Behind Closed Doors - Patients' And Relatives' Experiences Of Social Contact During Source Isolation

Behind closed doors: Patients' and relatives' experiences of social contact during source isolation. Background: Patients are isolated in single rooms when admitted with a contagious disease. Studies have shown that source isolation affects social contact and can lead to patients suffering from anxiety and depression. Purpose: To gain a deeper insight into how patients and their relatives experience social contact during source isolation. Method: The study included individual interviewswith seven patients and five relatives. Data was analysed and interpreted by means of qualitative content analysis. Findings: Four themes were identified: (1) The dual meaning of the single room - between freedom and limitation, (2) Risk of contamination changes the physical and social contact - inside and outside the single room, (3) Care interactions - between presence and distance, (4) Concerns and responsibility experienced by the relatives. Conclusion: The single roominfluenced the experience of social contact for both patients and their relatives by creating a private room. However, it also created limitations in the contact to the healthcare professionals and the outside world. The risk of contagious disease changed the body experience and lead to physical distance among relatives, inside as well as outside the room. Finally, the study provided insight into the relatives' perspectives, particularly their responsibilities and concerns.