but the early reports imply that the preparedness plans used in UK hospitals have not been sufficient. Knowledge sharing between healthcare professionals is encouraged and it is the suggestion that alongside the practical elements to preparedness there are also emotional and psychological aspects that should not be underestimated which has inspired this research. The psychological impact of infectious disease outbreaks on healthcare workers is being increasingly acknowledged and optimistically, there are more attempts to support them however the literature still lacks real-life, in-depth, multi-professional evidence which is what this study hopes to provide. \n\nThis study will explore, using a mixed method approach, the real-life experiences of a range of healthcare professionals during UK COVID-19 outbreak in order to further develop this area of research. Interviews and focus groups will enable nurses, junior doctors, consultants, allied health professionals and managers to openly reflect on their experiences and peer support will encourage collaborative decision making as requested by previous research. The longitudinal approach and thematic analysis will provide policy makers specific and generalisable information that can enhance their management of future outbreaks that will inevitably occur.
REC name
N/A
REC reference
N/A