CELL PHONE TEXT MESSAGES TO SUPPORT HOME ISOLATION OF SUSPECTED CASES OF COVID-19

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira, Andressa Suelly Saturnino de
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Sousa, Katarina Milly Pinheiro de, Luis, Ana de Almeida, Araujo, Eduarda Maciel de, Felipe, Gilvan Ferreira, Silvestre, Ruth Carolina Queiroz, Freitas, Henrique de Souza
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por; eng
• Título da fonte: Revista Enfermagem Atual In Derme
• Texto Completo: https://revistaenfermagematual.com/index.php/revista/article/view/1219
• topic: COVID-19; Envio de Mensagens de Texto; Isolamento de Pacientes; Educação em Saúde; Telemedicina; COVID-19; Text Messaging; Patient Isolation; Health Education; Telemedicine

Objective: To report the experience of an educational intervention, using cell phone text messages, to support patients with flu-like illness (mild cases, suspected of Covid-19), who experience home isolation. Methods: Experience report of an extension action of a public university, carried out from October 2020 to July 2021, in Ceará. It is an educational intervention, carried out with 50 people, using the Short Message Service of mobile telephony. The report describes the creation of a cell phone text message bank and the sending of messages to support home isolation. Results: 10 text messages were elaborated, with information about when and how to use masks, hand hygiene, care with personal objects, cleaning surfaces, intra-household behavior, garbage disposal and worsening of symptoms. Messages were sent within the first 48 hours after attending the health unit, 5 each day, with an interval of 2 hours between them. On the 7th day, the patient received a phone call, evaluating the care taken in relation to home isolation. Then, he was guided on the identified weaknesses. Final considerations: Text messages were useful to support people who need to remain in isolation at home, as they are suspected cases of Covid-19. Due to the need to reduce the transmission of the disease, offering correct information to patients, for self-management of isolation, seems to be a strategy that adds to the guidelines given in health units, during consultations and/or through telecare.