Reframing infection control approaches in low-resource health care settings: A nod to the emic perspective.

Samantha J Sadler,Anthony T Fuller

doi:10.7189/jogh.10.020340

Abstract

Reframing infection control approaches in low-resource health care settings: A nod to the emic perspective.

Highlights

Local infection control teams have been deemed important, their effectiveness is limited by “one-size-fits-all” guidelines broadly assigned for low-resource settings, which often lack attenas early quarantine efforts may be effective in slowing the spread of this global pandemic [3], the ability to comply with these strict rules often hinges upon financial and/or structural privileges of individuals and/or institutions
This is especially true for health care institutions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that may have limited access to the recommended equipment for preventing or slowing the spread of SARS-CoV-2 tion to important inter-setting diversity
As heightened Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) rates constitute a major, multifaceted burden in LMICs, SARS-CoV-2 highlights how improving infection control practices in LMIC health care settings is essential to reducing infections, alleviating the financial burden on vulnerable, economically developing LMIC

Summary

Framework: the emic perspective

Pike (1967) coined two different anthropological perspectives in seeking to understand context with respect to culture: the emic perspective, which emphasizes studying behavior from within the given culture itself, vs the etic perspective, which involves studying behavior from an external, alien viewpoint outside of the given culture (Pike, as cited in Berry (1989); see for a more detailed explanation) [7] In other words, the emic perspective “clarifies intrinsic cultural distinctions,” whereas the etic perspective “seeks objectivity as an outside observer across cultures” [8]. Emic, locally driven approaches have the benefit of greater contextual and cultural compatibility, which - as described here - may be important to effectively implementing interventions across different contexts

Strategies: community-based participatory research

Adapted Model: the infection control team

CONCLUSION