Use of Interviewer-Administered Telephone Surveys during Infectious Disease Outbreaks, Epidemics, and Pandemics: A Scoping Review

IntroductionDuring the COVID-19 crisis, researchers had to collect data remotely. Telephone surveys and interviews can quickly gather data from a distance without heavy expense. Although interviewer-administered telephone surveys (IATS) can accommodate the needs in international public health research, the literature on its use during infectious disease outbreaks is scarce. This scoping review aimed to map characteristics of IATS during infectious disease outbreaks. MethodsIATS conducted principally during infectious disease outbreaks and answered by informants at least 18 years old were searched from PubMed and EBSCO. There was a manual addition of relevant documents identified during an initial search. Global trends were reported using different groupings, and study details were compared between before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results70 IATS published between 2003 and 2022 were identified. 57.1 % were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, some changes in the use of this data collection modality were observed. The proportion of IATS in LMICs rose from 3.3 % before the COVID-19 pandemic to 32.5 %. The share of qualitative studies grew from 6.7 % to 32.5 %. IATS performed during the COVID-19 pandemic focused on more diverse, specific population groups, such as patients and healthcare professionals. The usage of mobile phones to do IATS studies increased from 3.3 % to 25.0 %. ConclusionIATS are used globally with high frequency in the Western Pacific Region and high income countries. During the COVID-19 pandemic, IATS was performed in more countries to investigate more diverse target populations. Nonetheless, researchers should consider how to address technical and financial challenges for ITAS to be more inclusive and representative. For better use and more efficient deployment of IATS, methodological details need to be exchanged. What is already known on this topicO_LITelephones have been playing an important role in data collection especially when data needs to be gathered quickly and remotely during infectious disease outbreaks, humanitarian crises, and natural disasters. C_LIO_LIThe use of online surveys is increasing globally alongside digitalization and technological development. C_LIO_LIHowever, the transformation regarding the use of telephone surveys is not well documented. C_LI What this study addsO_LIWe performed a scoping review to grasp characteristics and trends of telephone surveys. C_LIO_LIWe found that more telephone surveys have been conducted in low and middle income countries during the COVID-19 pandemic (32.5 %) compared to before COVID-19 (3.3 %). C_LIO_LIWe learned that telephone surveys during the pandemic have investigated more specific and diverse population groups than the pre-pandemic period. C_LI How this study might affect research, practice or policyO_LIThe increased usage of cell phones to operate IATS align with the growing mobile phone ownership, thanks to which the global mobilization of this survey mode might be accelerated in the future. C_LIO_LIHowever, we observed inadequate information on study details, including the number of languages spoken by interviewers as well as technical enhancement or optimization. C_LIO_LIWe encourage sharing techniques and knowledge among researchers whereby ITAS could be further improved and contribute to more inclusive public health research. C_LI

How the Malian press treated hydroxychloroquine at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe global debate on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) on COVID-19 has gone far beyond the scientific framework and has been highly politicized. These issues immediately invested the debate on HCQ and made it an object of particular crystallization. This study analyzes, through the Malian press, the echo of this debate in the national background. MethodsMixed methods design, based on a review of 452 articles about COVID-19 published by six major Malian newspapers, from January 1st to July 31st 2020. Results of a content analysis with WORDSTAT8 software were further explained by a thematic qualitative analysis using and deductive-indictive approach. ResultsThe debate on HCQ has had very little echo in the Malian press despite some interest, because of a lack of anchoring and thus of a "response" at the national level. The national health authorities, who adopted the treatment as part of clinical trials, and the press, stayed away from both the medical and the "ideological" components of the debate, despite these a priori directly involved a country like Mali. ConclusionsThe paper sheds light on the issues at stake in the HCQ debate based on a case study of an atypical country in terms of impacts of Covid-19. The governance of COVID helped crystallize political opposition to the presidential regime leading to a coup in August.

Factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Senegal: a mixed study

IntroductionThe most effective way to control the COVID-19 pandemic in the long term is through vaccination. Two of the important components that can hinder it are vaccine hesitancy and vaccine refusal. This study, conducted before the arrival of the vaccines in Senegal, aims to assess and identify factors associated with hesitancy to the COVID-19 vaccine. MethodsThis study was an explanatory, sequential, mixed-methods design. We collected quantitative data from December 24, 2020, to January 16, 2021, and qualitative data from February 19 to March 30, 2021. We conducted a marginal quota sampling nationwide. We used a structured questionnaire to collect data for the quantitative phase and an interview guide with a telephone interview for the qualitative phase. We performed descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses with R software version 4.0.5 for the quantitative phase; and performed manual content analyses for the qualitative phase. ResultsWe surveyed 607 people for the quantitative phase, and interviewed 30 people for the qualitative phase. Individuals who hesitated or refused to be vaccinated represented 12.9% and 32.8%, respectively. Vaccine hesitancy was related to gender, living in large cities, having a poor attitude towards the vaccine, thinking that the vaccine would not help protect them from the virus, being influenced by people important to them, and lacking information from health professionals. Vaccine refusal was related to living in large cities, having a poor attitude towards the vaccine, thinking that the vaccine would not help protect them from the virus, thinking that the vaccine could endanger their health, trusting opinions of people who were important to them, and lacking information from health professionals. ConclusionThe results of the study show that the factors associated with hesitancy and refusal to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are diverse and complex. Reducing them will help to ensure better vaccination coverage if the current challenges of vaccine accessibility are addressed. Therefore, governments and health authorities should intensify their efforts to promote vaccine confidence and reduce misinformation.

Epidemiological profile study of COVID-19 in West African countries: Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritania, Cape Verde and Mali

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic was first reported in West Africa on 27 February 2020 in Nigeria. It subsequently spread to other countries in the region. The objective of this study is to analyze the epidemiological profile of COVID-19 in West Africa from the first reported case to 31 January 2021. MethodWe publicly used available data from reliable sources and from the "COVID-19R" package. We used epidemic curves to describe the trends in the daily evolution of confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 in West Africa and specifically in the five countries. The reproduction rate and evolution rates were calculated from these trends. ResultsAs of 31 January 2021, West Africa had 342,938 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 4,496 deaths. Nigeria had 131,242 cases with 1,586 deaths. Senegal had 26,523 cases with 628 deaths. The case-fatality rate in Mali was 4.08% and the attack rate in Cape Verde was 2587 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. In Nigeria, Senegal, Mauritania and Mali, the epidemic curves supported by the evolution rates showed an increase in confirmed cases and deaths of COVID-19 during December 2020 and January 2021 compared to the last two months. The effective reproduction rates (Re) inferred a slowdown in virus transmission (Re < 1) in these countries except for Senegal. ConclusionThe results showed that COVID-19 was still circulating in some West African countries in late 2020 and early 2021. By improving the health system and with context-specific public health interventions and vaccination, these countries should effectively control COVID-19.

Learning from the resilience of hospitals and their staff to the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought huge strain on hospitals worldwide. It is crucial that we gain a deeper understanding of hospital resilience in this unprecedented moment. This paper aims to report the key strategies and recommendations in terms of hospitals and professionals resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the quality and limitations of research in this field at present. MethodsWe conducted a scoping review of evidence on the resilience of hospitals and their staff during the COVID-19 crisis in the first half of 2020. The Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library website was used to identify papers meeting the eligibility criteria, from which we selected 65 publications. After having extracted data, we presented the results synthesis using an "effects-strategies-impacts" resilience framework. ResultsWe found a wealth of research rapidly produced in the first half of 2020, describing different strategies used to improve hospitals resilience, particularly in terms of 1) planning, management, and security, and 2) human resources. Research focuses mainly on interventions related to healthcare workers well-being and mental health, protection protocols, space reorganization, personal protective equipment and resources management, work organization, training, e-health and the use of technologies. Hospital financing, information and communication, and governance were less represented in the literature. ConclusionThe selected literature was dominated by quantitative descriptive case studies, sometimes lacking consideration of methodological limitations. The review revealed a lack of holistic research attempting to unite the topics within a resilience framework. Research on hospitals resilience would benefit from a greater range of analysis to draw more nuanced and contextualized lessons from the multiple specific responses to the crisis. We identified key strategies on how hospitals maintained their resilience when confronted with the COVID-19 pandemic and a range of recommendations for practice.

