The Effect of the Web-Based Communication between a Nurse and a Family Member on the Perceived Stress of the Family Member of Patients with Suspected or Confirmed COVID-19: A Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial.

Shariati, Esmail; Dadgari, Ali; Talebi, Seyedeh Solmaz; Mahmoodi Shan, Gholam Reza; Ebrahimi, Hossein

The aim of this study was to identify the effect of web-based communication between a nurse and a family member of a patient with COVID-19 on his/her perceived stress. In this multicenter parallel randomized controlled trial, 67 family members of COVID-19 patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) were investigated. In the intervention group, web-based communication was performed for four consecutive days for 10 to 15 minutes. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14) were completed in both groups before and after the intervention. Mean and standard deviation of perceived stress scores in the two groups were not significantly different (p = 0.26) before the intervention; however, after the intervention, the mean PSS-14 in the intervention group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p < 0.001). Due to the need to follow the physical and social distancing to protect against Coronavirus disease, the use of web-based communication recommended in future studies.