Illness uncertainty among patients with COVID-19 in the Mobile Cabin Hospital.
Liang Dong, Lei Chen, Shu Ding
PMID 34000092WHAT IT FOUND
Patients in a mobile cabin hospital reported moderate illness uncertainty, highest for not knowing how long their treatment would last.
Women, those with lower family income, and those sick for over 28 days had significantly higher uncertainty scores.
Key findings
01The highest-rated item for illness uncertainty was the inability to predict how long the illness or treatment would last.
02Female patients, those with monthly family income under RMB 10,000, and those with disease duration over 28 days had significantly higher illness uncertainty scores.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling, which may limit generalizability. It is a cross-sectional design, so it cannot determine causality or track how uncertainty changes over time. Data was collected via self-report, which is subject to bias. The study was conducted in a specific mobile cabin hospital setting in Wuhan during the early pandemic, so results may not apply to other healthcare settings or later stages of the pandemic.
Declared interests
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that longer disease duration reduces uncertainty. In this study, patients who had been ill for 28 days or more reported significantly higher illness uncertainty than those with shorter durations.