The emergence of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) led to distancing measures which acutely affected healthcare infrastructure, leading to limited in-person clinical visits and an increased number of virtual appointments. This study aimed to examine the effects this had on adults with hydrocephalus by describing the lived experiences of a cohort of patients at an outpatient hydrocephalus clinic. Between early May and early July of 2020, remote structured interviews were conducted with participants. Interviews were in-depth and open-ended, allowing participants to reflect and expand on the effects of the social distancing mandate on their well-being and quality of care. Three themes emerged: (1) impacts of changes in treatment provision, (2) impacts of changes in mitigating activities, and (3) impacts of changes on personal well-being. The comprehensive understanding of lived experiences may inform the future provision of healthcare services and social policy. Improved approaches to remote care telemedicine have the potential to facilitate high-quality care.
Purpose
The emergence of the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has led to public health restrictions and a shift towards virtual care and telehealth. The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators of virtual care from the perspective of neurological and psychiatric patients.
Methods
One-on-one interviews were conducted remotely using telephone and online video teleconferencing. There was a total of 57 participants, and a thematic content analysis was conducted using NVivo software.
Results
The two main themes were (1) virtual health service delivery and (2) virtual physician/patient interaction, with subthemes around how virtual care improved accessibility of care for patients and improved patient-centered care; how privacy and technical issues impact patients using virtual care; and the need for relationality and connection between health care providers and patients while using virtual care.
Conclusions
This study showed that virtual care can increase accessibility and efficiency for patients and providers, indicating its potential for ongoing use in the delivery of clinical care. Virtual care was found to be an acceptable mode of healthcare delivery from the perspective of patients; however, there is a continued need for relationship-building between care providers and patients.
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