Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative Study
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased challenges for people living with brain injury and community associations to support this vulnerable population. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by brain injury survivors during the first year of the pandemic and how comm...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SAGE Publishing
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580231209161 |
| _version_ | 1827760564001046528 |
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| author | Ana Paula Salazar PhD Sophie Lecours PhD Lisa Engel PhD Monique A. M. Gignac PhD Shlomit Rotenberg PhD Sareh Zarshenas PhD Michelle McDonald BA Carolina Bottari PhD |
| author_facet | Ana Paula Salazar PhD Sophie Lecours PhD Lisa Engel PhD Monique A. M. Gignac PhD Shlomit Rotenberg PhD Sareh Zarshenas PhD Michelle McDonald BA Carolina Bottari PhD |
| author_sort | Ana Paula Salazar PhD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has increased challenges for people living with brain injury and community associations to support this vulnerable population. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by brain injury survivors during the first year of the pandemic and how community brain injury associations adapted their services to respond to these needs. Findings from seven focus-group with 31 representatives of Canadian brain injury associations revealed 4 main themes: (1) Addressing evolving client needs; (2) Keeping clients safe; (3) Challenges and opportunities navigating the digital world; and (4) Sustaining brain injury associations in the face of uncertainties and disruptions. To comply with public health measures, associations reported pivoting their service delivery online, despite recognizing the difficulties this could create for many brain injury survivors in accessing and using technology. Our findings also highlight concrete directions for not-profit organizations providing instrumental help with activities, acting as a liaison and interpreter of public health guidelines, and in connecting with clients using technology while handling potential cognitive and technological challenges. Addressing these issues has the potential to protect people living with brain injury and community associations from external threats, like pandemics, in the future. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:53:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-af60918f1a2344c4a9918d9cd4faa554 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0046-9580 1945-7243 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:53:14Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| spelling | doaj.art-af60918f1a2344c4a9918d9cd4faa5542023-11-16T16:04:22ZengSAGE PublishingInquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing0046-95801945-72432023-11-016010.1177/00469580231209161Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative StudyAna Paula Salazar PhD0Sophie Lecours PhD1Lisa Engel PhD2Monique A. M. Gignac PhD3Shlomit Rotenberg PhD4Sareh Zarshenas PhD5Michelle McDonald BA6Carolina Bottari PhD7Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal, Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaCentre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal, Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaInstitute for Work & Health, Toronto, ON, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, CanadaBrain Injury Canada, Ottawa, ON, CanadaCentre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal, Institut universitaire sur la réadaptation en déficience physique de Montréal du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal, Montréal, QC, CanadaThe COVID-19 pandemic has increased challenges for people living with brain injury and community associations to support this vulnerable population. This study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of the challenges faced by brain injury survivors during the first year of the pandemic and how community brain injury associations adapted their services to respond to these needs. Findings from seven focus-group with 31 representatives of Canadian brain injury associations revealed 4 main themes: (1) Addressing evolving client needs; (2) Keeping clients safe; (3) Challenges and opportunities navigating the digital world; and (4) Sustaining brain injury associations in the face of uncertainties and disruptions. To comply with public health measures, associations reported pivoting their service delivery online, despite recognizing the difficulties this could create for many brain injury survivors in accessing and using technology. Our findings also highlight concrete directions for not-profit organizations providing instrumental help with activities, acting as a liaison and interpreter of public health guidelines, and in connecting with clients using technology while handling potential cognitive and technological challenges. Addressing these issues has the potential to protect people living with brain injury and community associations from external threats, like pandemics, in the future.https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580231209161 |
| spellingShingle | Ana Paula Salazar PhD Sophie Lecours PhD Lisa Engel PhD Monique A. M. Gignac PhD Shlomit Rotenberg PhD Sareh Zarshenas PhD Michelle McDonald BA Carolina Bottari PhD Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative Study Inquiry: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing |
| title | Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full | Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative Study |
| title_fullStr | Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative Study |
| title_short | Understanding the Early Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Brain Injury Associations Across Canada: A Qualitative Study |
| title_sort | understanding the early impacts of the covid 19 pandemic on brain injury associations across canada a qualitative study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/00469580231209161 |
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