Social Cohesion in the Time of COVID-19: Exploring Changes in Attitudes, Behaviors, and Identities

The economic and health implications of the coronavirus pandemic are widespread and apparent. However, there is less understanding of the societal consequences of such acute, pervasive social disruption, particularly as it relates to social trust and how individuals engage with their communities. If not properly addressed, the social conflicts created by this outbreak have the potential to exacerbate or lead to discrimination, exclusion, inequality, and social and community unrest. In order to prevent and manage social conflict, we designed this qualitative case study to understand the impact of the coronavirus outbreak by analyzing social disruptions in a nuanced, holistic manner. Data from the study may be used to establish a foundation for better decision-making processes and provide context for the development of informed policy and community decisions going forward. While social impacts tend to be long-lasting, complex, and difficult to measure, this type of research is vital to addressing these particular social challenges since citizens from differing racial, ethnic, and community groups may experience and respond to the outbreak in myriad ways. Study participants will be residents of Broward County who resided in the county for at least three years prior to the pandemic outbreak. Participants will be required to speak English and to be 18 years of age or older. It is anticipated that at least 50 interviews will be conducted, and demographic questionnaires will allow for within-case comparative analysis between residents of different race, ethnicity, and nationality. In this presentation, we describe how we developed the research design and interview protocol. While we will not yet have study findings, we will share information on how the study is being conducted and what we are learning so far

Development of a simulation technical competence curriculum for medical simulation fellows

Background and needs: Medical educators with simulation fellowship training have a unique skill set. Simulation fellowship graduates have the ability to handle basic and common troubleshooting issues with simulation software, hardware, and equipment setup. Outside of formal training programs such as this, simulation skills are inconsistently taught and organically learned. This is important to address because there are high expectations of medical educators who complete simulation fellowships. To fill the gap, we offer one way of teaching and assessing simulation technical skills within a fellowship curriculum and reflect on lessons learned throughout the process. This report describes the instructional designs, implementation, and program evaluation of an educational intervention: a simulation technology curriculum for simulation fellows. Curriculum design: The current iteration of the simulation technical skill curriculum was introduced in 2018 and took approximately 8 months to develop under the guidance of expert simulation technology specialists, simulation fellowship-trained faculty, and simulation center administrators. Kern's six steps to curriculum development was used as the guiding conceptual framework. The curriculum was categorized into four domains, which emerged from the outcome of a qualitative needs assessment. Instructional sessions occurred on 5 days spanning a 2-week block. The final session concluded with summative testing. Program evaluation: Fellows were administered summative objective structured exams at three stations. The performance was rated by instructors using station-specific checklists. Scores approached 100% accuracy/completion for all stations. Conclusions: The development of an evidence-based educational intervention, a simulation technical skill curriculum, was highly regarded by participants and demonstrated effective training of the simulation fellows. This curriculum serves as a template for other simulationists to implement formal training in simulation technical skills

Communication to promote and support physical distancing for COVID-19 prevention and control

