Abstract / Summary
Abstract Background This paper describes the development of a public health emergency preparedness and quality improvement (PHEP-QI) intervention using a co-creation process with knowledge users, and its pilot-implementation with five local/regional public health agencies in Canada. This work to facilitate the implementation of strategies for enhancing public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) builds on our previous research in which we developed the Resilience Framework and corresponding indicators to define and measure PHEP. Methods To co-create the PHEP-QI intervention, Community-Based Participatory Research and Integrated Knowledge Translation methods were used to support a participatory and knowledge user-focused approach to intervention development. The co-created and piloted intervention consisted of three overlapping components and one cross-cutting component: 1) Priority-setting consultation; 2) Educational workshops; 3) Implementation support; and 4) Collaboration (cross-cutting). Adult learning principles were embedded in intervention development to ensure that education and support met the needs of pilot participants. The five pilot sites included local, regional and provincial public health agencies located in jurisdictions from east to west across Canada, and all engaged throughout the co-creation process and implementation. Results Initial co-creation and pilot-implementation of the PHEP-QI intervention across Canada resulted in PHEP priorities developed at pilot sites using the Structured Interview Matrix consultation method, based on the Resilience Framework. Next, a series of interactive educational workshops were co-created including a curriculum of webinars on both PHEP and quality improvement topics of interest to knowledge users, with a Community of Practice included in most workshops. Notably, pilot sites indicated interest, as part of co-creation, in a list of PHEP webinars through the workshops to support their practice. Implementation support using quality improvement was provided as information, coaching and facilitated discussions. Intra-organizational and inter-organizational collaboration cut across all components in support of teams enhancing PHEP practice at public health agencies. Conclusion The co-creation of the PHEP-QI intervention is an important contribution to advancing the use of QI in public health systems, given the gap in adoption of QI in public health practice. Furthermore, the PHEP-QI intervention demonstrates how QI can enhance PHEP practice by supporting system resilience and response to emergencies.