Infection Prevention Policies and Access to Care

with Host, Marika Warren and special guest,

Dr. Mark Downing, Infectious Disease Specialist, Nova Scotia Health

Discussion Questions:

• How did infection prevention measures impact access to care for patients and loved ones during the pandemic? 

• What were your thoughts and feelings about the effects of infection prevention measures in your personal or professional life during the pandemic? 

• Visitor restrictions have been widely debated – perhaps more than any other infection prevention measure.  

• Why do you think this is the case?  

• How might visitor restrictions impact access to care for the individual patient? 

• Under what circumstances do you think visitor restrictions are justified?  

• Discuss the different competing priorities between the individual patient’s autonomy, obligations towards roommates or other patients, and protection of workforce. 

Hartigan I, Kelleher A, McCarthy J, Cornally N. Visitor restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic: An ethical case study. Nursing Ethics. 2021;28(7-8):1111-1123. doi:10.1177/09697330211005078  https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09697330211005078  

Campbell L, Morley G. The Ethical Complexity of Restricting Visitors during the COVID-19 Pandemic, BMJ Quality & Safety 2023;32:689-692. https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/32/12/689.full