背景:COVID-19对长期护理机构(LTCF)居民的不成比例的影响突出了明确的必要性,在这种情况下对流行病的管理提供一致的指导。随着研究探索大流行期间LTCF的经验以及大规模出院的影响,限制员工流动,限制亲戚的探视正在出现,对政策进行深入审查,在此期间发布的指导和建议可以促进在这一领域的更广泛的理解。
目标:为了确定政策,指导,以及与LTCF工作人员和居民有关的建议,在英国,政府在新冠肺炎大流行期间发布的,制定关键事件的时间表并综合政策目标,recommendations,实施和预期成果。
方法:对公开可用的政策文件进行范围审查,指导,以及英国LTCF中与COVID-19相关的建议,使用英国政府网站的系统搜索进行识别。主要目标,recommendations,提取了纳入文件中报告的实施和预期结果。按照三个阶段的方法,使用主题综合对数据进行分析:对文本进行编码,将代码分组为描述性主题,和分析主题的发展。
结果:审查中包括了33份关键政策文件。确定了六个建议领域:感染预防和控制,医院出院,测试和疫苗接种,人员配备,探视和继续常规护理。确定了七个执行领域:筹资、协同工作,监测和数据收集,减少工作量,决策和领导,培训和技术,和沟通。
结论:LTCF仍然是复杂的设置,必须从COVID-19期间的经验中吸取教训,以确保未来的流行病得到适当管理。这次审查综合了这段时间发布的政策,然而,这种指导被传达给LTCF的程度,随后实施,除了有效,需要进一步研究。特别是,了解这些政策的次要影响,以及如何在成人社会护理固有的现有挑战中引入这些政策,需要寻址。
BACKGROUND: The disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on long term care facility (LTCF) residents has highlighted the need for clear, consistent guidance on the management of pandemics in such settings. As research exploring the experiences of LTCFs during the pandemic and the implications of mass hospital discharge, restricting staff movement, and limiting visitation from relatives are emerging, an in-depth review of policies, guidance and recommendations issued during this time could facilitate wider understanding in this area.
OBJECTIVE: To identify policies, guidance, and recommendations related to LTCF staff and residents, in England issued by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic, developing a timeline of key events and synthesizing the policy aims, recommendations, implementation and intended outcomes.
METHODS: A scoping review of publicly available policy documents, guidance, and recommendations related to COVID-19 in LTCFs in England, identified using systematic searches of UK government websites. The main aims, recommendations, implementation and intended outcomes reported in included documents were extracted. Data was analysed using thematic synthesis following a three-stage approach: coding the text, grouping codes into descriptive themes, and development of analytical themes.
RESULTS: Thirty-three key policy documents were included in the review. Six areas of recommendations were identified: infection prevention and control, hospital discharge, testing and vaccination, staffing, visitation and continuing routine care. Seven areas of implementation were identified: funding, collaborative working, monitoring and data collection, reducing workload, decision making and leadership, training and technology, and communication.
CONCLUSIONS: LTCFs remain complex settings, and it is imperative that lessons are learned from the experiences during COVID-19 to ensure that future pandemics are managed appropriately. This review has synthesized the policies issued during this time, however, the extent to which such guidance was communicated to LTCFs, and subsequently implemented, in addition to being effective, requires further research. In particular, understanding the secondary effects of such policies and how they can be introduced within the existing challenges inherent to adult social care, need addressing.