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Background A Provincial PPE Safety Coach Program was introduced to support appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) by healthcare workers. The objective was to understand barriers and facilitators to implementation. Methods A qualitative study was conducted mid-2021. Participants were recruited using a purposive sampling strategy. Interviews were conducted using a guide informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Analysis was conducted using TDF. Results Prominent domains identified by staff were "social influences and skills", "environmental context and resources", "social/professional role and identity", "emotion", and "belief of consequences". Prominent domains identified by safety coaches were "knowledge", "social/professional role and identity", "environmental context and resources", and "memory". Only "environmental context and resources" and "social/professional role and identity" were similar. Main facilitators were fear of COVID-19 and leadership commitment, while main barriers were lack of clarity and balancing the role. Discussion Understanding the local context of a healthcare environment influenced the success of safety coaches. The role allowed individuals to develop leadership skills and help staff improve their perceived competence in using PPE. Conclusion Safety coaches were well received. Influencing factors provide a basis for strategies to embed this approach throughout a healthcare system.
Gagnon et al. (Sat,) studied this question.