Invitation to participate
You are being invited to take part in a research study. Before you decide whether or not to participate, it is important for you to understand why the research is being done and what it will involve. Please take time to read the following information carefully and discuss it with others if you wish. Ask us if there is anything that is not clear or if you would like more information. Take time to decide whether or not you wish to take part. Thank you for reading this.

Why is this research being done?
Currently the world is experiencing an unprecedented event in the form of the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare workers around the world are at the frontline of managing this disease. This study aims to assess the psychological impact and preparedness of frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on doctors, nurses and prehospital care providers working in the public sector and who are directly involved in the management of suspected or confirmed COVID-19 cases.

What is the duration of taking part in the study and what will taking part involve?
Participating in this study involves completing an online questionnaire, which will be sent to you electronically. The survey asks questions related to your professional background, how prepared you felt to manage a pandemic and your mental health during the pandemic. Depending on the progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in Trinidad and Tobago, we may ask you to participate in a follow-up survey which focuses on any changes your mental health during the pandemic. If you choose to participate in the second follow-up survey, you will be asked to provide your email address so the survey can be sent to you. The first questionnaire will take approximately 15 minutes to complete and the second will take approximately 5 minutes to complete. The survey will remain open for one month after the start date which will allow you time to decide if you want to participate.

What are my responsibilities if I join and what about confidentiality?
You simply answer the questions online in a survey. All responses will be confidential. If you agree to participate in the potential follow-up survey you will be asked to provide us with an email address. This will allow us to contact you as well as link responses across surveys. However, responses will be confidential and an identifying information will be removed prior to analysis. Emails provided will be discarded once the study is completed. Social media contacts will not be used for any purpose outside the realm of this study. If you do not provide your email address, the survey will be entirely anonymous. All data will be stored in a password protected electronic format. However, we cannot guarantee against interception of data send via the internet by third parties (e.g., public wifi).

Do I have to take part and what happens if I drop out of the study early?
Your participation in this research study is voluntary and you may choose not to participate. Absolutely nothing will happen if you drop out or do not complete the survey If you decide not to participate in this study or if you withdraw from participating at any time, you will not be penalized.

What is in it for me and what are the benefits to taking part?
We hope that the information gathered from this study will be used to develop effective strategies to support healthcare worker well-being during the pandemic and future crises. There is no compensation, financial or otherwise for participating in this study.

What if I get hurt in the study- what are the possible disadvantages and risks of taking part?
As this is an online survey, there are no anticipated issues to participating. You cannot get hurt directly as a result of doing an online survey. However, as the content of the survey is related to mental health, some participants may experience psychological distress or anxiety when completing the survey. At the end of the survey, information will be provided regarding who to contact if you experience any psychological distress.  


What will happen to the study findings?
The findings from the study may be shared with the wider research community as well as with local health authorities. However, no identifying information will be shared. The results of the survey will be stored for a period of five years on an encrypted, password protected laptop and will be destroyed thereafter.


What if I change my mind about sharing my information?
As this is an online survey and information such as your name, IP address, will not be collected, so it may not be possible to trace your exact survey response. For participants who provide email addresses for the follow-up survey, the responses will be traced. Should one of these participants decide not to participate after completing the survey, they will have up to one month after the survey is closed off, to withdraw their responses.

Who else will see my information?
The survey responses will only be accessible to members of the research team

Do I have the right to see and copy my research information?
As this is an online survey that will be sent to you, you will have access to your responses immediately. Participants in the second survey whose responses suggest they are at risk for mental ill health, will be sent emails advising them to seek help and providing them with the relevant contact information.

Who has ethically approved this study?
This study has been approved by the University of the West Indies Campus Ethics Committee and the Trinidad and Tobago Ministry of Health Ethics Committee

Who is conducting this study?
Should you require further information on this study please contact either Dr. Shastri Motilal (askdrmotilal@gmail.com), Dr. Loren De Freitas (lorendefreitas@gmail.com) or Dr. Darren Dookeeram (dkdookeeram@gmail.com)

Consenting to participate in this survey means that you have read and understood the above information sheet.

If you chose to participate in this survey,  please only answer this survey once.