Perception of the interprofessional team on the use of telemedicine in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has boosted the use of telemedicine as a means of communication and knowledge sharing. Objective: To understand real-world experiences through multiple facets of interprofessional interaction regarding the effectiveness of telemedicine in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Methods: A cross-sectional, mixed-methods, exploratory study was conducted using questionnaires and focus group interviews with the ICU team from Itapetininga (SP, Brazil), who had contact with telemedicine during the pandemic period. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS Statistics version 21. Thematic content analysis was performed, and categories were constructed non–a priori, following Bardin’s approach. After the analysis, the data were grouped and, for the final interpretation, structured based on insights from Moscovici’s theory of social representations. Results: The team reported satisfaction with the use of telemedicine, with consistency being the main obstacle to be overcome and integration serving as the key facilitator for its implementation. Conclusion: This study makes a significant contribution to the healthcare field, providing an overview of telemedicine from the perspective of its main stakeholders and revealing potentially modifiable factors that may support better use of this technology. the biggest obstacle to be overcome and integration being the facilitator for its implementation. Conclusion: the work presents a significant contribution to the health sector, and shows an overview of the use of telemedicine from the perspective of its main actors, revealing potentially modifiable factors that will support better use of the technology.