Providing Compassionate Care: The Role of Medical Students and Videoconference Technology in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Patient and family communication is a well-known factor associated with improved patient outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, visitation restrictions meant communication with patients and their families became a challenge, particularly with intubated patients in the intensive care unit. As the hospital filled with COVID-19 patients, medical students and physicians at Albany Medical Center identified the urgent need for a better communication method with families. In response, the COVID-19 Compassion Coalition (CCC) was formed. The CCC’s goal was to decrease the distress felt by families unable to visit their hospitalized loved ones. They developed a streamlined process for videoconferencing between patients on COVID-19 units and their families by using tablets. Having medical students take responsibility for this process allowed nurses and physicians to focus on patient care. Incorporating videoconferencing technology can allow physicians and nurses to better connect with families, especially during unprecedented times like a pandemic.

A telepresence robot in the room of a COVID-19 patient can provide virtual family presence

“…Psychological distress has clearly increased for patients, family members, and intensive care unit (ICU) staff because of visiting restrictions. [1][2][3][4] Family members of isolated COVID-19 patients in the ICU experience moral injury with prevalence of anxiety and depression of 83% and 73%, respectively. 2 Thus, intensivists are faced with an impossible equation: (i) they should promote interactions between the relatives and the critically ill patients to prevent post-traumatic stress disorder; however, (ii) they need to ensure patient, staff, and visitor safety-and thus respect the restrictions of hospital visits.…”

The concept of nursing and compassion during COVID-19

“…Visit restrictions during the pandemic, limitations on the communication of patients with their family members, and the uncertainty caused by the disease increase the stress levels in the process of coping with the disease. In this period, it is stated that if the isolation, uncertainty, fear and anxiety of individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 are not identified and managed correctly, the process may be physiologically and psychologically destructive [22]. The compassionate approach shown during the pandemic has been expressed as the key to meeting the needs of patients [23].…”

“…Nurses once again demonstrate the importance of compassionate behavior in the nursing profession by providing psychosocial support as well as medical treatment to sick individuals during the pandemic they perform with dedication [22]. In the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, they displayed the artistic dimension of the profession by giving the necessary attention and support not only to the patients also to their families and relatives.…”

“…Nurses have stated that compassionate care would increase the spiritual vitality of the patient, and considering the importance of the issue, it should be addressed in family-centered care as well as physical care to ensure holistic care for these patients. Nurses have stated that a compassionate approach can help COVID-19 patients to get on with their lives [22,25].…”

Content and Communication of Inpatient Family Visitation Policies During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sequential Mixed Methods Study

“…During the global COVID-19 pandemic, health systems rapidly changed procedures and policies to minimize viral transmission and accommodate increased patient volumes and illness acuity [ 1 ]. One example of such a policy change is the restriction or elimination of family presence in inpatient settings [ 2 - 7 ]. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and national professional organizations recommended that health systems limit the presence of patients’ family members to reduce viral spread [ 2 , 8 , 9 ].…”