“Well, what we can do is […] to organize data, to evaluate studies”—Self-images of public health academics in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Abstract

Background Despite the significant role of scientific knowledge pertaining to public health, the discipline of public health remained outside the centre stage within the pandemic discourse. Against this background, we investigated the role of German public health academics during the pandemic in our study, focusing on their orientations and associated values. Methods We interviewed 21 public health scholars from Germany and collected 36 documents published by public health scientific societies. We analyzed data by grounded theory and situational mapping. Results We identified five types of self-images identified among healthcare academics: the scientific study supplier, the expert facing political issues, the restrained scholar, the public informer and the changemaker. The typology yields insights into the multiple dimensions of public health and its role in times of crisis. Conclusions The findings provide implications to inter- and transdisciplinary interaction and to managing the expectations of public health professionals in relation to crisis management.