2023 Volume 60 Issue 2 Pages 73-82
Introduction: Based on the experiences of COVID-19 respondents at Shimane University Hospital, this study investigated the COVID-19 infection status and number of relevant inquiries to the hospital’s administrative department to clarify information required by the hospital staff depending on the infection status of emerging infectious diseases.
Methods: The study covered the period from April 2020 to March 2021. The number of COVID-19–related inquiries to the hospital’s infection control department was tallied, and changes in the number of inquiries was statistically analyzed during the periods when a state of emergency was declared, when the number of infected patients was increasing in Shimane prefecture, the extended vacation period, and the nonvacation period.
Results: During the state of emergency period, inquiries related to anti-infection measures at hospital facilities increased (P=0.013). During the period when the number of infected patients was increasing in the prefecture, inquiries related to medical consultation increased (P=0.024). Individual anti-infection measures were not affected by differences between these periods.
Discussion: Hospital administrators must share information according to the disease infection status and provide opportunities for acquiring basic anti-infection knowledge, even in nonemergency situations. Further studies are required to explore appropriate information-sharing approaches during emerging infectious disease pandemics.
