Utilizing the ACCESS Model to Understand Communication With the Ultraorthodox Community in Beit Shemesh During the First Wave of COVID-19.
Anat Romem, Ronit Pinchas-Mizrachi, Beth G Zalcman
PMID 33882735WHAT IT FOUND
In Beit Shemesh, COVID-19 messages were tailored to ultraorthodox residents using community broadsides, Yiddish loudspeakers, and rabbinic endorsement.
Transmission and mortality later fell, but the paper cannot show which actions caused this.
Key findings
01In April, confirmed infections in Beit Shemesh were 18.7 per 10,000 residents, compared with 16 per 10,000 nationally.
02Authorities used community broadsides, Yiddish loudspeaker announcements, and rabbinic endorsement to communicate restrictions.
03Weeks after lockdown, transmission and mortality rates among ultraorthodox residents in Beit Shemesh were lower.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This is a single city case study from the early pandemic, with no comparison group, so it cannot show that the communication actions changed behaviour or infection rates. The paper does not describe formal study methods, participants, outcome measures, or data analysis. Many actions happened at the same time, including lockdown, school closures, quarantine hotels, and community leadership appeals, so any single component cannot be separated. The authors use the ACCESS model to frame the account, so the interpretation may reflect the chosen framework rather than measured effects. The paper reports stigma and tensions after the intervention, but does not measure how long they lasted or whether later communication changes were effective.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest and received no financial support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the later drop in transmission and mortality as proof that the ACCESS model or these communication methods caused it. The paper describes a single city during the pandemic wave, with no comparison group or formal evaluation of the interventions.