Background This review is an update of a rapid review undertaken in 2020 to identify relevant, feasible and effective communication approaches to promote acceptance, uptake and adherence to physical distancing measures for COVID‐19 prevention and control. The rapid review was published when little was known about transmission, treatment or future vaccination, and when physical distancing measures (isolation, quarantine, contact tracing, crowd avoidance, work and school measures) were the cornerstone of public health responses globally. This updated review includes more recent evidence to extend what we know about effective pandemic public health communication. This includes considerations of changes needed over time to maintain responsiveness to pandemic transmission waves, the (in)equities and variable needs of groups within communities due to the pandemic, and highlights again the critical role of effective communication as integral to the public health response. Objectives To update the evidence on the question 'What are relevant, feasible and effective communication approaches to promote acceptance, uptake and adherence to physical distancing measures for COVID‐19 prevention and control?', our primary focus was communication approaches to promote and support acceptance, uptake and adherence to physical distancing. Secondary objective: to explore and identify key elements of effective communication for physical distancing measures for different (diverse) populations and groups. Search methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane Library databases from inception, with searches for this update including the period 1 January 2020 to 18 August 2021. Systematic review and study repositories and grey literature sources were searched in August 2021 and guidelines identified for the eCOVID19 Recommendations Map were screened (November 2021). Selection criteria Guidelines or reviews focusing on communication (information, education, reminders, facilitating decision‐making, skills acquisition, supporting behaviour change, support, involvement in decision‐making) related to physical distancing measures for prevention and/or control of COVID‐19 or selected other diseases (sudden acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), influenza, Ebola virus disease (EVD) or tuberculosis (TB)) were included. New evidence was added to guidelines, reviews and primary studies included in the 2020 review. Data collection and analysis Methods were based on the original rapid review, using methods developed by McMaster University and informed by Cochrane rapid review guidance. Screening, data extraction, quality assessment and synthesis were conducted by one author and checked by a second author. Synthesis of results was conducted using modified framework analysis, with themes from the original review used as an initial framework. Main results This review update includes 68 studies, with 17 guidelines and 20 reviews added to the original 31 studies. Synthesis identified six major themes, which can be used to inform policy and decision‐making related to planning and implementing communication about a public health emergency and measures to protect the community. Theme 1: Strengthening public trust and countering misinformation: essential foundations for effective public health communication Recognising the key role of public trust is essential. Working to build and maintain trust over time underpins the success of public health communications and, therefore, the effectiveness of public health prevention measures. Theme 2: Two‐way communication: involving communities to improve the dissemination, accessibility and acceptability of information Two‐way communication (engagement) with the public is needed over the course of a public health emergency: at first, recognition of a health threat (despite uncertainties), and regularly as public health measures are introduced or adjusted. Engagement needs to be embedded at all stages of the response and inform tailoring of communications and implementation of public health measures over time. Theme 3: Development of and preparation for public communication: target audience, equity and tailoring Communication and information must be tailored to reach all groups within populations, and explicitly consider existing inequities and the needs of disadvantaged groups, including those who are underserved, vulnerable, from diverse cultural or language groups, or who have lower educational attainment. Awareness that implementing public health measures may magnify existing or emerging inequities is also needed in response planning, enactment and adjustment over time. Theme 4: Public communication features: content, timing and duration, delivery Public communication needs to be based on clear, consistent, actionable and timely (up‐to‐date) information about preventive measures, including the benefits (whether for individual, social groupings or wider society), harms (likewise) and rationale for use, and include information about supports available to help follow recommended measures. Communication needs to occur through multiple channels and/or formats to build public trust and reach more of the community. Theme 5: Supporting behaviour change at individual and population levels Supporting implementation of public health measures with practical supports and services (e.g. essential supplies, financial support) is critical. Information about available supports must be widely disseminated and well understood. Supports and communication related to them require flexibility and tailoring to explicitly consider community needs, including those of vulnerable groups. Proactively monitoring and countering stigma related to preventive measures (e.g. quarantine) is also necessary to support adherence. Theme 6: Fostering and sustaining receptiveness and responsiveness to public health communication Efforts to foster and sustain public receptiveness and responsiveness to public health communication are needed throughout a public health emergency. Trust, acceptance and behaviours change over time, and communication needs to be adaptive and responsive to these changing needs. Ongoing community engagement efforts should inform communication and public health response measures. Authors' conclusions Implications for practice Evidence highlights the critical role of communication throughout a public health emergency. Like any intervention, communication can be done well or poorly, but the consequences of poor communication during a pandemic may mean the difference between life and death. The approaches to effective communication identified in this review can be used by policymakers and decision‐makers, working closely with communication teams, to plan, implement and adjust public communications over the course of a public health emergency like the COVID‐19 pandemic. Implications for research Despite massive growth in research during the COVID‐19 period, gaps in the evidence persist and require high‐quality, meaningful research. This includes investigating the experiences of people at heightened COVID‐19 risk, and identifying barriers to implementing public communication and protective health measures particular to lower‐ and middle‐income countries, and how to overcome these