Abstract
BackgroundThe UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) emphasises the need for high levels of engagement with communities and individuals to ensure the effectiveness of any COVID-19 testing programme. A novel pilot health surveillance programme to assess the feasibility of weekly community RT-LAMP (Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus using saliva samples collected at home was developed and piloted by the University of Southampton and Southampton City Council.MethodsRapid qualitative evaluation was conducted to explore experiences of those who took part in the programme, of those who declined and of those in the educational and healthcare organisations involved in the pilot testing who were responsible for roll-out. This included 77 interviews and 20 focus groups with 223 staff, students, pupils and household members from four schools, one university, and one community healthcare NHS trust. The insights generated and informed the design and modification of the Southampton COVID-19 Saliva Testing Programme and the next phase of community-testing.ResultsDiscussions revealed that high levels of communication, trust and convenience were necessary to ensure people’s engagement with the programme. Participants felt reassured by and pride in taking part in this novel programme. They suggested modifications to reduce the programme’s environmental impact and overcome cultural barriers to participation.ConclusionsParticipants’ and stakeholders’ motivations, challenges and concerns need to be understood and these insights used to modify the programme in a continuous, real-time process to ensure and sustain engagement with testing over the extended period necessary. Community leaders and stakeholder organisations should be involved throughout programme development and implementation to optimise engagement.
Highlights
The United Kingdom (UK) Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) emphasises the need for high levels of engagement with communities and individuals to ensure the effectiveness of any COVID-19 testing programme
A novel pilot programme to assess the feasibility of weekly community RT-LAMP (Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) testing [6, 7] for the SARS-CoV-2 virus using saliva samples collected at home was developed and piloted in a unique partnership between Southampton City Council and the University of Southampton
To generate insights and inform the design and modification of the Southampton COVID-19 Saliva Testing Programme and the phase of future mass-testing, we conducted a rapid qualitative evaluation exploring the experiences of individuals and organisations who took part, of those individuals who declined to take part, and of those in the educational and healthcare organisations involved in the pilot testing who were responsible for roll-out
Summary
The UK Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) emphasises the need for high levels of engagement with communities and individuals to ensure the effectiveness of any COVID-19 testing programme. A novel pilot health surveillance programme to assess the feasibility of weekly community RT-LAMP (Reverse transcrip‐ tion loop-mediated isothermal amplification) testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus using saliva samples collected at home was developed and piloted by the University of Southampton and Southampton City Council. A novel pilot programme to assess the feasibility of weekly community RT-LAMP (Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification) testing [6, 7] for the SARS-CoV-2 virus using saliva samples collected at home was developed and piloted in a unique partnership (the Southampton COVID-19 Saliva Testing Programme) between Southampton City Council and the University of Southampton. Between June and October 2020, participants from two general practices in Southampton, staff and students at the University of Southampton and staff and pupils from one infant, one junior, one primary and one secondary school in the city were invited to participate in two phases of a pilot of the Southampton COVID-19 Saliva Testing Programme. Interactive engagement activities took place alongside the testing programme to maximise uptake of saliva testing, with extensive development and deployment of educational materials targeting different age groups of students and pupils in the schools, alongside work to engage university students
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