Sweden's public health response to COVID-19: a qualitative study building on a realist approach.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Sweden's healthcare system, known for its equity and efficiency, faced criticism in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic due to its high mortality rate compared to other Nordic countries. This study aims to explore the Swedish public health system's response to emerging respiratory infectious diseases, particularly COVID-19, using a realist approach. It analyzes contextual factors, interventions, mechanisms, and outcomes to provide a comprehensive understanding of the response, including debates around voluntary versus mandatory measures and the protection of vulnerable groups such as older adults.

Objective

To explore how and why Sweden's socio-political and healthcare context influenced the interventions employed and their acceptability at both individual a

SUBMITTER: Hosseinabadi ZA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12542070 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature