Optimising pandemic and emergency preparedness through better coordination and uptake of behavioural science evidence and tools: Extending the iCARE Platform

Key to slowing the spread and reducing the health and social impacts of COVID-19 was public acceptance of and adherence to the many behaviour-based public health policies (e.g., hand washing, mask wearing, and getting vaccinated) that were implemented in Canada and around the world. However, people were not always willing to comply, in part because policies were not always clear, making it difficult to know what to do, when and for how long; or behaviours were not easy to maintain because they were associated with so many unwanted effects including stress, job loss, social isolation, and difficulties accessing medical care. The pandemic and its policies were also especially hard on vulnerable groups like Indigenous People and the elderly - which only made health inequalities that were there before the pandemic worse. One of the ways we can improve how we respond to pandemics and other health emergencies in the future, is by gaining greater understanding of how to motivate and support diverse people to rapidly and effectively adopt prevention policies. The iCARE Study was developed to assess and monitor public awareness, attitudes, and responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and its policies. iCARE includes over 100 international collaborators from 35 countries who are working together to understand how to develop policies that are not only effective, but that people believe are important, acceptable, and fair. This application is seeking to extend our funding to continue our work which will focus on continued data collection and analyses on 3 key themes: improving public acceptance and adherence to prevention behaviours, reducing policy inequalities and impacts, and understanding trust dynamics and risk communication to combat mis/disinformation. We will share results with local/international governments and policy-makers and the public so that we are better prepared to face the next health emergency.