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Table 2 Themes and sub-themes generated from the information obtained from the 138 websites of nursing, palliative and hospice facilities in the German federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Bavaria

From: “We are taking every precaution to do our part…”: a comparative analysis of nursing, palliative and hospice care facilities’ websites during the COVID-19 pandemic

Themes

Subthemes

Inpatients

Outpatients

Palliative and hospice care

The strategies developed at the institutional level

Official regulations

• Compliance with the regulations of local and regional authorities

• General hygiene measures and rules

• Ban on visits to health care facilities

• Compliance with the regulations of local and regional authorities

• General hygiene measures and rules

• Compliance with the regulations of local and regional authorities

• General hygiene measures and rules

• Ban on visits to care facilities

Reassured the vulnerable

• Protection of employees and outpatients

• Medical supplies and equipment

• Establishment of a crisis team evaluating the current situation on a daily basis

• Recruiting additional staff

• Cancellation of all events

• Taking steps based on the evaluation of daily developments

• Postponement of individual diagnostic measures and therapeutic interventions at short notice, except for urgent operations

• Protection of employees and outpatients

• Taking steps based on the evaluation of daily developments

• Recruiting additional staff

• Continuity in care service but restrictions on daily routines

• Protection of employees and patients

• Taking steps based on the evaluation of daily developments

• Recruiting additional staff

• Cancellation of activities and courses

• Continuity in emergency medical operations

Circulating up-to-date information

• Sharing up-to-date information between health care providers and stakeholders

• Sharing up-to-date information between health care providers and stakeholders

• Sharing up-to-date information between health care providers and stakeholders

Technology-supported tools for communication

• Options for communication and counselling

• Options for communication and counselling

• Options for communication and counselling

Clarified COVID-19-related information

• General information and FAQs (multilingual)

• Links for further information

• General information and FAQs

• Links for further information

• General information and FAQs (multilingual)

• Links for further information

Emotional booster efforts

 

• Appreciation of employees (to increase motivation)

• Calls for emotional solidarity

• Organisation of some activities for employees and inpatients

• Supports from local and regional companies

• Continuity in religious services

• Accessibility of a pastor by telephone

• Appreciation of employees (to increase motivation)

• Calls for emotional solidarity

• Appreciation of employees (to increase motivation)

• Calls for emotional solidarity

• Supports from local and regional companies

• Continuity in religious services

• Accessibility to a pastor by telephone

Ethical guidelines for the pandemic agenda

Technology-aided health monitoring

• Transparency

• Anonymised data or data logging for less than three months

• Transparency

• Anonymised data or data logging for less than three months

• Transparency

• Data logging for less than three months

Supporting the grieving

• Special arrangements for visiting patients in exceptional cases

• Decision making about seriously ill patients

 

• Special arrangements for visiting patients in exceptional cases

• Decision-making about seriously ill patients