Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2-1-2019
Journal
Viruses
Volume
11
Issue
2
URL with Digital Object Identifier
10.3390/v11020194
Abstract
© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. During the Ebola outbreak, mortality reduction was attributed to multiple improvements in supportive care delivered in Ebola treatment units (ETUs). We aimed to identify high-priority supportive care measures, as well as perceived barriers and facilitators to their implementation, for patients with Ebola Virus Disease (EVD). We conducted a cross-sectional survey of key stakeholders involved in the response to the 2014–2016 West African EVD outbreak. Out of 57 email invitations, 44 responses were received, and 29 respondents completed the survey. The respondents listed insufficient numbers of health workers (23/29, 79%), improper tools for the documentation of clinical data (n = 22/28, 79%), insufficient material resources (n = 22/29, 76%), and unadapted personal protective equipment (n = 20/28, 71%) as the main barriers to the provision of supportive care in ETUs. Facilitators to the provision of supportive care included team camaraderie (n in agreement = 25/28, 89%), ability to speak the local language (22/28, 79%), and having treatment protocols in place (22/28, 79%). This survey highlights a consensus across various stakeholders involved in the response to the 2014–2016 EVD outbreak on a limited number of high-priority supportive care interventions for clinical practice guidelines. Identified barriers and facilitators further inform the application of guidelines.
Notes
Battista M-C, Loignon C, Benhadj L, Nouvet E, Murthy S, Fowler R, Adhikari NKJ, Haj-Moustafa A, Salam AP, Chan AK, Mishra S, Couturier F, Hudon C, Horby P, Bedell R, Rekart M, Hajek J, Lamontagne F. Priorities, Barriers, and Facilitators towards International Guidelines for the Delivery of Supportive Clinical Care during an Ebola Outbreak: A Cross-Sectional Survey. Viruses. 2019; 11(2):194. https://doi.org/10.3390/v11020194