Implementation and evaluation of visitation procedures for patients hospitalised with COVID-19

Abstract

Background/Aims Visits from loved ones can be highly beneficial to the wellbeing of hospital inpatients, but this can be difficult to facilitate if the patient has a highly contagious disease such as COVID-19. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to implement and evaluate a set of visitation procedures for patients hospitalised with COVID-19. Methods A set of visitation procedures was developed by a panel of professionals from a range of healthcare disciplines, then implemented in a hospital in Spain. The procedures established three types of visitation options: virtual visits, short-term in-person visits and long-term in-person visits. Patients and visitors were asked to rate their likelihood of recommending their visitation method to a family member or colleague on a scale of 1–10, with results used to generate a net promoter score. Participants were also asked for qualitative information on what they would improve about the visitation procedures. Results A total of 20 patients and 51 visitors took part in the study. Among patient participants, the net promoter score was 90/100, with an individual score range of 8–10, indicating high satisfaction. Among visitors, individual scores ranged from 0–10, with a net promoter score of 41/100. There was little difference in scores between those who experienced a virtual and in-person visit. Suggestions for improvement included increasing the frequency of visits and providing technological support for virtual visits. Conclusions The visitation procedures used in this study could serve as a useful basis for other hospitals looking to implement safe visiting policies for patients with highly infectious diseases such as COVID-19.