ABSTRACT
Transferring knowledge to the clinic is a complex process and involves more than disseminating or communicating research results;it implies the planning and implementation of strategies to identify target audiences, such as clinicians, managers, policy agents, and consumers. In this reflection article, the authors aim to discuss challenges to be transferring knowledge and ‘qualitative evidence’ in the virtual world and promote the debate about strategies for disseminating qualitative research online. This text results from the dialogue between the researchers’ concerns, their experiences, and the literature on the subject. The situation caused by SARS-CoV-2 made it clear that there are clear challenges to using qualitative research methods and techniques in the online modality, from the design to the implementation of knowledge. The complexity of the processes experienced by people has increased the need for in-depth qualitative studies to make clear the influence of context, constraints and adaptations resulting from the pandemic on human existence, but also has made it clear that the methods and techniques of data collection that were traditionally developed in the field need a different methodological approach to be carried out in an online modality. On the other hand, the implementation of knowledge in clinical settings can be achieved with virtual strategies, but it also implies collaborative work between researchers and clinical professionals. We conclude that there is a need to study the use of methods and techniques traditionally used in the context for its use either in online modality or to explore the virtual world. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
People admitted to hospitals are vulnerable to experiencing care continuity loss when there are alterations in their health condition or when they are transferred between care institutions. This is a challenge for health systems to guarantee the execution of a set of actions whose objective is ensuring care continuity between different care levels. This studied aimed to understand the influence of the current pandemic on the continuity of care between the hospital and the community. The participants were five nurses, who gave free and informed consent to participate. Content analysis was the technique used in data analysis. Data anonymity and confidentiality were ensured, and the data was coded without identifying customers and their families. An ethic commission authorized the study. The findings shows that transitional care has become a missing care during the pandemic, due to the need to reorganize the services and teams to provide care to the COVID patients and by the limitations of visits to hospitalized elderly. Professionals note that not only the discharge preparation and caregiver training were affected, but also communication with primary health care became more difficult, with clear defragmentation in the transitional care. In the professionals’ discourse, the need to rethink ways of ensuring continuity of care emerges, with e-health interventions being seen as an opportunity to ensure the safety of the elderly and their caregivers, the articulation with colleagues in primary health care and continuity of rehabilitation care. Despite the limitations of the study, several recommendations for the clinic and investigation emerge. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.