Use of Information and Communication Technologies and health personnel from Argentine during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of mental health actions for health personnel was emphasized and the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) was recommended. Given this unprecedented panorama, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention with ICTs for health personnel from first-level care networks in Berazategui, Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was an exploratory qualitative research and evaluative design. The selection of subjects included intervened health personnel who agreed to participate. Satisfaction surveys were implemented, records of the intervening team and their meetings were analyzed. The intervention was effective: improvements in communication and interaction, self-care and a change to a proactive and creative attitude at work, decreased anxiety and stress were detected. As a protective factor, the fact of having a solid socio-affective network was highlighted. The effectiveness was characterized by influencing a repositioning of the health personnel with respect to the context, the task and the work ties. The use of ICTs was advantageous, enabled access to mental health care and generated the feeling of continuous support, strengthening the socio-affective network.