Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German Districts

We introduced the mixed-methods Data-Powered Positive Deviance (DPPD) framework as a potential addition to the set of tools used to search for effective response strategies against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. For this purpose, we conducted a DPPD study in the context of the early stages of the German S...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Joshua Driesen, Ziad El-Khatib, Niklas Wulkow, Mitchell Joblin, Iskriyana Vasileva, Andreas Glücker, Valentin Kruspel, Catherine Vogel
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-09-01
Series:International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9765
id doaj-67ad74e6836549efa37670d95d3f6a43
record_format Article
spelling doaj-67ad74e6836549efa37670d95d3f6a432021-09-26T00:19:57ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012021-09-01189765976510.3390/ijerph18189765Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German DistrictsJoshua Driesen0Ziad El-Khatib1Niklas Wulkow2Mitchell Joblin3Iskriyana Vasileva4Andreas Glücker5Valentin Kruspel6Catherine Vogel7Driesen Data Analytics, 04317 Leipzig, GermanyDepartment of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, 17177 Stockholm, SwedenDepartment of Mathematics and Computer Science, Zuse Institute Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, GermanySiemens AG Corporate Technology, 80333 Munich, GermanyIskriyana Vasileva Data Science, 10997 Berlin, GermanyDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Postfach 5180, 65726 Eschborn, GermanyDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Postfach 5180, 65726 Eschborn, GermanyDeutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Postfach 5180, 65726 Eschborn, GermanyWe introduced the mixed-methods Data-Powered Positive Deviance (DPPD) framework as a potential addition to the set of tools used to search for effective response strategies against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. For this purpose, we conducted a DPPD study in the context of the early stages of the German SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We used a framework of scalable quantitative methods to identify positively deviant German districts that is novel in the scientific literature on DPPD, and subsequently employed qualitative methods to identify factors that might have contributed to their comparatively successful reduction of the forward transmission rate. Our qualitative analysis suggests that quick, proactive, decisive, and flexible/pragmatic actions, the willingness to take risks and deviate from standard procedures, good information flows both in terms of data collection and public communication, alongside the utilization of social network effects were deemed highly important by the interviewed districts. Our study design with its small qualitative sample constitutes an exploratory and illustrative effort and hence does not allow for a clear causal link to be established. Thus, the results cannot necessarily be extrapolated to other districts as is. However, the findings indicate areas for further research to assess these strategies’ effectiveness in a broader study setting. We conclude by stressing DPPD’s strengths regarding replicability, scalability, adaptability, as well as its focus on local solutions, which make it a promising framework to be applied in various contexts, e.g., in the context of the Global South.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9765Data-Powered Positive Deviancepandemic responseSARS-CoV-2mixed methods
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Joshua Driesen
Ziad El-Khatib
Niklas Wulkow
Mitchell Joblin
Iskriyana Vasileva
Andreas Glücker
Valentin Kruspel
Catherine Vogel
spellingShingle Joshua Driesen
Ziad El-Khatib
Niklas Wulkow
Mitchell Joblin
Iskriyana Vasileva
Andreas Glücker
Valentin Kruspel
Catherine Vogel
Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German Districts
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Data-Powered Positive Deviance
pandemic response
SARS-CoV-2
mixed methods
author_facet Joshua Driesen
Ziad El-Khatib
Niklas Wulkow
Mitchell Joblin
Iskriyana Vasileva
Andreas Glücker
Valentin Kruspel
Catherine Vogel
author_sort Joshua Driesen
title Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German Districts
title_short Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German Districts
title_full Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German Districts
title_fullStr Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German Districts
title_full_unstemmed Data-Powered Positive Deviance during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic—An Ecological Pilot Study of German Districts
title_sort data-powered positive deviance during the sars-cov-2 pandemic—an ecological pilot study of german districts
publisher MDPI AG
series International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
issn 1661-7827
1660-4601
publishDate 2021-09-01
description We introduced the mixed-methods Data-Powered Positive Deviance (DPPD) framework as a potential addition to the set of tools used to search for effective response strategies against the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. For this purpose, we conducted a DPPD study in the context of the early stages of the German SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We used a framework of scalable quantitative methods to identify positively deviant German districts that is novel in the scientific literature on DPPD, and subsequently employed qualitative methods to identify factors that might have contributed to their comparatively successful reduction of the forward transmission rate. Our qualitative analysis suggests that quick, proactive, decisive, and flexible/pragmatic actions, the willingness to take risks and deviate from standard procedures, good information flows both in terms of data collection and public communication, alongside the utilization of social network effects were deemed highly important by the interviewed districts. Our study design with its small qualitative sample constitutes an exploratory and illustrative effort and hence does not allow for a clear causal link to be established. Thus, the results cannot necessarily be extrapolated to other districts as is. However, the findings indicate areas for further research to assess these strategies’ effectiveness in a broader study setting. We conclude by stressing DPPD’s strengths regarding replicability, scalability, adaptability, as well as its focus on local solutions, which make it a promising framework to be applied in various contexts, e.g., in the context of the Global South.
topic Data-Powered Positive Deviance
pandemic response
SARS-CoV-2
mixed methods
url https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/18/9765
work_keys_str_mv AT joshuadriesen datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
AT ziadelkhatib datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
AT niklaswulkow datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
AT mitchelljoblin datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
AT iskriyanavasileva datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
AT andreasglucker datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
AT valentinkruspel datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
AT catherinevogel datapoweredpositivedevianceduringthesarscov2pandemicanecologicalpilotstudyofgermandistricts
_version_ 1717366419360841728