Disease and Treatment Experiences of COVID-19 Patients: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMSThe study aimed to explore the perceptions of hospitalized COVID-19 patients' experiences regarding the disease and treatment process. MATERIAL and METHODSThe study was carried out as qualitative research at a hospital in Turkey between June 17, 2020 and July 7, 2020. The sample consisted of eight COVID-19 patients hospitalized in service after intensive care treatment. The data were collected through an in-depth individual interview form. Each interview was transcribed verbatim, and a thematic analysis was performed. The Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research checklist was followed. RESULTSThree main themes were identified for patients' perceptions of the disease experiences and treatment process. The patients experienced negative emotions after being diagnosed with COVID-19, and they spent the isolation and treatment process communicating with their beloved ones over the phone, watching television, and praying. Having an infectious disease caused them to have anxiety and sadness, and they reported satisfaction with the physicians and nurses during the treatment process. CONCLUSIONPsychological and sociocultural factors, religious values, and health policies can be effective in patients' perception of disease and treatment. It is recommended for healthcare professionals to be aware of the psychosocial problems of the hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the disease and treatment process, monitor them for post-traumatic stress disorder, and provide the necessary support.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Experiences of Hospitalized Patients: A Scoping Review

“…Regarding the identification of feelings experienced during hospitalization , 71.9% (n = 23) of the articles indicated that the patients and family members experienced difficult moments 47 during the hospitalization period, with feelings of loneliness 16,17,21,31 and isolation 16,17,21,29,31,40,41 due to the restrictions regarding visits and companions and a lack of contact between professionals and patients 20 . Feelings such as sadness, 23,26,46 fear, 17,18,20,22,24–29,32,33,46 anxiety, 17,22,28,38,41,46 worry, 17,20–24,32,33,46 nervousness, 22 guilt, 26,46 anger, 23,26 tiredness, 24 hopelessness, 46 frustration, 43 discrimination, 18,22 vulnerability, 29,32,46 and uncertainty 22 were also reported, associated with lack of knowledge about the disease and with the situation in which they found themselves. It is noted that the articles described concerns about the personal 21 or family 20 socioeconomic situation as aggravating factors, because of uncertainty of the economic and housing situation.…”

“…As for welcoming of the team during hospitalization , 68.8% (n = 22) of the articles addressed how the team was treated, highlighting attitudes of kindness, 17,31 empathy, 17,28 courtesy, 25 respect, 25,45 sympathy, 28,29 understanding, 29 compassion, 31 professionalism, 24,31 communication, 21 and attention and patience 34 . Attitudes like these were associated with an improvement in the patients’ state of mind 17 and with a sense of security, 18,23,46 making a difference to patient satisfaction 28–31 . Furthermore, in one of the studies, 94.7% of the patients reported having received support from the maternity team 37 .…”

“…21,31,39,40 Regarding the contact between patients or professionals and family members, 50% (n = 16) of the articles reported the use of telephones to maintain patient-family and professional-family communication in general. 24,28,29,31,32,46 Voice calls, 16,17,34,39,40 video calls, 18,21,31,33,39,42,45 text messages, 16,31,32 email messages, 16,31 photographs, 32 video recording, 42 and social media 16,31 were also cited. The search for other communication means was associated with restrictive measures regarding visits and interactions of the family with the team, which limited patient-family and professional-family contacts.…”

“…In relation to the changes in the policy regarding visits and companions, 68.8% (n = 22) of the articles pointed out restrictions regarding the patients receiving visits or the presence of companions during hospitalization. The restrictions regarding visits varied according to the hospital policy, and could be completely interrupted 21,25,31,39,40 and limited to once a week, 34 daily at defined times, 32,35 with nondetailed restrictions [16][17][18]20,23,24,[27][28][29]37,38,42,43,45 or no restrictions. 16 In some special situations, such as patients in end-of-life care, the restrictions were adjusted to allow the families to visit the patients.…”

“…34 Attitudes like these were associated with an improvement in the patients' state of mind 17 and with a sense of security, 18,23,46 making a difference to patient satisfaction. [28][29][30][31] Furthermore, in one of the studies, 94.7% of the patients reported having received support from the maternity team. 37 However, it was evidenced that patient care was perceived as different because of restrictions regarding physical touch, resulting in limited moments of interaction between patients and professionals, 24,26,46,47 highlighting the importance of these moments for the patients' well-being.…”