Mitigating and Solving Infection Prevention and Control Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results From Qualitative Interviews With U.S. Home Healthcare Staff.
Ashley M Chastain, Bridget Morse-Karzen, Alexandra Garcia and 6 others
PMID 42081680WHAT IT FOUND
Home health staff described fear, shifting infection-control guidance, and PPE problems in patients' homes.
They reported scheduling COVID-positive visits last, using telehealth, and adapting therapy to reduce contact; these were experiences, not tested interventions.
Key findings
01Staff described fear and uncertainty driven by limited information and rapidly changing infection-control guidance.
02Staff reported heavy PPE demands in homes, including donning outside in weather and managing heat without air conditioning.
03Agencies reported continuity solutions such as scheduling COVID-positive patients last, telehealth, telemonitoring, and adapted therapy to reduce contact.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a qualitative study of staff experiences, not a test of whether any IPC strategy worked or reduced infections. Only 25 staff from 10 agencies were interviewed, and the agencies were purposively sampled, so results may not reflect all U.S. home health agencies. Some agencies had only one or two participants, and only three rural agencies were included, limiting comparisons. Interviews were retrospective, so recall bias about early pandemic experiences is possible. Participants were staff, not patients or families, so the study does not report patient outcomes or patient perspectives.
Declared interests
One author reports a consulting/advisory relationship with Clinical Directors Network, Inc. The other authors declare no competing financial interests or personal relationships. The supplied text does not report a funding source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the reported strategies as evidence that they prevented infections or improved care. The study asked home health staff about their experiences and did not measure patient outcomes or test the interventions.