Practice guidelines in preventive action of Coronavirus Disease 2019 of village health volunteers

Abstract

The objective of this mixed methods research was to study practice guidelines in preventive actions of coronavirus 2019 for village health volunteers (VHVs), implementation and results, as well as the operational problems of VHVs. The study was conducted in Sadao district, Songkhla Province. The sample group in the qualitative study was the management group, public health staff, and VHVs and related persons, 30 persons. Collect data by using in-depth interviews and focus groups. For a quantitative study, the sample groups were 308 VHVs. Data were collected in March–April 2021 using questionnaires. Analyze qualitative data by content analysis and analyze quantitative data by descriptive statistics. The study results found that the practice guideline of VHVs was 1) find and screen people who were at risk, 2) educate about the coronavirus disease 2019, 3) Coordinate with leaders from all sectors in the community, 4) observe the symptoms, help and refer by properly, 5) visit and ask, and 6) support the work of the staffs. In this regard, 52.6% of VHVs had implemented a high level of coronavirus disease 2019 prevention. The majority of the VHVs (78.9%) satisfied to actions the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 at high level. However, there was a lack of cooperation from the people in operation at 15.9%, followed by a lack of operational tools at 9.1%, respectively. According to the results, public health officers should use this practice guideline for VHVs to continue preventing outbreaks in other areas.