The perceived effects of COVID-19 while living with a chronic illness.
Mary Ryder, Suzanne Guerin, Rita Forde and 5 others
PMID 36281970WHAT IT FOUND
People with chronic illness said remote care increased reliance on self-report and reduced routine checks. 47.4% had no change in face-to-face contact.
Nurses should prepare patients for symptom monitoring.
Key findings
01Among 95 people reporting face-to-face contacts before and during restrictions, 47.4% reported no change, 41.1% reported a decrease and 11.6% reported an increase.
02People with chronic illness reported lower self-care and care-assessment scores than published comparison samples, and higher perceived COVID-19 impact was associated with lower self-care confidence and lower care ratings.
03Open responses described remote care as reducing routine checks and increasing reliance on self-report, while some participants valued easier access and less travel.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was a convenience group recruited through social media, so it may not represent all people with chronic illness. Only 147 people completed the survey, and only 14.5% were aged 60 or older, limiting transferability to older patients. The study used self-report and cross-sectional associations, so it cannot show that virtual care caused lower self-care or worse access.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the lower self-care scores as proof that remote care caused harm. The study did not test a remote-care intervention, and 47.4% reported no change in face-to-face contacts while 11.6% reported an increase.