Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiences
Abstract This study investigated the repurposing of phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations and assessed medical operator experiences in twelve healthcare facilities in Thailand. Amidst the pandemic, these facilities became sampling stations as an emergency measure to enhance medical staff prot...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-02-01
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Series: | International Journal for Equity in Health |
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-024-02113-7 |
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author | Martin Schoch Sunaree Lawanyawatna |
author_facet | Martin Schoch Sunaree Lawanyawatna |
author_sort | Martin Schoch |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract This study investigated the repurposing of phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations and assessed medical operator experiences in twelve healthcare facilities in Thailand. Amidst the pandemic, these facilities became sampling stations as an emergency measure to enhance medical staff protection. The stations, repurposed from decommissioned phone booths, aimed to reduce COVID-19 infection risks among healthcare workers and patients. After 13 to 16 months of use, a review collected user satisfaction information from each facility. Results indicated high user satisfaction in addressing protection concerns and increasing swab testing participation. This study discusses station design, operational characteristics, and social benefits, emphasizing their adaptability in resource-limited settings. Findings underscore the potential for repurposing infrastructure in public health emergencies and suggest avenues for future research in sustainable healthcare solutions. |
first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:13:42Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-121152a5fd3f4677b9fe016e804a079b |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1475-9276 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:13:42Z |
publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
publisher | BMC |
record_format | Article |
series | International Journal for Equity in Health |
spelling | doaj.art-121152a5fd3f4677b9fe016e804a079b2024-03-05T18:01:40ZengBMCInternational Journal for Equity in Health1475-92762024-02-012311810.1186/s12939-024-02113-7Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiencesMartin Schoch0Sunaree Lawanyawatna1King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT)Abstract This study investigated the repurposing of phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations and assessed medical operator experiences in twelve healthcare facilities in Thailand. Amidst the pandemic, these facilities became sampling stations as an emergency measure to enhance medical staff protection. The stations, repurposed from decommissioned phone booths, aimed to reduce COVID-19 infection risks among healthcare workers and patients. After 13 to 16 months of use, a review collected user satisfaction information from each facility. Results indicated high user satisfaction in addressing protection concerns and increasing swab testing participation. This study discusses station design, operational characteristics, and social benefits, emphasizing their adaptability in resource-limited settings. Findings underscore the potential for repurposing infrastructure in public health emergencies and suggest avenues for future research in sustainable healthcare solutions.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-024-02113-7Asia epidemiologyCOVID-19 pandemicPrevention and controlAdaptive reuse |
spellingShingle | Martin Schoch Sunaree Lawanyawatna Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiences International Journal for Equity in Health Asia epidemiology COVID-19 pandemic Prevention and control Adaptive reuse |
title | Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiences |
title_full | Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiences |
title_fullStr | Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiences |
title_full_unstemmed | Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiences |
title_short | Repurposing phone booths into COVID-19 sampling stations: medical operator experiences |
title_sort | repurposing phone booths into covid 19 sampling stations medical operator experiences |
topic | Asia epidemiology COVID-19 pandemic Prevention and control Adaptive reuse |
url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-024-02113-7 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT martinschoch repurposingphoneboothsintocovid19samplingstationsmedicaloperatorexperiences AT sunareelawanyawatna repurposingphoneboothsintocovid19samplingstationsmedicaloperatorexperiences |