Coronavirus in Victorian Healthcare and Aged care workers (COVIC-HA) Cohort Study

The COVIC-HA Cohort Study aims to establish a cohort of Victorian healthcare and aged care workers across four different settings (first responders, hospitals, primary care, aged care) to comprehensively examine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare and aged care workers and workplaces over time using a mixed-methods approach. Workers from different occupational groups (doctors, nurses, paramedics, allied health, personal care assistants and support staff) will be included. The key research activities of the study will be conducted in two phases: Phase 1 All Participants will be invited to complete quantitative surveys (each six months apart) to monitor COVID-19 impacts during 2021-2022, and consent to data linkage. Each survey (at baseline and 6 months) should take approximately 15 minutes to complete. Survey data collected will include demographic, health and wellbeing data, and information about workers perceptions of their organisation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, participants will be invited to complete occasional (brief) optional surveys circulated in response to acute changes in the COVID-19 environment. At the time of each survey, both existing and new participants at enrolled sites will be eligible to complete the survey (open cohort design). Data linkage will be done with the following administrative health datasets: a) Commonwealth Datasets: Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) and Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS); b) Victorian Datasets: Victorian Admitted Episode Database (VAED), Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD), Ambulance Victoria (AV) dataset Phase 2: A subset of the cohort will be invited to consent to voluntary participation in qualitative interviews to explore personal experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic: A sub-sample of participants will be purposively recruited for semi-structured interviews to explore their lived experiences of COVID-19. Selection will be based on characteristics determined from quantitative data (e.g. gender, work role, socioeconomic status, exposure to COVID-19) to ensure a diverse range of perspectives is represented. Up to 90 participants will be selected to complete interviews that will be conducted in 2-3 successive rounds, dependent on the thematic saturation achieved as well as the evolving COVID-19 environment. The interview length will depend on how much each participant wants to say, but it could take about 30 minutes. Depending on participant engagement, thematic findings and COVID-19 infection patterns, some participants may be asked to participate in a second round of qualitative interviews at 12 months. Additionally, semi-structured one-on-one interviews will be conducted with senior management personnel from each participating site. We will recruit 2-3 senior management personnel from each participating site to explore systems in place for controlling workplace risks and policies and programs in place to prepare and support workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.