Isolated, but not alone: implementation of video communication in COVID-19 units

• Autor(a) principal: Donas-Boto,Inês
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Moreira,Marta, Urzal,Fátima, Vian,João, Tapadinhas,Camila, Neves,António
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1645-00862021000200350
• topic: COVID-19; intensive care; video calls; isolation; communication

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic poses multiple challenges regarding healthcare across Europe and the world, namely separation and isolation of hospitalized COVID-19 patients from their families. The present report aims at describing the different practices in using video calls to allow communication between COVID-19 inpatients and their loved ones. The authors conducted a qualitative study based on a semi-structured interview, applied to the four health care workers (HCW) responsible for managing the use of the videophones and tablets in the COVID-19 wards of our hospital. The collected data consisted of: (1) description of each unit; (2) generic patient data; (3) description of video call communications; and (4) perceptions towards video call communication use. The interviewed HCW acknowledged the importance of video calls in the COVID-19 units and its positive emotional impact on patients, family members, and HCW involved. Differences among video calls usage in each ward dwell mainly on the existence of a communication protocol and on staff’s awareness and engagement with the initiative. The authors reflect on the benefits and pitfalls of this new communication method for hospitalized patients and their families.