Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders

Abstract Background Implementing public health interventions can be challenging in carceral settings. Jails are institutions with the shortest lengths of stay, resulting in frequent turnover and constantly shifting populations. Jails had particularly acute challenges during the early stages of the C...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kyler N. Moore, Patrick M. Bircher, Emily A. Ogutu, Shanika S. Kennedy, Victoria M. Brown, Matthew C. Freeman, Victoria L. Phillips, Anne C. Spaulding, Matthew J. Akiyama
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-04-01
Series:BMC Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22015-9
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850201123588145152
author Kyler N. Moore
Patrick M. Bircher
Emily A. Ogutu
Shanika S. Kennedy
Victoria M. Brown
Matthew C. Freeman
Victoria L. Phillips
Anne C. Spaulding
Matthew J. Akiyama
author_facet Kyler N. Moore
Patrick M. Bircher
Emily A. Ogutu
Shanika S. Kennedy
Victoria M. Brown
Matthew C. Freeman
Victoria L. Phillips
Anne C. Spaulding
Matthew J. Akiyama
author_sort Kyler N. Moore
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Implementing public health interventions can be challenging in carceral settings. Jails are institutions with the shortest lengths of stay, resulting in frequent turnover and constantly shifting populations. Jails had particularly acute challenges during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when incarcerated persons were highly susceptible to infection and severe disease. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) and nasal self-testing (NST) as a combined strategy of COVID-19 surveillance in Fulton County Jail (FCJ), Atlanta, Georgia. Implications for efficient and effective infectious disease testing among this susceptible population are relevant for ongoing surveillance of current endemic pathogens and future epidemics. Methods We utilized a multilevel, theory-informed qualitative approach to conduct semi-structured one-on-one and small group interviews with nine distinct jail stakeholder groups: jail custody leadership, administrators, officers, maintenance workers, Georgia Department of Health’s COVID-19 testing contractor, jail health care leaders, nursing staff, laboratory leadership, and staff. Interview guides and analyses were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We used Applied Thematic Analysis to identify domains within CFIR reflecting barriers and facilitators to WBS combined with NST in large urban jail settings. Results Twelve interviews were conducted with administrative, healthcare, maintenance, custody, and laboratory personnel from July 2022 to November 2022. Seven CFIR constructs were identified as barriers, sixteen as facilitators, and one as a neutral factor for the implementation of WBS combined with NST. Jail stakeholders underscored the relative advantage of self-testing, highlighted limited resources, and expressed concerns for the sustainability of WBS due to competing priorities. Many of the stakeholders within the jail setting that were interviewed had hierarchical organizational structures, which made decision-making processes regarding WBS and NST complex and challenging to implement. Conclusions Given the political, structural, and organizational factors in a jail setting, innovations such as NST and WBS require a rigorous implementation strategy supported by ongoing engagement and collaboration with a multitude of stakeholders.
format Article
id doaj-art-778de7d5dd614623bf65b2fb2ca859f5
institution OA Journals
issn 1471-2458
language English
publishDate 2025-04-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Public Health
spelling doaj-art-778de7d5dd614623bf65b2fb2ca859f52025-08-20T02:12:07ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-04-0125111210.1186/s12889-025-22015-9Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholdersKyler N. Moore0Patrick M. Bircher1Emily A. Ogutu2Shanika S. Kennedy3Victoria M. Brown4Matthew C. Freeman5Victoria L. Phillips6Anne C. Spaulding7Matthew J. Akiyama8Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAlbert Einstein College of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta Georgia United StatesAbstract Background Implementing public health interventions can be challenging in carceral settings. Jails are institutions with the shortest lengths of stay, resulting in frequent turnover and constantly shifting populations. Jails had particularly acute challenges during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic when incarcerated persons were highly susceptible to infection and severe disease. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators to wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) and nasal self-testing (NST) as a combined strategy of COVID-19 surveillance in Fulton County Jail (FCJ), Atlanta, Georgia. Implications for efficient and effective infectious disease testing among this susceptible population are relevant for ongoing surveillance of current endemic pathogens and future epidemics. Methods We utilized a multilevel, theory-informed qualitative approach to conduct semi-structured one-on-one and small group interviews with nine distinct jail stakeholder groups: jail custody leadership, administrators, officers, maintenance workers, Georgia Department of Health’s COVID-19 testing contractor, jail health care leaders, nursing staff, laboratory leadership, and staff. Interview guides and analyses were informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We used Applied Thematic Analysis to identify domains within CFIR reflecting barriers and facilitators to WBS combined with NST in large urban jail settings. Results Twelve interviews were conducted with administrative, healthcare, maintenance, custody, and laboratory personnel from July 2022 to November 2022. Seven CFIR constructs were identified as barriers, sixteen as facilitators, and one as a neutral factor for the implementation of WBS combined with NST. Jail stakeholders underscored the relative advantage of self-testing, highlighted limited resources, and expressed concerns for the sustainability of WBS due to competing priorities. Many of the stakeholders within the jail setting that were interviewed had hierarchical organizational structures, which made decision-making processes regarding WBS and NST complex and challenging to implement. Conclusions Given the political, structural, and organizational factors in a jail setting, innovations such as NST and WBS require a rigorous implementation strategy supported by ongoing engagement and collaboration with a multitude of stakeholders.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22015-9Wastewater monitoringJailsImplementationCOVID-19
spellingShingle Kyler N. Moore
Patrick M. Bircher
Emily A. Ogutu
Shanika S. Kennedy
Victoria M. Brown
Matthew C. Freeman
Victoria L. Phillips
Anne C. Spaulding
Matthew J. Akiyama
Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders
BMC Public Health
Wastewater monitoring
Jails
Implementation
COVID-19
title Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders
title_full Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders
title_fullStr Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders
title_full_unstemmed Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders
title_short Surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self-collection of specimens (The SWANSS Study): a CFIR-informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders
title_sort surveillance via wastewater monitoring and nasal self collection of specimens the swanss study a cfir informed qualitative study with key carceral and healthcare stakeholders
topic Wastewater monitoring
Jails
Implementation
COVID-19
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22015-9
work_keys_str_mv AT kylernmoore surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT patrickmbircher surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT emilyaogutu surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT shanikaskennedy surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT victoriambrown surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT matthewcfreeman surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT victorialphillips surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT annecspaulding surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders
AT matthewjakiyama surveillanceviawastewatermonitoringandnasalselfcollectionofspecimenstheswanssstudyacfirinformedqualitativestudywithkeycarceralandhealthcarestakeholders