*Important notice: Search Square publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and therefore should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
In a recent study published in Search Square*, researchers explored how health/social care workers’ views/attitudes about self-care changed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Bottom
The COVID-19 pandemic sparked significant changes in the way health and wellness services were accessed around the world, with many services moving to remote models after temporary restrictions on face-to-face care. As such, self-care has become the mainstay of services, particularly during lockdowns, to contain the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
There has been a rapid response from service providers in the United Kingdom (UK) to incorporate self-care into the mainstream. Evidence supports that self-care can improve the health and lives of individuals while minimizing the strain on limited National Health Service (NHS) resources. Public polls have revealed significant changes in personal views on the need for self-care due to COVID-19. However, there is limited data on how health and social care professionals view self-care.
about the study
In the present study, researchers investigated how social workers and healthcare professionals’ practices and attitudes about self-care changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They employed a mixed methodology of cross-sectional online surveys and interviews with physicians, pharmacists, nurses, social prescribers, and other health and social care professionals.
The online survey was voluntary and accessible to anyone with the link. The study team provided the survey link to potential participants, including their personal and professional networks. The electronic survey consisted of 27 items. Responses were anonymized with unique IDs. Demographic data such as age, gender, occupation, ethnicity and postal codes were captured. Changes in the provision of care due to COVID-19 were consulted.
Responses were scored on a five-point Likert scale. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted from July 28 to September 8, 2021, for selected participants. The objectives of the interviews were to understand participants’ views on self-care as the primary mode of care, perceived barriers to practicing self-care, and to examine changes in attitudes towards self-care as a result of COVID-19.
discoveries
Overall, 304 respondents completed the survey. Most subjects were female (78%) and white (79%). Over 64% of respondents worked in the general practice setting. Approximately 16% of participants were physicians; many were general practitioners. Pharmacy staff constituted 40% of respondents. Improving general well-being and making healthy lifestyle choices were consistently suggested to promote self-care among service users.
The proportion of healthcare professionals who noted self-care has greatly increased during the pandemic. More than 84% of participants were highly likely to recommend self-care during the pandemic. More than 75% of the participants believed they had proficiency and resources to promote self-care, while only 28.5% observed that users of their services had resources and competence for self-care.
Respondents reported an increase in technology use during the pandemic. Most participants (96.7%) indicated that they would continue to guide service users to self-care resources even in the post-pandemic period. Nine participants were interviewed in person. Most respondents considered self-care to be fundamental to healthy living, but noted that pre-COVID-19 care models did not always encourage personal empowerment.
They recognized that limited access to services during lockdowns and long periods of isolation meant patients had to accept self-care. In some interviews, participants warned of exacerbations rather than self-care solutions. Respondents noted that the pandemic should be seen as an opportunity to be leveraged, but professional training was also necessary to take advantage of it.
Conclusions
To summarise, the majority of healthcare professionals indicated that they would recommend self-care as a means of personal empowerment and would help to lessen the burden on NHS resources. The findings revealed how participants significantly changed their views on self-care during COVID-19. Most professionals reported that they would continue to practice self-care after the pandemic, although they were skeptical about continuing self-care (after the end of the pandemic).
Perceived barriers to self-care were lack of understanding, digital exclusion, and hesitation to engage with health services. Health professionals have consistently recommended improving overall well-being and making healthy lifestyle decisions. The small sample of just 304 professionals may not fully represent the professional health and social care workforce in the UK. Furthermore, more research is needed to examine whether these changes would sustain or increase in the future.
*Important notice: Search Square publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and therefore should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.