Communication levels of pulmonologists with geriatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Patients were likely hesitant to communicate with physicians during the pandemic, when everyone saw others as potentially infectious. Every other was seen as the most likely to be infected as they were in close contact with infected persons. Likewise, physicians might have been wary of communicating with their patients, who might have been virus carriers. In our study, the communication between physicians (particularly pulmonologists) and geriatric patients was evaluated to develop recommendations for improvement if necessary. MATERIAL AND METHODS. The study was conducted as an online evaluation questionnaire via e-mail or WhatsApp. The evaluation form, the Social Communication Skills Rating Scale, collected data regarding the respondents’ demographic characteristics, whose reliability and validity have been proven in previous studies. The volunteer pulmonologists completed the questionnaire. RESULTS. The research comprised 200 doctors; 111 (55.5%) were women and 89 (44.5%) were men. Of the doctors who participated in the study, over 40% were in their forties. Pulmonologists’ communication skills with their geriatric patients were deemed adequate, and their interactions were evaluated as successful, despite the high risk of infection during the pandemic, the difficulty of examining patients while wearing protective clothing, and the typical communication difficulties of geriatric patients. This has been a crucial advantage for the senior patient group, as, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this group has communicated with pulmonologists predominantly owing to medical needs. CONCLUSION. The pulmonologists’ effective communication with their geriatric patients could have made them feel good during the difficult time of the past pandemic period. It could have also been a source of pride for physicians.