Abstract
Smartphone-enabled, telehealth-based family conferences represent an attractive and safe alternative to deliver communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, some may fear that the therapeutic relationship might be filtered due to a lack of direct human contact. The study aims to explore whether shared decision-making model combining VALUE (Value family statements, Acknowledge emotions, Listen, Understand the patient as a person, Elicit questions) and PLACE (Prepare with intention, Listen intently and completely, Agree on what matters most, Connect with the patient’s story, Explore emotional cues) framework can help physicians respond empathetically to emotional cues and foster human connectedness in a virtual context. Twenty-five virtual family conferences were conducted in a national medical center in Taiwan. The expression of verbal emotional distress was noted in 20% of patients and 20% of family members, while nonverbal distress was observed in 24% and 28%, respectively. On 10-point Likert scale, the satisfaction score was 8.7 ± 1.5 toward overall communication and 9.0 ± 1.1 on meeting the family’s needs. Adopting SDM concepts with VALUE and PLACE approaches helps physicians foster connectedness in telehealth family conferences. The model has high participant satisfaction scores and may improve healthcare quality among the pandemic.
Highlights
A family conference is an important therapeutic instrument for physicians to enhance communication and alleviate suffering among patients and family members [1,2].in response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, worldwide public health measures, such as social distancing, quarantine of affected communities, and limitation of population movements, have been proposed to reduce transmission [3,4,5].Since healthcare facilities could be sources of contagion, hospitals were limiting visits from family and friends
There were three family members participating in each telehealth family conference
As many countries have expanded the copayments and coverage of telehealth, our study provides insights into effective physician–patient virtual interaction, which is important for governments and stakeholders to facilitate telehealth family conferences necessitated by COVID-19 [57]
Summary
A family conference is an important therapeutic instrument for physicians to enhance communication and alleviate suffering among patients and family members [1,2].in response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, worldwide public health measures, such as social distancing, quarantine of affected communities, and limitation of population movements, have been proposed to reduce transmission [3,4,5].Since healthcare facilities could be sources of contagion, hospitals were limiting visits from family and friends. A family conference is an important therapeutic instrument for physicians to enhance communication and alleviate suffering among patients and family members [1,2]. In response to the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, worldwide public health measures, such as social distancing, quarantine of affected communities, and limitation of population movements, have been proposed to reduce transmission [3,4,5]. Patients and families are facing distressing restrictions on their caring involvement due to contagious risk [6]. Visitor restrictions have disrupted the connection among patients, their families, and health care professionals and hindered the physician–patient/family face-to-face interaction, including family conferences. Goals-of-care discussions for COVID-19 and other serious illnesses have become more difficult because family members often cannot witness how ill patients have become, and physicians cannot communicate with multiple family members at
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