Healthcare professionals’ attitudes towards self-care after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

*Important message: Research Square publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and therefore should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or be treated as established information.

In a recent study published in Research Square*, researchers investigated how health/social care professionals’ views/attitudes about self-care changed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused significant changes in the way health and healthcare services are accessed globally, with many services adopting remote models following temporary restrictions on in-person care. As such, self-service has become the backbone of services, especially during lockdowns, to limit the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

There has been a rapid response from service providers in the United Kingdom (UK) to bring self-care into the mainstream. Evidence supports that self-care can improve people’s health and lives, while minimizing pressure on the limited resources of the National Health Service (NHS). Public surveys have revealed significant changes in personal views about the need for self-care due to COVID-19. However, there is limited data on how social care and health professionals view self-care.

About the research

In the current study, researchers examined how the practices and attitudes of social care and health workers regarding self-care changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. They used a mixed methodology of cross-sector online surveys and interviews with doctors, pharmacists, nurses, social prescribers and others in health and social care.

The online survey was voluntary and available to anyone with a connection. The research team provided a link to the survey of potential participants, including their personal and professional networks. The electronic survey included 27 items. Responses were anonymized with unique identifiers. Demographic data such as age, gender, occupation, ethnicity and postal codes were captured. Changes in care delivery as a result of COVID-19 were queried.

Responses were rated on a five-point Likert scale. In addition, in-depth interviews were conducted from 28 July to 8 September 2021 for selected participants. The objectives of the interviews were to understand participants’ views on self-care as a primary care modality, perceived barriers to practicing self-care, and to explore changes in self-care attitudes as a result of COVID-19.

Findings

A total of 304 respondents completed the survey. Most subjects were female (78%) and white (79%). Over 64% of respondents worked within general practice. Approximately 16% of participants were physicians; many were general practitioners. The pharmacy staff made up 40% of the respondents. Improving general well-being and making healthy lifestyle choices were consistently suggested to promote self-care among service users.

The proportion of healthcare workers who note that self-care is very important has increased during the pandemic. More than 84% of participants are very likely to recommend self-service during the pandemic. Over 75% of participants felt they had the skills and resources to promote self-care, while only 28.5% noted that their service users had the resources and competence to self-care.

Respondents reported increased use of technology during the pandemic. Most participants (96.7%) indicated that they would continue to refer service users to self-care resources even after the pandemic. Nine participants were personally interviewed. Most interviewees believe that self-care is fundamental to a healthy lifestyle, but note that pre-COVID-19 models of care did not always promote personal empowerment.

They acknowledged that limited access to services during lockdown and long periods of isolation meant that patients had to accept self-care. In some interviews, participants warned of exacerbations instead of self-care solutions. Interviewees noted that the pandemic should be used as an opportunity to be seized, but professional education is also needed to make the most of it.

Conclusions

To summarize, most health professionals indicated that they would recommend self-care as a means of personal empowerment and to help reduce the burden on NHS resources. Findings reveal how participants significantly changed their views on self-care during COVID-19. Most professionals reported that they would continue to take care of themselves after the pandemic, although they were skeptical about people continuing to take care of themselves (after the end of the pandemic).

Perceived barriers to self-care are poor understanding, digital exclusion and reluctance to engage with health services. Health professionals constantly recommend improving general well-being and making healthy lifestyle decisions. The small sample of only 304 professionals may not be fully representative of the UK health and social care professional workforce. Furthermore, more research is needed to test whether these changes will persist or increase in the future.

*Important message: Research Square publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and therefore should not be considered conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or be treated as established information.