507 Burn Survivor Perspectives On a “Virtual” Survivor Retreat

Abstract

IntroductionThe social distancing restrictions mandated by the COVID-19 pandemic have directly impacted burn survivor support groups. Around the country, Pediatric Camps and Adult Support groups have been canceled or moved to an alternate format. While these alternative methods provide much-needed support and interaction for burn survivor groups, it is unknown how they compare to traditional, in-person support programs. In November 2020, our facility will replace our traditional Adult Burn Survivor Retreat with an entirely virtual, synchronous retreat. The retreat will feature many of the sessions and experiences from the in-person retreat but will be lacking the face-to-face contact that is so valued by our Adult Survivor Group. Educational sessions will be provided by adult psychologists and social workers, burn therapists and nurses. An adult burn survivor will provide the keynote address. Adult burn survivors, who have participated in prior year’s retreats, will be invited to participate in a comparison feedback survey.MethodsParticipants in the Virtual Adult Survivor Retreat will complete a post-retreat survey, comparing the virtual retreat experience to the traditional in-person retreat format. Likert scale questions will address participation level, benefit of retreat, specific feedback for sessions and ease of ability for survivors to interact with peers. In addition, the survey will seek to identify barriers of the virtual format as a means of providing needed survivor support.ResultsSurvey results will be analyzed, and trends will be reported. Statistically significant results can be further explored to guide future virtual events.ConclusionsVirtual events utilizing video platforms have become commonplace in the era of COVID-19, however, this format is still new, and the benefits have not been fully explored. Evidence has shown a direct benefit to survivors participating in support services. In an attempt to fill the gap left by the cancelation of in-person events, our facility is hosting a synchronous virtual retreat for adult burn survivors. Retreat evaluation and data comparing the virtual event to prior in-person events will be analyzed and reported.