Hospitals adopt ‘relative management’ strategies to reduce stress among kin

Nagpur: The increasing incidents of violence by kin of Covid patients has prompted hospital managements to take up ‘relative management’ programmes, to ensure free flow of communication and alleviate their stress and fears.
In the backdrop of violence targeting doctors and damaging hospital property, systems are being put in place to ensure the relatives are well aware about the clinical status of patients on a regular basis. Communication gaps and miscommunication were found to be the most common causes that triggered violence against the medical fraternity.
AIIMS Nagpur has formed a ‘patient relative management committee’, with staffers including doctors and paramedical staffers, to cater to the queries of patients’ relatives. “Different teams have been formed, who are present in two shifts, starting from 8am to 10pm,” said a source.
“The patients’ kin have been provided helpline number of the committee, whose function is to gather information, updates and developments of a patients, including oxygen level, Remdesivir doses and possible discharge, and pass them on,” he said adding that such transparency helps gain faith and confidence of the patients.
Niranjan Joshi, spokesperson of Alexis Multispecialty hospital, said his institution follows a stringent pattern of information dispensation, as it is a jointly commissioned international accredited hospital. “Every patient is admitted under a primary consultant, who is also the ‘care-giver’. The consultant is solely responsible for relaying health updates of every patient to his kin essentially on a timely basis,” he said. “We also arrange for audio-visual counselling sessions for the patients,” said Joshi.
Dr Anup Marar of Orange City Hospital and Research Institute said a dedicated spokesperson has been nominated to relay status updates of a patient to his or her relatives on regular basis. “The spokesperson collects information about a patient from different specialists and relay it to the authorized relative of the patient whose number would be mentioned on the consent form,” he said.
Dr Prashant Jagptap of Viveka Hospital said there are three special counselling teams for relaying health updates of a patient to his or her relatives once a day. “Our special counselling team relays information to each relative, and mentions in the record if someone was not contactable,” said Dr Jagtap.
“All the information is always cross-checked by the seniormost doctor or intensivist or attending experts. We have also taken relatives of serious patients in PPE kits to meet their relatives,” said Dr Jagtap, adding that even relatives of non-Covid patients are routinely updated about their status.