HRB open research
-
Background: Measures introduced to delay the spread of COVID-19 may result in avoidance of emergency departments (EDs) for non-COVID related illness. Clinicians and medical representative bodies such as the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) have expressed concern that some patients may not seek timely urgent medical intervention. Evidence from previous epidemics found that hospital avoidance during outbreaks of MERS and SARS was common. ⋯ A cross-sectional survey of parents will capture experiences, concerns and decision-making on accessing healthcare for their children during the pandemic. Results and Conclusion: This information will help decision makers respond rapidly to meet the clinical needs of paediatric patients as the circumstances of the pandemic unfold and reduce the disruption to normal paediatric ED services during the onset of COVID-19. As the health of a child can deteriorate more rapidly than that of an adult, any delay in seeking care for an acutely ill child may have serious consequences.
-
Background: The WHO has declared the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) as a pandemic. With no vaccine currently available, using behavioural measures to reduce the spread of the virus within the population is an important tool in mitigating the effects of this pandemic. As such, social distancing measures are being implemented globally and have proven an effective tool in slowing the large-scale spread of the virus. ⋯ Results will be analysed by mapping findings onto the Theoretical Domains Framework and visualising characteristics of the included studies using EviAtlas. This scoping review is pre-registered with Open Science Framework. Conclusions The results of this study may facilitate the systematic development of behavioural interventions to increase adherence to social distancing measures.