Healthcare system resilience and risk communication strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic in Madinah, KSA: A mixed-method study

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the resilience of the healthcare system regarding preparedness and response to COVID-19 and to identify risk communication strategies during the pandemic in Madinah region.

Methodology: Mixed method explanatory sequential design was used in this study, that was carried out between January to October 2021 in Al Madinah region, Saudi Arabia. A total of 48 health managers participated to gather quantitative evidence regarding challenges of health care system in pandemic. The qualitative inquiries were incorporated through in-depth interviews of primary and tertiary care managers.

Results: Majority of the participants 82.9% (n=34) had been dealing with covid- 19 pandemic. Around 85% (n=35) of the health managers agreed that all relevant health sectors were involved in the risk assessment. It was found that 90.2% (n=37) agreed to the availability of early warning systems to be an effective means of risk communication using text messages and digital apps. Only 61% (n=25) of participants knew that preparedness and response could be evaluated, in contrast to interview findings of continuous audit of healthcare system. Qualitative findings reaffirmed efficient “risk communication” throughout the pandemic while “engagement of community” was at its best in its second wave.

Conclusion: The healthcare system was found to be adequately prepared to cope up with the challenges during pandemic, as evident by sufficient awareness and implementation of emergency response, risk communication and community involvement among health managers. Moreover, qualitative data reaffirmed the findings of numerical data and reinforced the shifting roles of primary and tertiary care in making the health systems more responsive during COVID-19 pandemic.