ABSTRACT
Public health emergencies create challenges for the accommodation of visitors to hospitals and other care facilities. To mitigate the spread of COVID-19 early in the pandemic, health care institutions implemented severe visitor restrictions, many remaining in place more than 2 years, producing serious unintended harms. Visitor restrictions have been associated with social isolation and loneliness, worse physical and mental health outcomes, impaired or delayed decision-making, and dying alone. Patients with disabilities, communication challenges, and cognitive or psychiatric impairments are particularly vulnerable without caregiver presence. This paper critically examines the justifications for, and harms imposed by, visitor restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic and offers ethical guidance on family caregiving, support, and visitation during public health emergencies. Visitation policies must be guided by ethical principles; incorporate the best available scientific evidence; recognize the invaluable roles of caregivers and loved ones; and involve relevant stakeholders, including physicians, who have an ethical duty to advocate for patients and families during public health crises. Visitor policies should be promptly revised as new evidence emerges regarding benefits and risks in order to prevent avoidable harms.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , COVID-19/epidemiology , Public Health , Pandemics/prevention & control , Emergencies , Hospitals , Delivery of Health Care , Family/psychologyABSTRACT
Frontline health-care workers experienced moral injury long before COVID-19, but the pandemic highlighted how pervasive and damaging this psychological harm can be. Moral injury occurs when individuals violate or witness violations of deeply held values and beliefs. We argue that a continuum exists between moral distress, moral injury, and burnout. Distinguishing these experiences highlights opportunities for intervention and moral repair, and may thwart progression to burnout.