Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines
Abstract Background Amidst ongoing calls for increased health systems resilience, gaps remain in our understanding of how health systems can reach further into communities to ensure resilient service delivery. Indeed, public health emergencies caused by infectious hazards reveal both the value and v...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-11-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08734-4 |
| _version_ | 1811211936658882560 |
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| author | Victoria Haldane Warren Dodd Amy Kipp Hannah Ferrolino Kendall Wilson Danilo Servano Lincoln L. Lau Xiaolin Wei |
| author_facet | Victoria Haldane Warren Dodd Amy Kipp Hannah Ferrolino Kendall Wilson Danilo Servano Lincoln L. Lau Xiaolin Wei |
| author_sort | Victoria Haldane |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Amidst ongoing calls for increased health systems resilience, gaps remain in our understanding of how health systems can reach further into communities to ensure resilient service delivery. Indeed, public health emergencies caused by infectious hazards reveal both the value and vulnerability of the workforce delivering health services in communities. This study explores ways in which a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the Philippines protected their frontline workforce during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Guided by a qualitative descriptive approach, 34 in-depth interviews were conducted with community-based health actors employed by the NGO between June 2020 and February 2021. Data analysis was guided by an iterative deductive and inductive approach. Results We identified four key activities that enabled the NGO and their staff to provide health and social services in communities in a safe and consistent manner as part of the organization’s pandemic response. These include (1) ensuring adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene supplies; (2) providing contextualized and role-specific infection prevention and control (IPC) training; (3) ensuring access to testing for all staff; and (4) providing support during quarantine or isolation. Conclusion Learning from the implementation of these activities offers a way forward toward health emergency preparedness and response that is crucially needed for NGOs to safely leverage their workforce during pandemics. Further, we describe how community-based health actors employed by NGOs can contribute to broader health systems resilience in the context of health emergency preparedness and response. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:20:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ed323b2d06ec4cba84f27ecffb4e99ab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T05:20:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-11-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-ed323b2d06ec4cba84f27ecffb4e99ab2022-12-22T03:46:28ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632022-11-0122111210.1186/s12913-022-08734-4Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the PhilippinesVictoria Haldane0Warren Dodd1Amy Kipp2Hannah Ferrolino3Kendall Wilson4Danilo Servano5Lincoln L. Lau6Xiaolin Wei7Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of TorontoSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of WaterlooSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of WaterlooInternational Care MinistriesInternational Care MinistriesSchool of Public Health Sciences, University of WaterlooDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of TorontoDalla Lana School of Public Health, University of TorontoAbstract Background Amidst ongoing calls for increased health systems resilience, gaps remain in our understanding of how health systems can reach further into communities to ensure resilient service delivery. Indeed, public health emergencies caused by infectious hazards reveal both the value and vulnerability of the workforce delivering health services in communities. This study explores ways in which a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the Philippines protected their frontline workforce during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Guided by a qualitative descriptive approach, 34 in-depth interviews were conducted with community-based health actors employed by the NGO between June 2020 and February 2021. Data analysis was guided by an iterative deductive and inductive approach. Results We identified four key activities that enabled the NGO and their staff to provide health and social services in communities in a safe and consistent manner as part of the organization’s pandemic response. These include (1) ensuring adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene supplies; (2) providing contextualized and role-specific infection prevention and control (IPC) training; (3) ensuring access to testing for all staff; and (4) providing support during quarantine or isolation. Conclusion Learning from the implementation of these activities offers a way forward toward health emergency preparedness and response that is crucially needed for NGOs to safely leverage their workforce during pandemics. Further, we describe how community-based health actors employed by NGOs can contribute to broader health systems resilience in the context of health emergency preparedness and response.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08734-4Non-governmental organizationsCommunity-based health servicesInfection prevention and controlPublic health emergenciesHealth workforceCOVID-19 pandemic |
| spellingShingle | Victoria Haldane Warren Dodd Amy Kipp Hannah Ferrolino Kendall Wilson Danilo Servano Lincoln L. Lau Xiaolin Wei Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines BMC Health Services Research Non-governmental organizations Community-based health services Infection prevention and control Public health emergencies Health workforce COVID-19 pandemic |
| title | Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines |
| title_full | Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines |
| title_fullStr | Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines |
| title_short | Extending health systems resilience into communities: a qualitative study with community-based actors providing health services during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines |
| title_sort | extending health systems resilience into communities a qualitative study with community based actors providing health services during the covid 19 pandemic in the philippines |
| topic | Non-governmental organizations Community-based health services Infection prevention and control Public health emergencies Health workforce COVID-19 pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08734-4 |
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