Data collection
infection, mass infection
INFECTION, HAND INFECTION
Data collection is carried out by external assessors. The research team provides a one-day intensive education program consisting of survey procedures, safety and infection education, and an item-by-item explanation. The education session is followed by a Q&A session and three mandatory practice sessions with mock cases of older adults. All outcome data are collected using a tablet PC in which survey instruments have been embedded as a weblink and/or smartphone application. Prior to data collection, all external assessors are obliged to sign to an agreement form for confidentiality concerning information about the participants obtained during the survey.The procedure for data collection is as follows. Upon enrollment into this intervention study, the recruiting researcher schedules each participant to meet with an external assessor who will visit the participant’s house (or any place that the participant feels comfortable) to conduct the baseline survey. Except for unavoidable circumstances (e.g., resignation of assessor, scheduling issues, etc.), the same assessor is assigned to the participant for the follow-up surveys at Week 13. The contents of the data collected at each time point are described in Table As the intervention is being conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, special precautions are to be taken during face-to-face interviews. All assessors are given an infection prevention protocol: 1) ensuring the use of facial masks and hand sanitizers for both assessor and participant; 2) daily personal screening for any symptoms; 3) screening at the participant’s doorstep before entry for COVID-19 symptoms, a history of foreign travel within the past 14 days, or visits to a site of mass infection; 4) taking the temperature of participants and nearby family members; 5) sterilizing any equipment used during the interview before moving to the next household. Assessors are required to submit temperature logs for themselves and all participants that they interview.