Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40598118›Full record

ArticleBMC palliative care2025

The impacts of visitor restrictions for palliative patients during the COVID-19 pandemic on family members and healthcare providers: a Canadian qualitative study.

Natasha Hanson, Leanne Skerry, Morgan Nesbitt, Tracy Freeze, Robin Williams, Emily Love, Julia Wildish

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC palliative care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Natasha HansonResearch Services, Horizon Health Network, Saint John, Canada. natasha.hanson@horizonnb.ca.
Leanne SkerryResearch Services, Horizon Health Network, Saint John, Canada.
Morgan NesbittResearch Services, Horizon Health Network, Saint John, Canada.
Tracy FreezeResearch Services, Horizon Health Network, Saint John, Canada.
Robin WilliamsPalliative Care, Division of Pediatric Palliative Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Western University and Children's Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, London, Canada.
Emily LovePalliative Care, Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network, Saint John, Canada.
Julia WildishPalliative Care, Saint John Regional Hospital, Horizon Health Network, Saint John, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVisitor restrictions to healthcare facilities were enacted throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and changed over time. Further research on the consequences of restrictions, particularly in relation to palliative care and from multiple key stakeholder perspectives, is needed. We investigated the impact of COVID-19 visitor restrictions on family members of patients with a life limiting diagnosis or who received palliative care during the pandemic, and health care providers (HCPs) for patients with life limiting diagnoses within New Brunswick, Canada.

methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 family members and 11 HCPs. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to allow for the inductive generation of themes from the qualitative data, while investigating and comparing participants' experiences.

resultsThe analysis found that HCP and family member themes had a great deal of similarities. The themes developed for family members were: Visitor restrictions have negative impacts on palliative patients and their families; Visitor restrictions impacted patient-family care decisions and timing; Family members had more positive experiences when a patient-centred approach to care was used; Exceptions need to be made when it comes to palliative care and visitation; COVID restrictions didn't make sense; and, COVID led to healthcare providers being further overextended. HCP themes developed were: COVID restrictions and policies impacted satisfaction with work life; The impact of not visiting on families was terrible; HCP had to figure out new ways of providing care; We believe that patients need their families; Patients are lonely and miss family; Weren't always made clearly aware of the changes happening in hospital visitor restrictions; and, COVID restrictions led to people keeping loved ones at home.

conclusionsResults unveiled dynamic relationships between HCPs and family members, whose perspectives on the impacts of visitor restrictions overlapped. Main findings emphasized the overall negative impacts of visitor restrictions and a clear need to enact policies with a particular focus on understanding the need for a flexible patient and family-centred approach and quality of life considerations. Clear and consistent communication with all stakeholders regarding policies is recommended, as well as consistent exceptions for patients with life-limiting diagnoses.

Indexed as

COVID-19FamilyHealth PersonnelPalliative CareVisitors to PatientsAdultAgedCanadaFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedNew BrunswickPandemicsQualitative ResearchCanadaCOVID-19 pandemicEnd-of-life careHealthcare policyLife-limited diagnosesPalliative carePandemic challengesQualitative researchVisitor restrictions

Identifiers

PMID40598118
PMCPMC12217996

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.