Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36123071›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

'Like building a plane and flying it all in one go': an interview study of infection prevention and control in Australian general practice during the first 2 years of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Su-Yin Hor, Penelope Burns, Faith R Yong, Ruth Barratt, Chris Degeling, Leah Williams Veazey, Mary Wyer, Gwendolyn L Gilbert

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 21% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Su-Yin HorSchool of Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia suyin.hor@uts.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-6498-9722
Penelope BurnsCollege of Health & Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2484-043X
Faith R YongSafe and Effective Medicine Research Collaborative, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Science, University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, Queensland, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4878-7565
Ruth BarrattSydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8930-6414
Chris DegelingCentre for Health Engagement, Evidence and Values, School of Health and Society, Faculty of the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0003-4279-3443
Leah Williams VeazeySydney Centre for Healthy Societies, School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-0173-3690
Mary WyerSydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-1215-8089
Gwendolyn L GilbertSydney Institute for Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7490-6727
The University of Sydney · AUAustralian National University · AUUniversity of Technology Sydney · AUUniversity of Wollongong · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesGeneral practitioners (GPs) and their staff have been at the frontline of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Australia. However, their experiences of responding to and managing the risks of viral transmission within their facilities are poorly described. The aim of this study was to describe the experiences, and infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies adopted by general practices, including enablers of and challenges to implementation, to contribute to our understanding of the pandemic response in this critical sector.

designSemistructured interviews were conducted in person, by telephone or online video conferencing software, between November 2020 and August 2021.

participantsTwenty general practice personnel working in New South Wales, Australia, including nine GPs, one general practice registrar, four registered nurses, one nurse practitioner, two practice managers and two receptionists.

resultsParticipants described implementing wide-ranging repertoires of IPC strategies-including telehealth, screening of patients and staff, altered clinic layouts and portable outdoor shelters, in addition to appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE)-to manage the demands of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Strategies were proactive, influenced by the varied contexts of different practices and the needs and preferences of individual GPs as well as responsive to local, state and national requirements, which changed frequently as the pandemic evolved.

conclusionsUsing the 'hierarchy of controls' as a framework for analysis, we found that the different strategies adopted in general practice often functioned in concert with one another. Most strategies, particularly administrative and PPE controls, were subjected to human variability and so were less reliable from a human factors perspective. However, our findings highlight the creativity, resilience and resourcefulness of general practice staff in developing, implementing and adapting their IPC strategies amidst constantly changing pandemic conditions.

Indexed as

COVID-19General PracticeAustraliaHumansPandemicsQualitative ResearchSARS-CoV-2COVID-19health & safetyinfection controlorganisation of health servicesprimary carequalitative research

Identifiers

PMID36123071
PMCPMC9485647
OpenAlexW4296418859

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.