CHEST Guidelines-Restrictive-Visitation-Policies-and-Related-Post-T

Restrictive-Visitation-Policies-and-Related-Post-T

Pdf Summary

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital visitation restrictions posed unique challenges for families of critically ill patients in the ICU, potentially leading to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A study aimed to investigate whether symptoms of PTSD in these families were linked to challenges arising from visitor restrictions. Conducted at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, the study involved English-speaking family members of ICU patients with COVID-19 enrolled in a communication study during restricted visitation from September 2020 to April 2021. These participants were primarily the patients' primary decision-makers.<br /><br />Participants completed the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) questionnaire reflecting on their ICU experience as stressful. Interviews highlighted three main challenges: lack of comfort and communication for patients due to absence of family, inability of families to witness real-time events, and difficulty in assessing the severity of the patient's condition, leading to stress, helplessness, and loss of control.<br /><br />Results indicated that restrictive visitation policies were perceived differently by families based on whether their loved one survived. Bereaved families who exhibited PTSD symptoms often believed the patient's death might have been avoidable had visitation been allowed, attributing the demise to a lack of family presence and advocacy. Meanwhile, families of surviving patients linked potential faster recovery to visitation but not as a PTSD trigger.<br /><br />The study underscores the emotional toll of visitor restrictions, recommending better support provisions for families, especially during critical and end-of-life moments. While video calls were used, the need for more interactive and involved family engagement was emphasized. The findings invite reflection on whether pandemic-era visitation restrictions' societal benefits outweigh the emotional distress they cause, particularly when the disease carries a high risk of death. The study was limited by its single-center design during COVID-19's early phase, affecting broader applicability.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic

hospital visitation restrictions

ICU families

post-traumatic stress disorder

Rush University Medical Center

communication challenges

Impact of Events Scale-Revised

bereaved families

emotional toll

video calls