Video-Based Patient Rounds for Caregivers of Patients With Cancer

Purpose: To investigate caregivers’ experiences and level of involvement with video-based patient rounds.

Participants & Setting: 17 caregivers of patients with cancer at Odense University Hospitals in Denmark.

Methodologic Approach: Field observation and semistructured interviews were employed. Interpretative phenomenologic analysis was used for data analysis. 17 interviews with caregivers and 190 hours of observations were conducted.

Findings: Video-based patient rounds made it possible for caregivers to attend without being physically present at the hospital. This allowed flexibility in caregivers’ daily lives. However, caregivers also noted limitations in the use of video, particularly when conversations with healthcare professionals included serious messages. In that context, physical presence was preferred.

Implications for Nursing: This study highlights the importance caregivers place on involvement and how video-based patient rounds allow caregivers to participate without being physically present at the hospital. The structure of video-based patient rounds and the topic of conversation should be considered.