Participating in vaccine research for COVID-19 in Senegal: trust and information

This research aims to understand the level and determinants of peoples willingness to participate in a vaccine trial for COVID-19 in Senegal. We conducted a telephone survey among a marginal quota sample of 607 people over 18 years of age. Only 44.3% of the participants wanted to participate in a vaccine trial for COVID-19, with females intending to participate more than males. Participants who intended to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (OR = 6.48, 95% CI [4.12-10.4]) and who thought that being infected with the coronavirus would have a significant impact on their health (OR = 2.34, 95% CI [1.57, 3.51]) were more likely to agree to take part in the COVID-19 vaccine research. Confidence in the vaccine, health personnel, and government in the fight against the pandemic are key factors in intending to participate in vaccine research in Senegal.

Lessons learned from the resilience of Chinese hospitals to the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.

As the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought huge strain on hospitals worldwide, the resilience shown by Chinas hospitals appears to have been a critical factor in their successful response to the pandemic. This paper aims to determine the key findings, recommendations and lessons learned in terms of hospital resilience during the pandemic, as well as the quality and limitations of research in this field at present. We conducted a scoping review of evidence on the resilience of hospitals in China during the COVID-19 crisis in the first half of 2020. Two online databases (the CNKI and WHO databases) were used to identify papers meeting the eligibility criteria, from which we selected 59 publications (English: n= 26; Chinese: n= 33). After extracting the data, we present an information synthesis using a resilience framework. We found that much research was rapidly produced in the first half of 2020, describing certain strategies used to improve hospital resilience, particularly in three key areas: human resources; management and communication; and security, hygiene and planning. Our search revealed that considerable attention was focused on interventions related to training, healthcare worker well-being, e-health/ telemedicine, and work organization, while other areas, such as hospital financing, information systems and healthcare infrastructure, were less well represented in the literature. We identified a number of lessons learned regarding how Chinas hospitals have maintained resilience when confronted with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. However, we also noted that the literature was dominated by descriptive case studies, often lacking consideration of methodological limitations, and that there was a lack of both highly-focused research on individual interventions and holistic research that attempted to unite the topics within a resilience framework. Research on Chinese hospitals would benefit from a greater range of analysis in order to draw more nuanced and contextualised lessons from the responses to the crisis.

Acceptability of contact management and care of simple cases of COVID-19 at home: a mixed-method study in Senegal

IntroductionIn mid-2020, due to the health system challenges from increased COVID-19 cases, the Ministry of Health and Social Action in Senegal opted for contact management and care of simple cases at home. The studys objective was to determine the acceptability of contact management, home care of simple cases of COVID-19, and its associated factors. MethodThis was a sequential mixed-method study. We collected data from June 11, 2020, to July 10, 2020, for the quantitative survey (N=813) and from August 24 to September 16, 2020, for the qualitative survey (N=30). We carried out a sampling strategy using marginal quotas at the national level. We collected data using a structured questionnaire in a telephone interview for the quantitative survey and using an interview guide formulated from the quantitative surveys initial results for the qualitative data. We assessed acceptability using binomial logistic regression combined with content analysis. ResultsThe care of simple cases of COVID-19 at home was well accepted (78.5%). This result was justified for some (saturation of the health system) but not for others (risk of contamination). The use of home contact management was less accepted (51.4%), with risk limitation as the main reason given. The acceptability of home-based care for simple cases was positively associated with knowledge of the modes of transmission of the virus (ORaj: 1.55 [95%CI: 1.04,2.28]), regular research into COVID-19 (ORaj: 2.12 [95%CI: 1.45,3.12]), belief in the existence of treatment (ORaj: 1.82 [95%CI: 1.19,2.83]), and confidence in institutional information (ORaj: 2.10 [95%CI: 1.43,3.10]). The acceptability of home-based contact management was positively associated with knowledge of the modes of transmission of the virus (ORaj: 1.77 [95%CI: 1.27,2.48]), regular research for information on COVID-19 (ORaj: 2.39 [95%CI: 1.76,3.26]), and confidence in the government in the fight against the epidemic (ORaj: 1.51 [95%CI: 1.10,2.08]). ConclusionRegular information on the disease, knowledge of its mode of transmission and trust in institutions are factors in accepting COVID-19 management at the community level. Authorities should take these factors into account for better communication to improve the acceptability of home-based care.

