International Journal of Infection Control, Mar 11, 2015
To ensure facemasks and respirators protect healthcare workers (HCWs) during respiratory virus ou... more To ensure facemasks and respirators protect healthcare workers (HCWs) during respiratory virus outbreaks or a pandemic, individual, environmental, organizational and cultural issues associated with their use must be addressed. In order to get a rich understanding of the barriers and facilitators associated with non-emergency facemask/respirator use, we undertook in-depth interviews with staff from a major tertiary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia. A qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews was undertaken at a tertiary hospital in Sydney Australia. HCWs from wards in which risk from respiratory infections is considered to be high (i.e. intensive care, emergency and infectious disease wards), were invited to participate. A broad spectrum of attitudes was expressed regarding the use of facemasks and respirators, with many participants expressing uncertainty surrounding their use and level of effectiveness. Participants who stated that they had previous experience with using these products agreed that the latter provided more protection and should be the product recommended for use in a respiratory infection setting. A lack of training, uncertainty
Currently the uptake of the influenza vaccine amongst Australian hospital staff remains low. Whil... more Currently the uptake of the influenza vaccine amongst Australian hospital staff remains low. While some staff members choose not to receive the vaccine, others may feel decisional conflict around whether to receive the vaccine or not. Having access to information that is personalized to the staff members' concerns may alleviate this conflict. Our study aimed to explore the attitudes of hospital staff towards an online decision aid (DA), which focuses on influenza and the vaccine. We were also interested to examine whether they accepted the new tool and whether they had any suggestions for improvements. Forty-one semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a range of hospital staff from two major public hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in 2013. Emails and posters were used to inform staff members about the study. Thematic analysis was performed to explore the attitudes of hospital staff towards the DA. Our participants were well aware of the time/location of the staff vaccination clinics, however very few reported attending or receiving any educational material about the disease or the vaccine. Amongst those who did receive material, they felt that the messages were "dumbed down". There was a mostly positive response to the DA from participants, however they felt that unless it was included as part of mandatory training or orientation, it would be difficult to get staff to use the tool. Previous studies have established that education is an important component of an influenza vaccination program. We believe that the decision aid offers an alternative approach to delivering balanced information to staff members, which may reduce workload burdens on administrators and drive up rates.
It is crucial to assess patients' understanding of and readiness to participate in infection ... more It is crucial to assess patients' understanding of and readiness to participate in infection control programs. While 80% of hospital patients reported that they were willing to help hospital staff with infection prevention, many felt that they would not feel comfortable asking a healthcare worker to sanitize his or her hands. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1-3.
ABSTRACT In early 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) became an international globe-tra... more ABSTRACT In early 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) became an international globe-travelling virus; it began this frequent flyer journey from mainland China, and travelled to 30 countries across the world. By the end of its worldwide journey it had killed over 800 people and infected over 8000. As part of Australia's response to contain the virus, screening of all arriving international passengers was introduced throughout all of Australia's international airports. This article is a reflection on the experiences that five infection control practitioners (ICPs) had with implementing and conducting this service at Sydney's Mascot International Airport.
International Journal of Infection Control, Mar 11, 2015
To ensure facemasks and respirators protect healthcare workers (HCWs) during respiratory virus ou... more To ensure facemasks and respirators protect healthcare workers (HCWs) during respiratory virus outbreaks or a pandemic, individual, environmental, organizational and cultural issues associated with their use must be addressed. In order to get a rich understanding of the barriers and facilitators associated with non-emergency facemask/respirator use, we undertook in-depth interviews with staff from a major tertiary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia. A qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews was undertaken at a tertiary hospital in Sydney Australia. HCWs from wards in which risk from respiratory infections is considered to be high (i.e. intensive care, emergency and infectious disease wards), were invited to participate. A broad spectrum of attitudes was expressed regarding the use of facemasks and respirators, with many participants expressing uncertainty surrounding their use and level of effectiveness. Participants who stated that they had previous experience with using these products agreed that the latter provided more protection and should be the product recommended for use in a respiratory infection setting. A lack of training, uncertainty
Currently the uptake of the influenza vaccine amongst Australian hospital staff remains low. Whil... more Currently the uptake of the influenza vaccine amongst Australian hospital staff remains low. While some staff members choose not to receive the vaccine, others may feel decisional conflict around whether to receive the vaccine or not. Having access to information that is personalized to the staff members' concerns may alleviate this conflict. Our study aimed to explore the attitudes of hospital staff towards an online decision aid (DA), which focuses on influenza and the vaccine. We were also interested to examine whether they accepted the new tool and whether they had any suggestions for improvements. Forty-one semi-structured interviews were undertaken with a range of hospital staff from two major public hospitals in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia in 2013. Emails and posters were used to inform staff members about the study. Thematic analysis was performed to explore the attitudes of hospital staff towards the DA. Our participants were well aware of the time/location of the staff vaccination clinics, however very few reported attending or receiving any educational material about the disease or the vaccine. Amongst those who did receive material, they felt that the messages were "dumbed down". There was a mostly positive response to the DA from participants, however they felt that unless it was included as part of mandatory training or orientation, it would be difficult to get staff to use the tool. Previous studies have established that education is an important component of an influenza vaccination program. We believe that the decision aid offers an alternative approach to delivering balanced information to staff members, which may reduce workload burdens on administrators and drive up rates.
It is crucial to assess patients' understanding of and readiness to participate in infection ... more It is crucial to assess patients' understanding of and readiness to participate in infection control programs. While 80% of hospital patients reported that they were willing to help hospital staff with infection prevention, many felt that they would not feel comfortable asking a healthcare worker to sanitize his or her hands. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;00(0): 1-3.
ABSTRACT In early 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) became an international globe-tra... more ABSTRACT In early 2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) became an international globe-travelling virus; it began this frequent flyer journey from mainland China, and travelled to 30 countries across the world. By the end of its worldwide journey it had killed over 800 people and infected over 8000. As part of Australia's response to contain the virus, screening of all arriving international passengers was introduced throughout all of Australia's international airports. This article is a reflection on the experiences that five infection control practitioners (ICPs) had with implementing and conducting this service at Sydney's Mascot International Airport.
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Papers by Julie Gallard