The Anthropology of Epidemic Control: Technologies and Materialities

Lynteris, Christos; Poleykett, Branwyn

doi:10.1080/01459740.2018.1484740

Cited by 15 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…The study was informed by a theoretical framework derived from anthropological perspectives on the material politics of epidemic responses. 26 All streams of data were analysed using the Framework Method, 27 as this type of analysis has been effective for rapid qualitative appraisals in previous epidemics. 14 Social media data underwent additional demographic, discourse and sentiment analysis using the software TalkWalker.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frontline healthcare workers’ experiences with personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a rapid qualitative appraisal

et al. 2021

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ObjectivesTo report frontline healthcare workers’ (HCWs) experiences with personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. To understand HCWs’ fears and concerns surrounding PPE, their experiences following its guidance and how these affected their perceived ability to deliver care during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignA rapid qualitative appraisal study combining three sources of data: semistructured in-depth telephone interviews with frontline HCWs (n=46), media reports (n=39 newspaper articles and 145 000 social media posts) and government PPE policies (n=25).ParticipantsInterview participants were HCWs purposively sampled from critical care, emergency and respiratory departments as well as redeployed HCWs from primary, secondary and tertiary care centres across the UK.ResultsA major concern was running out of PPE, putting HCWs and patients at risk of infection. Following national level guidance was often not feasible when there were shortages, leading to reuse and improvisation of PPE. Frequently changing guidelines generated confusion and distrust. PPE was reserved for high-risk secondary care settings and this translated into HCWs outside these settings feeling inadequately protected. Participants were concerned about differential access to adequate PPE, particularly for women and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic HCWs. Participants continued delivering care despite the physical discomfort, practical problems and communication barriers associated with PPE use.ConclusionThis study found that frontline HCWs persisted in caring for their patients despite multiple challenges including inappropriate provision of PPE, inadequate training and inconsistent guidance. In order to effectively care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline HCWs need appropriate provision of PPE, training in its use as well as comprehensive and consistent guidance. These needs must be addressed in order to protect the health and well-being of the most valuable healthcare resource in the COVID-19 pandemic: our HCWs.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frontline healthcare workers’ experiences with personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a rapid qualitative appraisal

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The study was informed by a theoretical framework derived from anthropological perspectives on the material politics of epidemic responses. 24 All streams of data were analysed using the Framework Method, 25 as this type of analysis has been effective for rapid qualitative appraisals in previous epidemics. 15 Social media data underwent additional demographic, discourse and sentiment analysis using the software TalkWalker.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frontline healthcare workers' experiences with personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a rapid qualitative appraisal

Hoernke¹,

Djellouli²,

Andrews

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Objectives To report frontline healthcare workers' (HCWs) experiences with personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK. To understand HCWs' fears and concerns surrounding PPE, their experiences following its guidance and how these affected their perceived ability to deliver care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A rapid qualitative appraisal study combining three sources of data: semi-structured in-depth telephone interviews with frontline HCWs (n=46), media reports (n=39 newspaper articles and 145,000 social media posts) and government PPE policies (n=25). HCWs interviewed were from secondary care, primary care and specialist community clinics. Media and policy data were from across the UK. Results A major concern was running out of PPE, putting HCWs and patients at risk of infection. Following national-level guidance was often not feasible when there were shortages, leading to re-use and improvisation of PPE. Frequently changing guidelines generated confusion and distrust. PPE was reserved for high-risk secondary care settings and this translated into HCWs outside these settings feeling inadequately protected. Participants were concerned about inequitable access to PPE for community, lower seniority, female and ethnic minority HCWs. Participants continued delivering care despite the physical discomfort, practical problems and communication barriers associated with PPE use. Conclusion This study found that frontline HCWs persisted in caring for their patients despite multiple challenges including inappropriate provision of PPE, inadequate training and inconsistent guidance. In order to effectively care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline HCWs need appropriate provision of PPE, training in its use, as well as comprehensive and consistent guidance. These needs must be addressed in order to protect the health and well-being of the most valuable healthcare resource in the COVID-19 pandemic: our HCWs.

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“…Where much of the literature in the epidemic space situates social scientists as cultural brokers, 38 39 we have instead adopted a proactive approach to integration. Rather than seeking to translate or provide context for a community’s hesitancies and health-seeking behaviours, to increase public acceptance of public health interventions, or to provide critical commentary on the politics of epidemic responses, 40 we are deploying ethnography, HF and IPC expertise alongside public health professionals as well as acute and primary care clinicians. Our aim in this is to improve the system’s ability to understand and communicate with itself in the context of the response.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating the social sciences into the COVID-19 response in Alberta, Canada

et al. 2020

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This paper outlines the rapid integration of social scientists into a Canadian province’s COVID-19 response. We describe the motivating theory, deployment and initial outcomes of our team of Organisational Sociologist ethnographers, Human Factors experts and Infection Prevention and Control clinicians focused on understanding and improving Alberta’s responsiveness to the pandemic. Specifically, that interdisciplinary team is working alongside acute and primary care personnel, as well as public health leaders to deliver ‘situated interventions’ that flow from studying communications, interpretations and implementations across responding organisations. Acting in real time, the team is providing critical insights on policy communication and implementation to targeted members of the health system. Using our rapid and ongoing deployment as a case study of social science techniques applied to a pandemic, we describe how other health systems might leverage social science to improve their preparations and communications.

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The Anthropology of Epidemic Control: Technologies and Materialities

Cited by 15 publications

References 37 publications

Frontline healthcare workers’ experiences with personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a rapid qualitative appraisal

Frontline healthcare workers’ experiences with personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a rapid qualitative appraisal

Frontline healthcare workers' experiences with personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a rapid qualitative appraisal

Integrating the social sciences into the COVID-19 response in Alberta, Canada

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