The Impact of Policy and COVID-19 Prevention Strategies in China: A Qualitative Study

Background: Ongoing infection-control strategies have played an important role in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and mitigating its effects. However, limited studies have explored the influence of these strategies from the perspective of COVID-19 patients. This study aims to describe the impact of governmental COVID-19 policy and prevention strategies on COVID-19 patients in China.Methods: Twenty-six people who had been treated for COVID-19 in a COVID-19-designated facility in Shanghai, China, were recruited using the purposive sampling method. These individuals participated in semi-structured interviews by phone from April to June 2020. A thematic content analysis approach was conducted. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative studies checklist was applied. Results: Three categories of themes emerged from the thematic analysis. The first was "Consciously adhere to COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." Most of these patients followed the COVID-19 strategies throughout the stages of their illness. The second category was "Positive experiences of the COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." These patients shared their positive experiences of the governmental infection-control strategies to contain the virus; for example, they experienced a quick and adequate medical response, they were confident in the medical system, or they received help from community workers. The third category was "Negative experiences of the COVID-19-related infection-control strategies." These patients experienced psychological distress, stigma, privacy exposures, and inconveniences from the governmental strategies.Conclusions: Our findings exemplify how patients with COVID-19 adhered to the infection-control strategies in China. It is urgent to develop a culturally sensitive intervention to eliminate the psychological distress and stigma of patients with COVID-19 and to protect their privacy during and after the pandemic.

User-Involvement in the Development of a Culturally Sensitive Intervention in the Safe Pregnancy Study to Prevent Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy has negative health impacts on the woman and the fetus. There is a lack of evidence supporting effective interventions to prevent IPV during pregnancy. This user-involvement study was conducted to get feedback on a culturally sensitive, tablet intervention containing questions about violence and safety-behaviors and a video promoting safety behaviors. This resulted in important feedback on the intervention content. Our findings show that women are in favor of disclosing IPV via a tablet. They suggested ways to address barriers for disclosure, such as safeguarding anonymity and creating a trustful relationship with the midwife.

The Desires of Their Hearts: The Multidisciplinary Perspectives of African Americans on End-of-Life Care in the African American Community

Background: Studies have identified racial differences in advance care planning and use of hospice for care at the end of life. Multiple reasons for underuse among African American patients and their families have been proposed and deserve further exploration. Objective: The goal of this study was to examine perceptions of advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice among a diverse sample of African Americans with varying degrees of personal and professional experience with end-of-life care and use these responses to inform a culturally sensitive intervention to promote awareness of these options. Methods: Semistructured interviews and focus groups were conducted with African Americans who had varying degrees of experience and exposure to end-of-life care both personally and professionally. We conducted in-depth qualitative analyses of these interviews and focus group transcripts and determined that thematic saturation had been achieved. Results: Several themes emerged. Participants felt that advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice can be beneficial to African American patients and their families but identified specific barriers to completion of advance directives and hospice enrollment, including lack of knowledge, fear that these measures may hasten death or cause providers to deliver inadequate care, and perceived conflict with patients’ faith and religious beliefs. Providers described approaches they use to address these barriers in their practices. Conclusion: Findings, which are consistent with and further elucidate those identified from previous research, will inform design of a culturally sensitive intervention to increase awareness and understanding of advance care planning, palliative care, and hospice among members of the African American community.