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Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: evaluation study on self-perceived competences and views of health care professionals.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Schlögl, M; Singler, K; Martinez-Velilla, N; Jan, S; Bischoff-Ferrari, HA; Roller-Wirnsberger, RE; Attier-Zmudka, J; Jones, CA; Miot, S; Gordon, AL
Published in: Eur Geriatr Med
December 2021

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to describe communication experiences while wearing a mask during COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, to identify possible mask-related barriers to COVID-19-adapted communications and to investigate whether the ABC mnemonic (A: attend mindfully; B: behave calmly; C: communicate clearly) might address these. METHODS: This study was a cross-sectional, voluntary, web-based survey between January and February 2021. A 22-item survey was developed using the Surveymonkey platform and question styles were varied to include single choice and Likert scales. The respondents were also asked to view a short video presentation, which outlined the ABC mnemonic. CHERRIES (Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys) was used to ensure completeness of reporting. Diverging stacked bar charts were created to illustrate Likert scale responses. RESULTS: We received 226 responses. The respondents were mostly women (60.2%) and the majority worked in a teaching hospital (64.6%). The majority of the respondents indicated issues related to lack of time during clinical encounters, uncertainty about how to adapt communication, lack of personal protective equipment, lack of communication skills and lack of information about how to adapt their own communication skills. In addition, the participants indicated acknowledging emotions and providing information using clear, specific, unambiguous, and consistent lay language while wearing a mask were among the main communication challenges created during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, the study showed significantly improved self-perceived competency regarding key communication after watching the short video presentation. CONCLUSION: Effective communication in medical encounters requires both verbal and nonverbal skills.

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Published In

Eur Geriatr Med

DOI

ISSN

1878-7649

Publication Date

December 2021

Volume

12

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1181 / 1190

Location

Switzerland

Related Subject Headings

  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Pandemics
  • Humans
  • Health Personnel
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Communication
  • COVID-19
  • 4203 Health services and systems
  • 3202 Clinical sciences
 

Citation

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Schlögl, M., Singler, K., Martinez-Velilla, N., Jan, S., Bischoff-Ferrari, H. A., Roller-Wirnsberger, R. E., … Gordon, A. L. (2021). Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: evaluation study on self-perceived competences and views of health care professionals. Eur Geriatr Med, 12(6), 1181–1190. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-021-00532-1
Schlögl, Mathias, Katrin Singler, Nicolas Martinez-Velilla, Schildmann Jan, Heike A. Bischoff-Ferrari, Regina Elisabeth Roller-Wirnsberger, Jadwiga Attier-Zmudka, Christopher A. Jones, Stéphanie Miot, and Adam L. Gordon. “Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: evaluation study on self-perceived competences and views of health care professionals.Eur Geriatr Med 12, no. 6 (December 2021): 1181–90. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-021-00532-1.
Schlögl M, Singler K, Martinez-Velilla N, Jan S, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Roller-Wirnsberger RE, et al. Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: evaluation study on self-perceived competences and views of health care professionals. Eur Geriatr Med. 2021 Dec;12(6):1181–90.
Schlögl, Mathias, et al. “Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: evaluation study on self-perceived competences and views of health care professionals.Eur Geriatr Med, vol. 12, no. 6, Dec. 2021, pp. 1181–90. Pubmed, doi:10.1007/s41999-021-00532-1.
Schlögl M, Singler K, Martinez-Velilla N, Jan S, Bischoff-Ferrari HA, Roller-Wirnsberger RE, Attier-Zmudka J, Jones CA, Miot S, Gordon AL. Communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: evaluation study on self-perceived competences and views of health care professionals. Eur Geriatr Med. 2021 Dec;12(6):1181–1190.
Journal cover image

Published In

Eur Geriatr Med

DOI

ISSN

1878-7649

Publication Date

December 2021

Volume

12

Issue

6

Start / End Page

1181 / 1190

Location

Switzerland

Related Subject Headings

  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Pandemics
  • Humans
  • Health Personnel
  • Female
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Communication
  • COVID-19
  • 4203 Health services and systems
  • 3202 Clinical sciences