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. 2022 Jul 8;21(1):181.
doi: 10.1186/s12912-022-00946-7.

Use of digital technologies to combat loneliness and social isolation: a cross-sectional study in Swiss outpatient care during COVID-19 pandemic

Sabrina Stängle  1 , Franzisca Domeisen Benedetti  1 , Hannele Hediger  1 , Mathias Bonmarin  2 , Martin Loeser  3 , André Fringer  4
Affiliations

Use of digital technologies to combat loneliness and social isolation: a cross-sectional study in Swiss outpatient care during COVID-19 pandemic

Sabrina Stängle et al. BMC Nurs. .

Abstract

Background: There is limited data on the use of digital technologies in outpatient care in Switzerland. Our objectives were therefore to determine which digital technologies are used and whether they had an impact on loneliness and social isolation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a convenience sample of 1272 outpatient care providers in Switzerland. The questionnaire used is based on an unsystematic literature review and a previous qualitative study with six outpatient caregivers and two caring relatives, based on which the 30 items for this questionnaire were developed. Data were analyzed descriptively, and group comparisons were made using the Kruskal Wallis test. Changes over time were measured using Friedman test with Bonferroni post hoc tests and Wilcoxon test for paired samples.

Results: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was evident both on the part of the health care system, e.g., inadequate protective equipment; on the part of health care providers, e.g., increasing fatigue in keeping abreast of the virus as the pandemic progressed; and on the part of clients, who reduced services of care, e.g., out of fear of infection. According to the assessment of the outpatient caregivers, loneliness and social isolation of the clients was high in spring 2020 and increased strongly in the following winter. Alternative solutions, such as digital technologies, were hardly used or not used at all by the clients.

Conclusions: The results suggest that the pandemic is dramatically impacting clients. This highlights the urgent need to invest in the development of appropriate digital technologies reducing the impact of social isolation and loneliness and the associated long-term costs to the healthcare system.

Keywords: Ambulatory care; COVID-19 pandemic; Digital technologies; Survey; Switzerland.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing or conflict of interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study flow chart
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Response rate within the seven regions and Switzerland. Legend: Some participants (n = 14 total; n = 6 public outpatient care, n = 2 private outpatient care, and n = 6 freelance outpatient care) did not provide information on the region. Source: Map of Tschubby [36] with information on outpatient care provided by the authors
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Digital technologies used in outpatient care
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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