Communication of Public Health Policy and Guidelines to Physicians and Clinic Staff During a Pandemic

Abstract

Background Communication overload is a substantial trial during a pandemic. One major obstacle is the overwhelming amount of changing public health guidelines and clinic policies. Strategies for effective communication are vital for disease prevention treatment and control during a pandemic. Objective The purpose of this quality improvement initiative was to evaluate different communication methods regarding frequently changing guidelines and recommendations between organizational leadership and multidisciplinary clinical teams. Methods During the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, we performed a longitudinal exploratory analysis focusing on different processes for communication. This quality improvement initiative was conducted from March 2020 to April 2020. A total of 52 primary care physicians and 24 staff members (nurses, medical assistants, case managers) in two separate family medicine residency clinics located in Utah were included. A daily, standardized COVID update Short Message Service (SMS) system was implemented in addition to the regular email updates. Data collection included a pre and post-intervention survey distributed to clinicians and staff. Results In post-intervention analysis, clinicians and staff respondents reported an increase in communication effectiveness and satisfaction of 66.5% and 71.3%, respectively (P<.001). Additionally, clinicians and staff respondents reported an increase in feeling safe in the workplace of 49.3% (P<.001). During the intervention period, clinicians and staff members reported a 71.4% and 70.0% decrease, respectively, in experiencing an error or adverse event within the 4-week period compared to the pre-intervention period. This study was conducted at the Regional Medical Center, a community hospital in Anniston, AL. We examined the outcomes of healthcare workers that were in contact with two patients that were asymptomatic during their stay, but were subsequently found to be positive upon discharge. The results of this study provide a better understanding of the risks of SARS-CoV-2 spread in asymptomatic patients with a focus on transmission to healthcare workers. Conclusions Implementing a regular SMS messaging communication system during a pandemic may improve communication efficacy, satisfaction, and safety while decreasing unintended errors.