�Ӱ�ԭ��

We are pleased to share that SPPA Professor Mehdi Ammi, along with Danielle Jacobson, Arija Birze, Elizabeth Mansfield, Walter P. Wodchis, Terence Tang, Sara J. T. Guilcher, and Kerry Kuluski, has co-authored a new article titled:

“Doing extra work and not getting extra help”: the burden of work generated to manage the “no visitors” policy during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada.

This study draws on five focus groups and 53 interviews with 68 participants, including patients, caregivers, healthcare providers, and healthcare decision-makers. The research explores the unintended consequences of Ontario’s “no visitors” hospital policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly the additional work it generated for all involved.

The findings reveal that:

• Patients, caregivers, providers, and decision-makers faced a significant burden of work in managing and working around the policy.
• This work included making and standardizing exceptions, navigating inconsistencies across hospitals, and finding workarounds—ranging from technology and window visits to informal attempts at entry.
• The exclusion of caregivers—who are essential partners in care—undermined patient support, advocacy, and overall care quality.

The study concludes that pandemic policies must better account for the vital role of caregivers and the unintended consequences that restrictive measures can impose. These lessons are critical for strengthening health system resilience and preparedness for future public health crises.

Check it out here:

#HealthPolicy #COVID19 #Caregivers #QualitativeResearch #HealthcareSystems #PandemicPreparedness #SPPAResearch