Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China
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 cond...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2022-11-01
|
| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/11/e056067.full |
| _version_ | 1828128092017655808 |
|---|---|
| author | Xiongfei Chen Xiaomei Dong Yue Zhang Bing Huang Peng Zheng Cuizhi Li Hongyue Zhang Huiyao Feng Diwei Jiang |
| author_facet | Xiongfei Chen Xiaomei Dong Yue Zhang Bing Huang Peng Zheng Cuizhi Li Hongyue Zhang Huiyao Feng Diwei Jiang |
| author_sort | Xiongfei Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:59:12Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6b2d4f2d1fe243b6808de67492fa7958 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:59:12Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj.art-6b2d4f2d1fe243b6808de67492fa79582022-12-22T04:15:05ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552022-11-01121110.1136/bmjopen-2021-056067Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, ChinaXiongfei Chen0Xiaomei Dong1Yue Zhang2Bing Huang3Peng Zheng4Cuizhi Li5Hongyue Zhang6Huiyao Feng7Diwei Jiang8Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Jinan University School of Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaObjectives 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.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/11/e056067.full |
| spellingShingle | Xiongfei Chen Xiaomei Dong Yue Zhang Bing Huang Peng Zheng Cuizhi Li Hongyue Zhang Huiyao Feng Diwei Jiang Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China BMJ Open |
| title | Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China |
| title_full | Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China |
| title_fullStr | Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China |
| title_short | Challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in Guangdong Province, China |
| title_sort | challenges of epidemiological investigation work in the covid 19 pandemic a qualitative study of the epidemiology workforce in guangdong province china |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/11/e056067.full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiongfeichen challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT xiaomeidong challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT yuezhang challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT binghuang challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT pengzheng challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT cuizhili challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT hongyuezhang challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT huiyaofeng challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina AT diweijiang challengesofepidemiologicalinvestigationworkinthecovid19pandemicaqualitativestudyoftheepidemiologyworkforceinguangdongprovincechina |