Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China.
BMJ Open
; 12(11): e056067, 2022 11 15.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2119487
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES:
This study sought to identify the epidemiological investigation challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and offer insights into the underlying issues.DESIGN:
An exploratory qualitative study used thematic analysis of semistructured and in-depth individual interviews.SETTING:
This study was conducted in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Guangdong Province.PARTICIPANTS:
Twenty-four participants consented to participate in an in-depth interview. Transcribed recordings were managed using NVivo software and analysed using inductive thematic analysis.RESULTS:
The qualitative analysis revealed five key themes high-intensity epidemiological investigation task, emergency management requiring improvement in the early stage, respondent uncertainty, impact on work and social life and inadequate early-stage Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism.CONCLUSION:
This survey focuses on the epidemiology workforce at the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic and qualitatively describes their experiences, vocational issues and psychological stressors. We found that the problems of epidemiological investigation posed intense challenges to the epidemiology workforce. These findings highlight the epidemiological investigation challenges associated with this pandemic. We have provided some suggestions that may help improve the efficiency and quality of the epidemiology workforce in China.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
BMJ Open
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Bmjopen-2021-056067
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