{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Factors influencing long-term care facility performance during the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.
{Author}: Tchouaket EN;Kruglova K;Létourneau J;Bélanger E;Robins S;Jubinville M;El-Mousawi F;Shen S;Beogo I;Sia D;
{Journal}: BMC Health Serv Res
{Volume}: 24
{Issue}: 1
{Year}: 2024 Aug 7
{Factor}: 2.908
{DOI}: 10.1186/s12913-024-11331-2
{Abstract}: <B>BACKGROUND: </B>The COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Some LTCFs performed better than others at slowing COVID-19 transmission. Emerging literature has mostly described infection prevention and control strategies implemented by LTCFs during the pandemic. However, there is a need for a comprehensive review of factors that influenced the performance of LTCFs in containing COVID-19 spread to inform public health policy.<BR><B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To build on the existing literature, we conducted a scoping review of factors that influenced LTCF performance during the COVID-19 pandemic using a multidimensional conceptual framework of performance.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>We followed the Joanna Briggs Institute's methodology for scoping reviews. We queried CINAHL, MEDLINE (Ovid), CAIRN, Science Direct, Scopus, and Web of Science for peer-reviewed literature in English or French published between January 1st, 2020 and December 31st, 2021. Retrieved records were screened for context (COVID-19 pandemic), population (LTCFs), interest (internal and external factors that influenced LTCF performance), and outcomes (dimensions of performance: equity, accessibility, reactivity, safety, continuity, efficacy, viability, efficiency). Descriptive characteristics of included articles were summarized. Dimensions of performance as well as internal (e.g., facility characteristics) and external (e.g., visitors) factors identified to have influenced LTCF performance were presented.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>We retained 140 articles of which 68% were classified as research articles, 47% originated in North America, and most covered a period between March and July 2020. The most frequent dimensions of performance were "efficacy" (75.7%) and "safety" (75.7%). The most common internal factors were "organizational context" (72.9%) and "human resources" (62.1%), and the most common external factors were "visitors" (27.1%) and "public health guidelines" (25.7%).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Our review contributes to a global interest in understanding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on vulnerable populations residing and working in LTCFs. Though a myriad of factors were reported, a lack of randomized controlled trials makes it impossible to establish causality between the identified factors and LTCF performance. The use of a multidimensional framework can be recommended to evaluate healthcare system performance not merely in terms of efficacy and safety, but alongside other critical dimensions such as efficiency and equity.<BR><B>BACKGROUND: </B>Research Registry ID: researchregistry7026.