Implementation and analysis of a telephone support service during COVID-19.
Occup Med (Lond)
; 70(5): 375-381, 2020 07 17.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-361262
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has been essential for occupational health services (OHS) providers to react rapidly to increased demand and to utilize resources in novel ways. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological well-being of staff is already identified as an area of high risk; therefore, providing timely access to psychological support may be vital, although limited evidence is available on how these risks are best managed.AIMS:
To describe implementation and analysis of a psychology-led COVID-19 telephone support line in a National Health Service OHS.METHODS:
Data from calls made to the support line were collected over the first 4 weeks of service implementation. Numerical data including frequency of calls and average waiting time were first considered. A content analysis was then conducted on call notes to identify prevalence of themes.RESULTS:
Six hundred and fifty-five calls were received, and 362 notes included sufficient information for use within the content analysis. Frequency of calls peaked within the first week followed by a reduction in the number of calls received per day over time. Most calls included discussion around clarification of guidance (68%) with a smaller subset of calls offering support around anxiety (29%). Prevalence of themes did not appear to change over time.CONCLUSIONS:
Clear and timely information is vital to support the well-being of healthcare staff. A psychologically informed telephone support line was a good use of occupational health service resources in the interim while more tailored advice and services could be established.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Pneumonia, Viral
/
Hotlines
/
Coronavirus Infections
/
Pandemics
/
Betacoronavirus
/
Occupational Health Services
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Qualitative research
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
English
Journal:
Occup Med (Lond)
Journal subject:
Occupational Medicine
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Occmed
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS