Challenges faced by families of critically ill patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To understand how surrogates of critically ill patients adjusted to challenges that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Participants (N = 62) were surrogates of critically ill adults with COVID-19 in the ICU at an urban, academic medical center from March to June 2020. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling and took part in one-time qualitative individual interviews via telephone. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Results

Qualitative analyses yielded four types of challenges: Communication with the medical team, communication among family members, understanding and tracking medical information, and distress related to visitor restrictions. To adjust to challenges related to communication, participants de

SUBMITTER: Greenberg JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8393512 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature