Continuity of care for children with special healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic

• Autor(a) principal: Medeiros,José Pinheiro Batista
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Neves,Eliane Tatsch, Pitombeira,Mardênia Gomes Vasconcelos, Figueiredo,Sarah Vieira, Campos,Daniella Barbosa, Gomes,Ilvana Lima Verde
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem (Online)
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0034-71672022000200156
• topic: Continuity of Patient Care; Child Care; Chronic Disease; Children with Health Issues; COVID-19

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe the continuity of care for children with special healthcare needs during the COVID-19 pandemic through the perception of their caregivers in the Northeast of Brazil. Methods: Qualitative descriptive-exploratory research carried out between June and September 2020, in a municipality in the Northeast of Brazil. Eleven caregivers participated through semi-structured interviews conducted at home. The data were submitted to thematic content analysis. Results: The social isolation period and the suspension of health services affected the continuity of care, configuring the category “Implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for the continuity of care”. Caregivers expressed fear of children contracting the coronavirus, characterizing the category “Fears and uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic in view of the vulnerability of children with special healthcare needs”. Final considerations: Caregivers’ reports revealed problems in the continuity of care for the studied cohort. Therefore, health care practices must be rethought in times of pandemic.