1
|
Wemyss C, Hobson S, Sweeney J, Chua PR, Binti Mohd Khairi SA, Edwards M, Burns J, McGoldrick N, Braid R, Gorman M, Redmond S, Clark C, Brown C, Watling C, Conway DI, Culshaw S. Improving participation and engagement with a COVID-19 surveillance programme in an outpatient setting. BMJ Open Qual 2022; 11:e001700. [PMID: 35347067 PMCID: PMC8960458 DOI: 10.1136/bmjoq-2021-001700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND On 3 August 2020, Public Health Scotland commenced a prospective surveillance study to monitor the prevalence of COVID-19 among asymptomatic outpatients attending dental clinics across 14 health boards in Scotland. OBJECTIVES The primary aim of this quality improvement project was to increase the number of COVID-19 tests carried out in one of the participating sites, Glasgow Dental Hospital and School. The secondary aim was to identify barriers to patient participation and staff engagement when implementing a public health initiative in an outpatient setting. METHOD A quality improvement working group met weekly to discuss hospital findings, identify drivers and change ideas. Details on reasons for patient non-participation were recorded and questionnaires on project barriers were distributed to staff. In response to findings, rapid interventions were implemented to fast-track increases in the numbers of tests being carried out. RESULTS Over 16 weeks, 972 tests were carried out by Glasgow Dental Hospital and School Secondary Care Services. The number of tests per week increased from 19 (week 1) to 129 (week 16). This compares to a similar 'control' site, where the number of tests carried out remained unchanged; 38 (week 1) to 36 (week 16). The most frequent reason given for non-participation was fear that the swab would hurt. For staff, lack of time and forgetting to ask patients were identified as the most significant barriers. CONCLUSION Public health surveillance programmes can be integrated rapidly into outpatient settings. This project has shown that a quality improvement approach can be successful in integrating such programmes. The key interventions used were staff engagement initiatives and front-line data collection. Implementation barriers were also identified using staff questionnaires.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Callum Wemyss
- Department of Oral Surgery, Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Simon Hobson
- Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jill Sweeney
- Department of Paediatric Dentistry, Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Pei Rong Chua
- Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Siti Aishah Binti Mohd Khairi
- Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Maura Edwards
- Department of Public Health, NHS Ayrshire and Arran, Ayr, South Ayrshire, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Clare Brown
- Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - David I Conway
- Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| | - Shauna Culshaw
- Glasgow Dental Hospital and School, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
- Public Health Scotland, Glasgow, UK
| |
Collapse
|