Preparing for an influenza pandemic: healthcare workers’ opinions on working during a pandemic

Rhonda L. Stuart; Elizabeth E. Gillespie

doi:10.1071/HI08024

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Previous Next Contents Vol 13(3)

Preparing for an influenza pandemic: healthcare workers’ opinions on working during a pandemic

Rhonda L. Stuart ^A ^B and Elizabeth E. Gillespie ^A

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A Southern Health, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia.

^B Corresponding author. Email: rhonda.stuart@southernhealth.org.au

Healthcare Infection 13(3) 95-99 https://doi.org/10.1071/HI08024
Published: 2 September 2008

Abstract

The aim of this study was to solicit opinions from healthcare workers (HCWs) as to their attitude to working during a pandemic. A cross-sectional survey of HCWs using a self-administered, anonymous survey was conducted between February 2007 and April 2007. The setting was a large Victorian metropolitan health service, employing over 10 000 staff. Sixty-seven percent of HCWs stated they would be available to work during a pandemic, 26% stated they would stay at home to care for their children, whereas 10% admitted they would stay away because of fear of catching influenza. The majority of employees expected to be provided with personal protective equipment, antivirals and vaccine (92%, 90% and 89%, respectively). HCWs also believed that family members should be supplied with antivirals and vaccine (64% and 63%, respectively), 20% believed they needed a place of residence while working, 45% were prepared to be relocated to another site, and 36% were prepared to change to another duty. The survey highlights several areas that need attention in preparing for a pandemic. Targeted education is required now for all those HCWs who will be expected to work during a pandemic. How we cope with the next inevitable pandemic depends on the depth of our preparation.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the Southern Health Pandemic Planning Committee for their support during this study. We would like to thank those who completed the survey.

References

[1] Beveridge W. The chronicle of influenza pandemics. Hist Philos Life Sci 1991; 13 223–34.
| CAS | PubMed | [accessed May 2007]

[3] Quereshi K, Gershon R, Sherman M, Straub T, Gebbie E, McCollum M, et al. Health care workers’ ability and willingness to report to duty during catastrophic disasters. J Urban Health 2005; 82 378–88.
| PubMed |

[4] Stuart RL, Gillespie EE. Hospital pandemic preparedness: health care workers’ opinions on working during a pandemic. Med J Aust 2007; 187 676.
| PubMed |

[5] Anonymous . World is ill-prepared for “inevitable” flu pandemic. Bull World Health Organ 2004; 82 317–18.

[6] Meltzer M, Cox N, Fukuda K. The economic impact of pandemic influenza in the United States: priorities for intervention. Emerg Infect Dis 1999; 5 659–61.
| CAS | PubMed |

[7] Zhang X , Meltzer M , Wortley P . FluSurge 2.0. A manual to assist state and local public health officials and hospital administrators in estimating the impact of an influenza pandemic on hospital surge capacity. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Department of Health and Human Services; 2005.

[8] Singer PA, Benatar SR, Bernstein M, Daar AS, Dickens BM, MacRae SK, et al. Ethics and SARS: lessons from Toronto. BMJ 2003; 327 1342–4.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

[9] Bartlett JG. Planning for avian influenza. Ann Intern Med 2006; 145 141–4.
| PubMed |

[11] Australian Government, Department of Health and Ageing. Australian health management plan for pandemic influenza. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia; 2006.

[12] Brankston G, Gitterman L, Hirji Z, Lemieux C, Gardam M. Transmission of influenza A in human beings. Lancet Infect Dis 2007; 7 257–65.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

[13] Reid L. Diminishing returns? Risk and the duty to care in the SARS epidemic. Bioethics 2005; 19 348–61.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

[14] Hsin D, Macer D. Heroes of SARS: professional roles and ethics of health care workers. J Infect 2004; 49 210–15.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

[15] Barnett D, Balicer R, Blodgett D, Everly GS Jr, Omer SB, Parker CL, et al. Applying risk perception theory to public health workforce preparedness training. J Public Health Manag Pract 2005; 11(Suppl 6): S33–7.

[16] Takayanagi I, Cardoso M, Costa S, Araya M, Machado C. Attitudes of health care workers to influenza vaccination: why are they not vaccinated? Am J Infect Control 2007; 35 56–61.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

[17] Starr I. Influenza in 1918: recollections of the epidemic in Philadelphia. Ann Intern Med 2006; 145 138–40.
| PubMed |

[18] Balicer R, Omer S, Barnett D, Everly G. Local public health workers’ perceptions toward responding to an influenza pandemic. BMC Public Health 2006; 6 99.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |