Close relatives' perspective of critical illness due to COVID-19: Keeping in touch at a distance.
Anna Nordin, Åsa Engström, Ulrica Strömbäck and 2 others
PMID 38268262WHAT IT FOUND
Relatives described scheduled calls as lifelines.
Delays made them feel shackled. Nurses can make communication predictable, prepare families for weak or slurred voices, and offer phone, video, photos, or bedside objects.
Key findings
01Relatives described telephone calls from physicians as lifelines that gave them security and hope.
02When calls were delayed, relatives felt anxious and passive between calls.
03Relatives were often unprepared for sudden offers to speak with their relative, and weak or slurred voices made the conversation difficult.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included 15 close relatives from northern Sweden during the first phase of the pandemic, so the experiences may not apply to other settings or later phases. No young or small children were interviewed. One researcher conducted all interviews, and the authors were intensive care nurses and nursing researchers, so their prior knowledge may have shaped the questions and interpretation. The study is qualitative; it reports themes from relatives' narratives and does not test whether communication practices such as scheduled calls, photos, or video improve anxiety or patient care.
Declared interests
No specific funding was reported, and the authors declared no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that scheduled calls, photos, video, or notes reduce relatives' anxiety or improve care. The study describes themes from 15 relatives' interviews; it did not test any intervention.