The impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the district medical officer's role - a qualitative study.

Abstract

Background: We wished to examine the role of the district medical officer in five Norwegian municipalities to provide new knowledge of how the experience from the pandemic might have led to changes to the district medical officer's role.

Material and method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 persons who had held key positions in local crisis management teams during and after the pandemic. The informants were recruited from five municipalities within the same county, and they all held leadership roles in health care (district medical officers), local politics or administration. The investigation followed up a study undertaken during the pandemic on an approximately identical study sample.

Results: After the pandemic, the function of the district medical officer had been expanded in terms of a greater full-time equivalent percentage, while their organisational placement had remained unchanged in the local administrations that were studied. Political and administrative leaders stated that as a result of their collaboration during the pandemic, they had become more familiar with the district medical officer as a professional and as a resource person in the organisation. The district medical officers reported a higher demand for their expertise in community health.

Interpretation: Close and frequent collaboration between the district medical officers and the local administration has helped enhance their mutual knowledge. The expertise of the district medical officers has become better recognised in the organisations, and the parties find it easier to contact each other to draw on each other's competence.