Considering social inequalities in health in large-scale testing for COVID-19 in Montréal: a qualitative case study
type: Article
item type: journalArticle
is part of: BMC Public Health
authors: Person
  surname: Gagnon-Dufresne
  given name: Marie-Catherine
authors: Person
  surname: Gautier
  given name: Lara
authors: Person
  surname: Beaujoin
  given name: Camille
authors: Person
  surname: Lamothe
  given name: Ashley Savard
authors: Person
  surname: Mikanagu
  given name: Rachel
authors: Person
  surname: Cloos
  given name: Patrick
authors: Person
  surname: Ridde
  given name: Valéry
authors: Person
  surname: Zinszer
  given name: Kate
abstract: Abstract Background Evidence continues to demonstrate that certain marginalised populations are disproportionately affected by COVID-19. While many studies document the impacts of COVID-19 on social inequalities in health, none has examined how public health responses to the pandemic have unfolded to address these inequities in Canada. The purpose of our study was to assess how social inequalities in health were considered in the design and planning of large-scale COVID-19 testing programs in Montréal (Québec, Canada). Methods Part of the multicountry study HoSPiCOVID, this article reports on a qualitative case study of large-scale testing for COVID-19 in Montréal. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 19 stakeholders involved in planning large-scale testing or working with vulnerable populations during the pandemic. We developed interview guides and a codebook using existing literature on policy design and planning, and analysed data deductively and inductively using thematic analysis in NVivo. Results Our findings suggest that large-scale COVID-19 testing in Montréal did not initially consider social inequalities in health in its design and planning phases. Considering the sense of urgency brought by the pandemic, participants noted the challenges linked to the uptake of an intersectoral approach and of a unified vision of social inequalities in health. However, adaptations were gradually made to large-scale testing to improve its accessibility, acceptability, and availability. Actors from the community sector, among others, played an important role in supporting the health sector to address the needs of specific subgroups of the population. Conclusions These findings contribute to the reflections on the lessons learned from COVID-19, highlighting that public health programs must tackle structural barriers to accessing healthcare services during health crises. This will be necessary to ensure that pandemic preparedness and response, including large-scale te…
date: 2022-04-
pages: 749
date submitted: 2022-06-14 12:53:14
short title: Considering social inequalities in health in large-scale testing for COVID-19 in Montréal
language: en
library catalog: DOI.org (Crossref)
description: eISSN : 1471-2458 WOS:000782608300013

BMC Public Health
type: Journal
volume: 22
number: 1
alternative: BMC Public Health
identifier: DOI 10.1186/s12889-022-13163-3
identifier: ISSN 1471-2458