Implementing Public Health Strategies—The Need for Educational Initiatives: A Systematic Review

Amir Khorram-Manesh, Maxim A. Dulebenets and Krzysztof Goniewicz
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Amir Khorram-Manesh: Department of Surgery, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Gothenburg University, 413 45 Gothenburg, Sweden
Maxim A. Dulebenets: Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Florida A&M University-Florida State University (FAMU-FSU), 2525 Pottsdamer Street, Building A, Suite A124, Tallahassee, FL 32310-6046, USA
Krzysztof Goniewicz: Department of Aviation Security, Military University of Aviation, 08521 Deblin, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: In the absence of a specific treatment or vaccines, public health strategies are the main measures to use in the initial stages of a pandemic to allow surveillance of infectious diseases. During the ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), several countries initiated various public health strategies, such as contact tracing and quarantine. The present study aims to conduct a systematic literature review to identify the presence of educational initiatives that promote the implementation of public health strategies before public health emergencies, with a special focus on contact tracing applications. Using Science Direct, PubMed, Scopus, and Gothenburg University search engines, all published scientific articles were included, while conference, reports, and non-scientific papers were excluded. The outcomes of the reviewed studies indicate that the effective implementation of public health strategies depends on the peoples’ willingness to participate and collaborate with local authorities. Several factors may influence such willingness, of which ethical, psychological, and practical factors seem to be the most important and frequently discussed. Moreover, individual willingness and readiness of a community may also vary based on the acquired level of knowledge about the incident and its cause and available management options. Educational initiatives, proper communication, and timely information at the community level were found to be the necessary steps to counteract misinformation and to promote a successful implementation of public health strategies and attenuate the effects of a pandemic. The systematic review conducted as a part of this study would benefit the relevant stakeholders and policy makers and assist with effective designing and implementation.

Keywords: contact tracing; ethics; pandemic; psychology; public education; public health (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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