‘Communication, that is the key’: a qualitative investigation of how essential workers with COVID-19 responded to public health information

Roe, Mark; Buggy, Conor; Ingram, Carolyn; Codd, Mary; Buckley, Claire; Archibald, Mary; Rachwal, Natalie; Downey, Vicky; Chen, Yanbing; Sripaiboonkij, Penpatra; Drummond, Anne; Álvarez, Elizabeth; Perrotta, Carla

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2022-061583

Cited by 2 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 36 publications

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“…Additionally, all groups incorporated anonymous mini-surveys of five questions built around each theme, with the participants taking part in these polls as a supplement to the qualitative data. Funded by Science Foundation Ireland, follow-up individual interviews were also conducted at the project level upon the completion of this study [ 17 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pandemic preparedness from the perspective of Occupational Health professionals

Chen,

Ingram,

Downey

et al. 2023

Occupational Medicine

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Background Prior to any infectious disease emergence as a public health concern, early occupational preparedness is crucial for protecting employees from novel pathogens— coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is no different. Aims This study ascertains how occupational safety and health (OSH)/Human Resource (HR) professionals in the Republic of Ireland had managed to prepare their workplaces prior to the advent of COVID-19. Methods As part of a larger COVID-19 workplace study, online focus groups were conducted with OSH/HR professionals. Collected data were transcribed verbatim and entered into NVivo for thematic analysis incorporating intercoder reliability testing. Results Fifteen focus groups were conducted with OSH/HR professionals (n = 60) from various occupational settings. Three levels of organizational preparedness were identified: ‘early awareness and preparation’; ‘unaware and not ready’ and ‘aware, but not ready’. Most organizations were aware of the COVID-19 severity, but not fully prepared for the pandemic, especially stand-alone enterprises that may not have sufficient resources to cope with an unanticipated crisis. The experiences shared by OSH professionals illustrate their agility in applying risk management and control skills to unanticipated public/occupational health crises that arise. Conclusions General pandemic preparedness such as the availability of work-from-home policies, emergency scenario planning and prior experience in workplace outbreaks of infectious diseases were helpful for workplace-associated COVID-19 prevention. This is the first study conducted with OSH/HR professionals in Ireland regarding COVID-19 preparedness in workplaces, which provides valuable insights into research literature, as well as empirical experience for the preparation of future public health emergencies.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pandemic preparedness from the perspective of Occupational Health professionals

Chen,

Ingram,

Downey

et al. 2023

Occupational Medicine

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Information and health literacy policies during pandemics: A narrative review

Danaei Mehrabad,

Panahi,

Sedghi

et al. 2024

Health Info Libraries J

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BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic has compelled governments globally to formulate policies addressing the unique needs of their populations. These policies are critical in disseminating accurate information and enhancing health literacy during crises.ObjectiveThis narrative review aims to identify and assess effective information and health literacy policies implemented during pandemics.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was performed across five electronic information sources (PubMed, Science Direct, ProQuest, Emerald Insight, Scopus), supplemented by Google Scholar. The analysis employed Walt and Gilson's health policy triangle framework to categorize and evaluate the findings.ResultsThe review revealed that the policies could be grouped into several key categories: educational programs, laws and regulations, knowledge sharing, national programs, and different information sources. The development of these policies involved multifaceted processes influenced by political, scientific, economic, cultural and social factors, as well as the involvement of multiple stakeholders.ConclusionsThis review offers significant insights and actionable recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders. By understanding the dimensions and components of effective information and health literacy policies, stakeholders can better prepare for and respond to future pandemics and similar health crises.

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‘Communication, that is the key’: a qualitative investigation of how essential workers with COVID-19 responded to public health information

Cited by 2 publications

References 36 publications

Pandemic preparedness from the perspective of Occupational Health professionals

Pandemic preparedness from the perspective of Occupational Health professionals

Information and health literacy policies during pandemics: A narrative review

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