A rapid review of equity considerations in large-scale testing campaigns during infectious disease epidemics

ContextLarge-scale testing is an intervention that is instrumental for infectious disease control and a central tool for the COVID-19 pandemic. Our rapid review aimed to identify if and how equity has been considered in large-scale testing initiatives. MethodsWe searched Web of Science and PubMed in November 2020 and followed PRISMA recommendations for scoping reviews. Articles were analyzed using descriptive and thematic analysis. ResultsOur search resulted in 291 studies of which 41 were included for data extraction after full article screening. Most of the included articles (83%) reported on HIV-related screening programs, while the remaining programs focused on other sexually transmitted infections (n=3) or COVID-19 (n=4). None of the studies presented a formal definition of (in)equity in testing, however, 23 articles did indirectly include elements of equity in the program or intervention design, largely through the justification of their target population. ConclusionThe studies included in our rapid review did not explicitly consider equity in their design or evaluation. It is imperative that equity is incorporated into the design of infectious disease testing programs and serves as an important reminder of how equity considerations are needed for SARS-CoV-2 testing and vaccination programs.

Adapting a health equity tool to meet professional needs (Québec, Canada).

While numerous tools are available to better incorporate equity into population health actions, they are limited mainly by their lack of adaptation to professional practices and organizational realities. A study was conducted in Québec to identify and understand, from the perspective of future users, conditions that would facilitate use of a tool (Reflex-ISS) targeted at supporting collaborative action to improve consideration of social inequalities in health (SIH) within population health actions. Concept mapping and focus groups were implemented as complementary methods for investigating the conditions. Significant results that emerged were strong participant interest in the tool and the need for resources to better take SIH into account. The conditions for use that were identified referred to the tool itself (user-friendliness and literacy) and to resources for appropriating the tool, competency development, as well as the role and responsibilities of organizations and policies in promoting use of the tool in daily activities and more fundamentally in acting against SIH in general. Models for organizational innovation give an idea of the dimensions that need to be considered to strengthen the integration of equity into organizations and to support the changes in practice that result from using the tool. They provide a reminder that a health equity tool cannot be the cornerstone of an organizational strategy to fight against SIH; rather, it must be incorporated as part of a systemic strategy of professional and organizational development.

Estimation of Maternal and Child Mortality One Year after User-Fee Elimination: an Impact Evaluation and Modelling Study in Burkina Faso

Objective To estimate the impact on maternal and child mortality after eliminating user fees for pregnant women and for children less than five years of age in Burkina Faso. Methods: Two health districts in the Sahel region eliminated user fees for facility deliveries and curative consultations for children in September 2008. To compare health-care coverage before and after this change; we used interrupted time series; propensity scores and three independent data sources. Coverage changes were assessed for four variables: women giving birth at a health facility; and children aged 1 to 59 months receiving oral rehydration salts for diarrhoea; antibiotics for pneumonia and artemesinin for malaria. We modelled the mortality impact of coverage changes in the Lives Saved Tool using several scenarios. Findings Coverage increased for all variables; however; the increase was not statistically significant for antibiotics for pneumonia. For estimated mortality impact; the intervention saved approximately 593 (estimate range 168-1060) children's lives in both districts during the first year. This lowered the estimated under-five mortality rate from 235 deaths per 1000 live births in 2008 to 210 (estimate range 189-228) in 2009. If a similar intervention were to be introduced nationwide; 14 000 t o 19 000 ( estimate range 4000-28 000) children's lives could be saved annually. Maternal mortality showed a modest decrease in all scenarios. Conclusion In this setting; eliminating user fees increased use of health services and may have contributed to reduced child mortality