Table 3 Changes in communication habits in adult ICUs regarding physician-family and patient-family communication
| Â | Prepandemic | First pandemic wave | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
Use of electronic devices for physician - family communication - n (%) | 123 (75) | 191 (95) | < 0.001 |
Kind of electronic device used | /123 | /191 | < 0.001 |
Voice call - no. (%) | 108 (88) | 152 (75) | |
Video call - no. (%) | 21 (17) | 105 (52) | |
Other device - no. (%) | 10 (8) | 11 (5) | |
Communication with families occurs | > 0.999 | ||
 Daily - no. (%) | 162 (99.4) | 199 (98.5) | |
 2–3 times per week - no. (%) | 1 (0.6) | 2 (1) | |
 For major events only - no. (%) | 0 | 1 (0.5) | |
Who gives information to the family members? | 0.197 | ||
 Mainly the same person - no. (%) | 31 (19) | 43 (21) | |
 Mainly the same persons - no. (%) | 63 (39) | 60 (30) | |
 Whoever was in charge of the patient - no. (%) | 69 (42) | 99 (49) | |
Physician’s giving information are | 0.166 | ||
 experienced in communication - no. (%) | 115 (71) | 128 (63) | |
 both experienced and not experienced - no. (%) | 48 (29) | 74 (37) | |
The doctor gives information: | < 0.001 | ||
 mainly to the same family member - no. (%) | 53 (33) | 116 (57) | |
 mainly to the same family members - no. (%) | 82 (50) | 75 (37) | |
 to any family member - no. (%) | 26 (16) | 8 (4) | |
 to anyone - no. (%) | 2 (1) | 3 (2) | |
Use of electronic devices for patient- family communication - n (%) | 83 (51) | 162 (80) | < 0.001 |
Patients have free access to personal electronic devices - n (%) | 101 (62) | 188 (93) | < 0.001 |
Communication between patient and family occurs | < 0.001 | ||
 Daily - no. (%) | 147 (90) | 132 (65) | |
 2–3 times per week - no. (%) | 7 (4.5) | 33 (16) | |
 On occasion - no. (%) | 7 (4.5) | 25 (12) | |
 Never - no. (%) | 2 (1) | 12 (6) | |