Dataset Information

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

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

To understand how essential workers with confirmed infections responded to information on COVID-19.

Design

Qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews conducted in collaboration with the national contact tracing management programme in Ireland.

Setting

Semistructured interviews conducted via telephone and Zoom Meetings.

Participants

18 people in Ireland with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections using real-time PCR testing of oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal swabs. All individuals were identified as part of workplace outbreaks defined as ≥2 individuals with epidemiologically linked infections.

Results

A total of four high-order themes were identified: (1) accessing essential information early, (2) responses to emerging 'infodemic', (3) barriers to ongoing engagement and (4) communication strategies. Thirteen lower order or subthemes were identified and agreed on by the researchers.

Conclusions

Our findings provide insights into how people infected with COVID-19 sought and processed related health information throughout the pandemic. We describe strategies used to navigate excessive and incomplete information and how perceptions of information providers evolve overtime. These results can inform future communication strategies on COVID-19.

SUBMITTER: Roe M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9263375 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

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

Roe Mark M Buggy Conor C Ingram Carolyn C Codd Mary M Buckley Claire C Archibald Mary M Rachwal Natalie N Downey Vicky V Chen Yanbing Y Sripaiboonkij Penpatra P Drummond Anne A Alvarez Elizabeth E Perrotta Carla C

BMJ open 20220707 7

<h4>Objectives</h4>To understand how essential workers with confirmed infections responded to information on COVID-19.<h4>Design</h4>Qualitative analysis of semistructured interviews conducted in collaboration with the national contact tracing management programme in Ireland.<h4>Setting</h4>Semistructured interviews conducted via telephone and Zoom Meetings.<h4>Participants</h4>18 people in Ireland with laboratory confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections using real-time PCR testing of oropharyngeal and n ...[more]

PMID: 35798515

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Project description:BackgroundThere is growing evidence that government health information related to COVID-19 has failed to adequately reach culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations in Australia. Refugees are a unique sub-set of the CALD communities and are subject to numerous barriers preventing adequate health care, both pre- and post-migration. The barriers are accentuated during emergencies, such as a pandemic, as a result of an intersection of various social and economic inequalities. The recently resettled Ezidi refugee community in a regional area of Australia is an example of a community sitting at the intersection of various inequities and thus at greater risk from COVID-19. The purpose of this study is to describe the experiences of the Ezidi in a regional area with COVID-19 information and how this has been communicated to and shared within this group; what barriers the community may experience in accessing COVID-19 information; and how the government-led COVID-19 information communication could be improved.MethodsThis qualitative study was designed to explore the perceptions and views of the Ezidi and service providers regarding COVID-19 messaging. Multicultural and Refugee Health staff facilitated interviews with four local service providers and ten Ezidi community members, including seven influential leaders. Thematic analysis was employed across individual, pair and group data analysis. Similar categories were grouped into themes.ResultsThe main findings of the study are: the refugee experience influences the communication of COVID-19 messages; cultural, social and gender norms influence responses to COVID-19; trusted individuals and service providers are key in communities' uptake of COVID-19 messages; currently available governmental COVID-19 information resources and sharing strategies were found unhelpful and inappropriate; COVID-19 communiqués and message delivery for this regional minority refugee community can be improved.ConclusionThe recently resettled Ezidi community, and likely other similar communities, would benefit from tailored engagement by government organisations, as well as settlement services to improve the communication of COVID-19 health information and reduce related inequities.

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Dataset Information

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

Objectives

Design

Setting

Participants

Results

Conclusions

Publications

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

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