Application of the Haddon matrix to COVID‐19 prevention and containment in nursing homes

COVID‐19 has exacted a disproportionate toll on the health of persons living in nursing homes. Healthcare providers and other decision‐makers in those settings must refer to multiple evolving sources of guidance to coordinate care delivery in such a way as to minimize the introduction and spread of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2021-10, Vol.69 (10), p.2708-2715
Main Authors: Fritch, William M., Agnew, Jacqueline, Rosman, Lori, Cadorette, Maureen A., Barnett, Daniel J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
COVID-19
COVID‐19‐Related Content
Epidemiology
Haddon matrix
Health care
long‐term care
nursing home
Nursing homes
Pandemics
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
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Summary:COVID‐19 has exacted a disproportionate toll on the health of persons living in nursing homes. Healthcare providers and other decision‐makers in those settings must refer to multiple evolving sources of guidance to coordinate care delivery in such a way as to minimize the introduction and spread of the causal virus, SARS‐CoV‐2. It is essential that guidance be presented in an accessible and usable format to facilitate its translation into evidence‐based best practice. In this article, we propose the Haddon matrix as a tool well‐suited to this task. The Haddon matrix is a conceptual model that organizes influencing factors into pre‐event, event, and post‐event phases, and into host, agent, and environment domains akin to the components of the epidemiologic triad. The Haddon matrix has previously been applied to topics relevant to the care of older persons, such as fall prevention, as well as to pandemic planning and response. Presented here is a novel application of the Haddon matrix to pandemic response in nursing homes, with practical applications for nursing home decision‐makers in their efforts to prevent and contain COVID‐19.
ISSN:0002-8614
1532-5415
DOI:10.1111/jgs.17358