Abstract
Background: Communication is cornerstone of patients' care for all health professionals. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fetched unique challenges to the art of communication. Objectives: The aim of the study was to understand the challenges of communication and to find effective ways of communication with patients and others while having worn personal protective equipment (PPE) by the healthcare workers during COVID-19 duties. Study Design: A cross-sectional, online-survey study design was chosen for the research. Methods: An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted to understand challenges in communicating with patients and significant others while wearing a PPE. The questionnaire was shared as a Google Form link to 150 postgraduate (PG) students under Maharashtra University of Health Sciences. Results: Responses were received from 50 PG students. The difficulty in communication while having worn PPE was experienced by PG students (n = 49, 98%) in older adult age group as compared to other age groups. PG had physical concerns in the form of perceived difficulty in breathing (n = 40, 80%), shortness of breath (n = 26, 52%), and fatigue (n = 40, 80%) that interfered with their communication while working in COVID care wards. Understanding facial expression, verbal expression, gestures, comprehension, history taking, performing assessments (cognitive), recognizing staff, and building rapport were the most challenging aspects of communication for front-liners while having worn PPE. Proxy communication strategies such as sign language (n = 21, 42%), speaking loudly (n = 44, 88%), and demonstrations (n = 4, 8%) were used to overcome challenges in communication while working in COVID-19 wards. Conclusion: We found that wearing PPE as a part of a physical (nonhuman) environment hindered effective communication with patients and significant others. Perceiving facial expression, verbal expression, gestures, comprehension, history taking, performing assessments (cognitive), recognizing staff, and building rapport are the most challenging aspects of communication for front-liners while having worn PPE.
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