Response to ‘A collaborative approach to support people with a disability living in Australian group homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study’

We would like to share ideas on the publication titled ‘A collaborative approach to support people with a disability living in Australian group homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a case study’.¹ This article showed the support provided by the Sydney Local Health District’s Disability Inclusion and Advice Service (DIAS) to group homes for people with disabilities during the COVID-19 wave and sheds light on the operational and management strategies. These strategies are essential for dealing with a public health crisis in the disability sector. Despite this, the literature raises various concerns, particularly about methodological rigour and comprehensiveness. One obvious restriction is the use of self-reported data from group home managers, which may induce bias. Managers may answer positively to survey questions due to social bias or a desire to confirm the help offered by Sydney Local Health District. Future research could benefit from comparing manager responses to data from staff and residents, which could provide a more nuanced picture of the true effectiveness of the help provided.

Nonetheless, despite the study’s mixed-methods approach, the qualitative data was not adequately described. The lack of in-depth interviews and focus group discussions reduced the data’s richness. Qualitative methodologies could provide more in-depth insights into the issues that group homes confront, as well as the contextual aspects that influence the DIAS intervention’s effectiveness. This study overlooks critical viewpoints that could improve future emergency responses by failing to capture the lived experiences of affected people with disabilities and frontline workers. It is advised that any future study uses rigorous qualitative methodologies to enhance the quantitative data acquired from the survey to gain a better grasp of group housing during a health crisis.

Regarding the data and findings presented, although the observed increase in readiness from 36% of providers who felt unprepared before Delta to 86% who felt prepared during Delta and Omicron represents progress, this study lacked in-depth analysis of the factors that contributed to this improved readiness. It would be useful to explore which specific interventions were most effective in promoting this increased sense of readiness, which could lead to specific strategies that could be replicated in future crises. Clearer identification and analysis of successful models or interventions could greatly enhance the literature on public health support in disability services.

In contrast, examining the scores of support received from different stakeholders revealed differences in perceived effectiveness, with NSW Health, the National Disability Insurance Agency, and the Quality and Safeguards Commission receiving lower scores, raising concerns about the role and relative effectiveness of these organisations. This implies that more research is needed into their specific support and how they can improve collaboration with Local Health Districts. Future research should not only evaluate the performance of stakeholders, but also look into ways to promote inter-agency collaboration, improve communication, and provide a coherent framework for reacting to health issues.

While case studies provide valuable insights into key areas of public health, addressing identified methodological flaws, supplementing qualitative data, investigating specific effective interventions, and examining stakeholder dynamics could significantly improve the findings. Future studies could concentrate on establishing adaptive frameworks for disaster preparedness within disability services, including lessons learnt from the pandemic to create more resilient systems capable of responding to future public health emergencies. This proactive strategy could help ensure ongoing improvements in disability support services while enhancing the safety and overall well-being of individuals with disabilities living in shared accommodation.