Appraisal of a Contact Tracing Training Program for COVID-19 in Greece Focusing on Vulnerable Populations.

Elena Riza,Eleni Kakalou,Eleni-Panagiota Stoupa,Agis Terzidis,Christina Kakalou,Eleni Cardoso,Evika Karamagioli,Paraskevi Goggolidou,Karl Philipp Puchner,Anastasia Pikouli,Zisimos Solomos,Emmanouil Pikoulis,Ioannis Hodges-Mameletzis,Evangelia Nitsa

doi:10.3390/ijerph18179257

Abstract

Background: Contact tracing as an epidemiological strategy has repeatedly contributed to the containment of various past epidemics and succeeded in controlling the spread of disease in the community. Systematic training of contact tracers is crucial in ensuring the effectiveness of epidemic containment. Methods: An intensive training course was offered to 216 health and other professionals who work with vulnerable population groups, such as Roma, refugees, and migrants in Greece, by the scientific team of the postgraduate programme “Global Health-Disaster Medicine” of the Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, with the support of the Swiss embassy in Greece. The course was delivered online due to the pandemic restriction measures and was comprised of 16 h over 2 days. The course curriculum was adapted in Greek using, upon agreement, a similar training course to what was developed by the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Evaluation of the course was conducted in order to determine the short term satisfaction from participating in this training course. Results: A total of 70% of the course participants completed the evaluation questionnaires and all trainers gave feedback on the course. The training modules were ranked as extremely useful by the majority of the participants and over 50% of the participants specifically stated that the course content was directly related to their work with vulnerable groups. Content about the ethics of contact tracing and the effective communication skills presented were deemed most useful. Conclusion: The course was well organised and provided the required skills for effective contact tracing. Many course participants intend to use some components in their work with vulnerable populations groups. Contact tracing efforts work best in a systematic and coordinated way and the provision of systematic and organised training can greatly increase its effectiveness.

Highlights

The Current-Status of COVID-19 Contact Tracing in GreeceAccording to the Greek National Public Health Organization (NPHO), the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the country was reported on 26 February 2020 [1]
The questionnaire consisted of four sections: Section 1 provides general demographic, professional background and employment data; Section 2 records the evaluation of each module of the contact tracing course; Section 3 allows participants express their views on prospects for the future and use of the course; and in Section 4 the participants express their views on the strongest elements of the course and have the opportunity to suggest points for improvement
The work presented in this paper aims to capture the potential for providing skills to professionals working with hard-to-reach populations that can support the optimisation of contact tracing efforts during a public health crisis, as is the case with COVID-19

Summary

Objectives

The work presented in this paper aims to capture the potential for providing skills to professionals working with hard-to-reach populations that can support the optimisation of contact tracing efforts during a public health crisis, as is the case with COVID-19

Results

Discussion

Conclusion