Perspectives of attenders and non-attenders to SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic community testing in England: a qualitative interview study

Jayes, Leah; Bogdanovica, Ilze; Johnston, Emily; Chattopadhyay, Kaushik; Morling, Joanne R.; Devine, Shirley; Richmond, Nicola; Langley, Tessa

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In December 2020, Derbyshire County Council in England introduced 'walk-in' asymptomatic community COVID-19 testing sites. Our study aimed to explore people's views of the newly established COVID-19 community testing (CT) sites among those who attended and those who did not attend them, alongside gathering individuals' experiences of attending a CT site to complete a lateral flow test. SETTING: This qualitative research study comprised of one-to-one interviews with those attending a COVID-19 CT sites in Derbyshire and those from the surrounding area who did not attend. PARTICIPANTS: A combination of purposive and convenience sampling was used to recruit those who had (n=18) and those who had not attended (n=15) a walk-in asymptomatic CT site. RESULTS: Employers played a key role in raising awareness of the testing sites, with most attending CT at the request of their workplace. The experience of attending a CT site was overwhelmingly positive and those who got tested spoke about the reassurance a negative result offered, knowing they were not passing on the virus when going about their daily lives. However, there was a perception that awareness of CT sites was low across the county and some confusion about who was eligible to attend and under what circumstances. Individuals linked this to low level of advertising they had seen, in addition to a lack of clarity in the information provided. CONCLUSIONS: People's experience of attending a 'walk-in' asymptomatic CT site in Derbyshire was generally very positive; however, ensuring clear communication for future testing programmes is essential to maximise their uptake.

Citation

Jayes, L., Bogdanovica, I., Johnston, E., Chattopadhyay, K., Morling, J. R., Devine, S., Richmond, N., & Langley, T. (2022). Perspectives of attenders and non-attenders to SARS-CoV-2 asymptomatic community testing in England: a qualitative interview study. BMJ Open, 12(9), Article e064542. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064542

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 26, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Sep 22, 2022
• Publication Date: Sep 22, 2022
• Deposit Date: Sep 2, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 22, 2022
• Journal: BMJ open
• Electronic ISSN: 2044-6055
• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 9
• Article Number: e064542
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-064542
• Keywords: General Medicine
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/10637153
• Publisher URL: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/9/e064542