A centralised novel coronavirus telephone helpline: a tool for managing and tracking the nation’s response to the COVID-19 epidemic in Slovenia

Abstract

In response to neighbouring Italy’s accelerating outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), Slovenia established a national toll-free telephone helpline, which operated from 9 March until 12 June 2020 and answered more than 40 thousand calls in its first ten weeks alone. It was operated by medical students and integrated professionals from diverse fields in order to provide trustworthy, accurate, and understandable information to the citizens of Slovenia. We examine the impact that this centralised helpline had on managing the COVID-19 health crisis by shaping and monitoring the public’s response.

Keywords

• sars-cov-2 pandemic
• information dissemination
• call centre
• crisis management
• public health
• slovenia