Connecting patients with their loved ones

The ban on visits to health facilities leads to loneliness and deepens insecurity and fear in both patients and their loved ones. Some patients are hospitalized for extended periods of time and may not be able to see their loved ones for days or weeks.

"When there is a lack of personal contact between loved ones, over time, depression develops and is painfully experienced," says Mgr. Vendula Hakenová, clinical psychologist at the hospital in Hořovice, adds: "Hospitalized patients and their loved ones may develop sadness, restlessness or hostile behaviour as a result of a deterioration in their psychological state. It is difficult to replace a close, affectionate encounter with telephone contact alone, especially in the case of patients who are unable to use communication media independently, have difficulty hearing and find it difficult to navigate a new situation. It is only logical to make use of the current possibilities and to allow patients and their relatives visual and audio contact. We wanted to encourage hospitalized patients, as far as their health and independence allow, to use the available communication media and to be in regular contact with family and friends, to actively seek out patient groups and to maintain social contacts and interpersonal relationships."

To enable patients to communicate remotely with their loved ones, we have purchased several tablets on which are installed a wide range of communication programs such as Whatsapp, Skype, Messenger, etc. The palliative support team at the hospital and its individual members are key in ensuring communication. Coordination is the responsibility of our social worker Bc. Lada Hýlová, where the requirements for ensuring such communication converge from both sides. This means both from the side of the medical staff who take care of hospitalized patients and from the side of relatives who can turn to her. A specific date for the meeting is then set individually, as well as the application to be used for communication.

"Communication between hospitalized patients and family members, especially nowadays, is very limited and feelings of insecurity, fear and loneliness arise on both sides. Already in the spring wave of the pandemic, we tried this method of communication with our long-term hospitalized pediatric patients in the DIOP unit at times when the caregiver was not present with their child. We have verified how important it is to see a close person and to be able to talk to them, even though their health condition may not allow for two-way verbal communication," described Mahulena Exnerová, MD, head of the support and palliative care team and initiator of the distance communication project at the Hořovice hospital.

"The assisted use of technology to communicate with the family where the patient is unable to do so for whatever reason is very important for us at this time. We, too, are very worried that our patients cannot be with their loved ones to the extent that would be necessary and feel lonely," says the head of the internal medicine department , Markéta Veverková, MD, and adds, "It is a matter of course that in the case of a serious medical condition, a visit to the department is possible after prior agreement with the attending physician and if all necessary hygiene measures are observed."

"These difficult times bring with them some good things. We are closer, more supportive of each other and more thoughtful about how to best support all our patients and their loved ones. One of the possibilities of such support is the use of distance communication," says MUDr. Exnerová in conclusion.

The recommendations of the Czech Society of Palliative Medicine ČLS JEP on communication can be found on the ČSPM website.