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| Themes | Description | Illustrative quotes |
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| Needs met by family members during pandemic lockdown | Family members ensured patient’s basic needs (grocery shopping, medications, supplies) of patients were met; very few reported struggling to access food, medications, or supplies | “We just stayed where we were at home, we didn’t need to go out. The kids did the grocery shoppinactg and everything. I wasn’t in a grocery store for weeks. They did everything for us.” [PatientID5]
“My son does the grocery shopping for me.” [PatientID8]
“We’ve been supporting her through picking all the groceries up, doing all that, taking her to multiple doctor’s appointments, so it’s not like she didn’t have any help or support.” [CaregiverID12] |
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Pandemic lockdown was challenging due to social isolation created by restrictions
Subtheme: social isolation for some resulted in loneliness | Pandemic restrictions resulted in physical separation from others; lack of social interactions/contact with others; forced isolation was perceived as something they had no control over and could not resolve. For most who noted social isolation as a challenge, they missed the people and social activities they normally engaged in.
Subtheme: some patients who described social isolation as challenging described a profound sense of loneliness as a result. For some, social isolation and loneliness resulted in depression | “I think it’s the lack of social interaction. We do have a very nice place to sit out on the porch, and being outdoors like that when the weather is good. We’ve had people come by and wave to us and talk to us from sidewalk, but it’s not same as when you really get together to talk.” [PatientID2]
“Being able to be with people…I’ve lost that sort of community with my friends, and other people, just people in the stores across the road because you get to know them so well and then you can’t be there, and I’m sure they feel the same way, they’re losing their customers for so long.” [PatientID17]
“I felt, I don’t know how to explain this to you, lonely. … I think it was just the loneliness I suppose, how I felt at the time… My brother came over twice. Very lonely. I guess depression. I covered my face with the mask. I didn’t cook all the time. Really very lonely.” [PatientID4]
“I think that [patient] underplays the toll that [social isolation] taking mentally, because normally she’s out 3-4 times a week you know… We’ve seen her become quite depressed because she’s feeling so lonely. It’s been quite the adjustment because she was so active before all this.” [CaregiverID25] |
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| Outreach calls generated a sense of feeling cared for, valued, and not forgotten | There was gratitude for the outreach telephone calls as it as it made patients and caregivers feel that they were valued, respected, and that their health professional was concerned and care enough about them check-in with them | “I felt like he wasn’t forgotten, that somebody remembered we existed even though we were locked away.” [CaregiverID3]
“It made my heart was so happy and I was so proud to get [a call] because I felt [physician] and the nurses, I felt they cared and that someone cared for us, and that just made me feel so good. The rest of the day I felt good because someone cared.” [PatientID13]
“Well it was nice for them to think of me, and of course all the other people that are house bound and so on. It just made me feel good to think that they were considering that as well… I think for them to be concerned about their patients shows some respect and support.” [PatientID7] |
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| Reassurance that health care was available if needed | The outreach call reassured patients and caregivers that health care was available, which was particularly relevant as many did not know that they could access their care providers, assuming the medical centre was closed and inaccessible. Many who were not aware they could access care were those who did not have Internet or e–mail access | “I thought they were not open for visits. I didn’t know you could call them….So that was good to know.” [CaregiveriD16]
“It was nice of them to take the time. And to let us know that they were still there and would be there for us if we needed it. That was reassuring.” [patient ID21]
“We don’t have like a computer or any of that electronic stuff like that and we don’t even have a cell phone …We didn’t know that there was someone at the doctor’s office we could call… So we don’t know what’s going on unless someone tells us. So that was good thing to know in case we got sick.” [PatientID13] |
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| Access to trusted information about the virus and virus prevention | Outreach calls provided information about the virus, which was particularly valued by those who were not Internet connected. Patients were reassured that they were doing all the right things to prevent infection. The centre was considered a reliable, trusted source for information on infection prevention | “It seemed like the rules about what you should and shouldn’t do [infection prevention] were different depending on who you listened to, so it was good to hear it from the doctor’s office.” [CaregiverID3]
“How to stay safe. It was good to talk to them about what we should and shouldn’t be doing.” [PatientID18]
“I had already inquired, I forget where it was, and knew what we had to do and what was going to happen, and then [nurse] just verified that what I was told was all right and that what we were doing was good. That made us feel so much better, because you don’t want to get sick and then find out you weren’t supposed be doing something or should’ve been doing something else.” [PatientID11] |
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| Patients and caregivers were comfortable with discussing health/situation on the telephone | Discussing their health care or life situation over the telephone was not uncomfortable; having established relationships with care providers contributed to their comfort level | “I know everyone at the center and I feel comfortable talking to them on the telephone if I have an issue.” [PatientID26]
“I’ve known [physician] for a long time so I felt comfortable enough.” [PatientID22]
The doctor did phone us when he had an appointment, we made a visit phone call and we had various questions and talked. And you know, he was excellent…. Yea, I felt really comfortable.” [PatientID23] |
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