Telenursing: How do caregivers treat and prevent pressure injury in bedridden patients during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand? Using an embedded approach

Abstract

Objective

To evaluate telenursing for caregivers (CGs) to treat and prevent pressure injury (PI) in bedridden patients (BPs) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.

Methods

Purposive sampling of 70 CGs [intervention group (i-group): n = 35 and control group (c-group): n = 35)] using an embedded approach was conducted from August 2020 to February 2021. The QUAN data were concurrently collected via online semi-structured interviews (OSIs) and video in-depth interviews (VIIs), then analysed using multivariate analysis of variance and thematic analysis.

Results

The QUAN data showed that CGs treating and preventing PI in BPs has a significant and positive effect (p < 0.01). The qual data illustrates that telenursing for CGs treating and preventing PI in BPs is associated with training and education, skin cleaning, repositioning, monitoring, and assessment of PI during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion and implications

Telenursing for CGs treating and preventing PI in BPs is valuable to the professional consultation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Telenursing can reduce the CG burden, instructing them how to visually examine, clean, monitor, and risk assess the skin of BPs to prevent PIs.