Balancing Infection Prevention and Control Measures with Person-Centered Care

The purpose of this CIHR-funded pan-Canadian study (ranked first by the Social Dimensions in Aging Committee) is to explore the experiences of healthcare providers working in long-term care, residents and family caregivers around person-centered care when Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) protective measures were implemented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic including the present, and to recommend solutions to address ethical tensions. This is a multimethod integrated knowledge translation study guided by principles of patient engagement and person-centered care from an ethical lens. During the pandemic, healthcare providers in long-term care homes witnessed detrimental effects of pandemic-related IPAC measures on residents' well-being - they were confronted with professional and ethical dilemmas as they described 'feeling 'trapped' between IPAC protective measures and the residents' well-being. Yet there remains a lack of clear comprehensive guidelines on ways to integrate person-centered care principles with IPAC measures. This study is being conducted across 8 provinces. We will conduct virtual interviews with study participants - long-term care home healthcare providers, residents and family from across 8 provinces. Data will be analyzed in each province and cross-provincial comparisons will be made. Along with our study advisory committee, which will include decision-makers, study collaborators, and a subset of participants who were interviewed, we will co-develop recommendations. The implications of our work extend beyond the pandemic crisis to routine practices and is a step towards developing sustainable solutions to strengthen the quality of health services in Canadian long-term care homes.