Connecting to (Re)connect: Video Calling as a Resource to Unite Families and Children in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit During the COVID-19 Era

Abstract

Video calling emerged as an important resource during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) to reconnect child and family, bringing the possibility of communication even during isolation. The objective of this study was to understand the experiences of families who communicated with their children through video calls during isolation by COVID-19 in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). This was a qualitative study employing the theory of symbolic interactionism and the research method of grounded theory, with 14 families of children in PICU who used video calling as a communication resource. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The analysis revealed the main category of “Connecting to (re)connect: Video calling as a resource to unite families and children in PICU in the COVID-19 era,” from which a theoretical model explaining the experience was built. Video calling is an important resource to mitigate the effects of family–child separation during hospitalization, and its use is encouraged in other contexts.