Producing ‘Top Tips’ for care home staff during the COVID-19 pandemic in England: rapid reviews inform evidence-based practice but reveal major gaps

Abstract

This paper analyses learning from the first three months of the COVID-19 crisis in the UK. It takes the example of a project that responded to questions and concerns raised by front-line care staff by producing research-based ‘Top Tips’ to complement emerging COVID-19 policy and practice guidelines. A review of the emerging policy guidelines published up to the end of April 2020 was also undertaken to demonstrate the expectations and demands placed on managers and direct care workers as the pandemic spread across the UK. Eight rapid, expert reviews of published, multidisciplinary research evidence were conducted to help answer care home workers’ questions about ‘how’ to support residents, family members and each other at a time of unprecedented pressure and grief and adhere to guidance on self-distancing and isolation. The rapid reviews revealed gaps in research evidence, with research having a lot to say about what care homes should do and far less about how they should do it. This is an important lesson for future research and has highlighted the value of working with the sector to co-design and co-produce research and pathways to knowledge with those who live, work and care in care homes.