Tele nursing to optimize discharge planning for elderly patients and ensure continuity of home care during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract EN

Tele-nursing has a great contribution to ensuring continuity of care for older adults following hospitalization.

The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of telenursing services to optimize discharge planning and ensure continuity of home care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design : A quasi-experimental design was used.

A convenience sample was used to include72 patients and their caregivers.

Tools : three tools were used; tool (I) : Structured questionnaires composed of three parts; part 1 : Socio-demographic characteristics of the patients and the caregivers, part 2 : Caregivers' knowledge questionnaire about the diseases, part 3: Caregivers' practice questionnaire; Tool (II): Zarit Burden Inventory (ZBI), and tool (III): self-efficacy for managing chronic diseases scale.

The main results indicated that; the total level of knowledge, practice, and burden of elderly patient' caregivers in the intervention group improved significantly more than the control group.

The self-efficacy of elderly patients in the intervention group is improved significantly more than the elderly patients in the control group Conclusion : The telenursing strategy is an effective caring method to ensure continuity of home care for older adults following discharge from the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recommendations : Further studies aimed at improving patient awareness using telenursing strategies, empowering their caregivers, and assessing the uses of telenursing in other nursing fields.