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Establishing the impact of COVID-19 on the health outcomes of domiciliary care workers in Wales using routine data: a protocol for the OSCAR study.

Fiona Victoria Lugg-Widger, Rebecca Cannings-John Orcid Logo, Ashley Akbari Orcid Logo, Lucy Brookes-Howell, Kerenza Hood, Ann John Orcid Logo, Hywel Jones Orcid Logo, Hayley Prout Orcid Logo, Simon Schoenbuchner, Daniel Thomas, Michael Robling

International Journal of Population Data Science, Volume: 5, Issue: 4

Swansea University Authors: Ashley Akbari Orcid Logo, Ann John Orcid Logo

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Abstract

IntroductionDomiciliary care workers (DCWs) continued providing social care to adults in their own homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on health outcomes of DCWs is currently mixed, probably reflecting methodological limitations of existing studies. The risk of...

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Published in: International Journal of Population Data Science
ISSN: 2399-4908
Published: Swansea University 2021
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57453
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Abstract: IntroductionDomiciliary care workers (DCWs) continued providing social care to adults in their own homes throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence of the impact of COVID-19 on health outcomes of DCWs is currently mixed, probably reflecting methodological limitations of existing studies. The risk of COVID-19 to workers providing care in people's homes remains unknown.ObjectivesTo quantify the impact of COVID-19 upon health outcomes of DCWs in Wales, to explore causes of variation, and to extrapolate to the rest of the UK DCW population.MethodsMixed methods design comprising cohort study of DCWs and exploratory qualitative interviews. Data for all registered DCWs in Wales is available via the SAIL Databank using a secured, privacy-protecting encrypted anonymisation process. Occupational registration data for DCWs working during the pandemic will be combined with EHR outcome data within the SAIL Databank including clinical codes that identify suspected and confirmed COVID-19 cases. We will report rates of suspected and confirmed COVID-19 infections and key health outcomes including mortality and explore variation (by factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, deprivation quintile, rurality, employer, comorbidities) using regression modelling, adjusting for clustering of outcome within Health Board, region and employer. A maximum variation sample of Welsh DCWs will be approached for qualitative interview using a strategy to include participants that vary across factors such as sex, age, ethnicity and employer. The interviews will inform the quantitative analysis modelling. We will generalise the quantitative findings to other UK nations.DiscussionUsing anonymised linked occupational and EHR data and qualitative interviews, the OSCAR study will quantify the risk of COVID-19 on DCWs' health and explore sources of variation. This will provide a secure base for informing public health policy and occupational guidance.
Keywords: domiciliary care worker; COVID-19; mortality; natural experiment; administrative data
College: Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
Funders: This research is funded by the Economic & Social ResearchCouncil (ESRC), as part of UK Research & Innovation’s rapidresponse to COVID-19. The Centre for Trials Research receives funding from Healthand Care Research Wales and Cancer Research UK. The dataacquisition and COVID-19 research was supported by HealthData Research UK [HDR-9006] which receives its funding fromHDR UK Ltd, and the ADR Wales programme of work) fundedADR UK (grant ES/S007393/1).
Issue: 4