City Research Online

Abstract

AIM: To explore the perspectives of clinicians' decision-making processes and considerations in line with the Choosing Wisely principles during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DESIGN: An exploratory qualitative approach was used.

METHODS: Data were collected via semi-structured interviews to encourage participants to discuss their own experience in making clinical decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 12 clinicians from across disciplines were interviewed to reach data saturation. Interview data were analysed considering the Choosing Wisely principles.

RESULTS: Five main themes as they relate to clinician decision-making emerged and included; prioritizing care and treatment, uncertainty regarding best practice as a result of rapidly changing guidelines, organizational challenges to clinical decision-making, the use of telehealth and enabling consumer engagement with health services.

CONCLUSION: Despite the disruption caused by COVID-19, clinicians were mindful of necessary care and worked to ensure that core care was not compromised during the first wave of the pandemic. The need for clinicians to protect both their own safety and that of their colleagues arose as an additional factor that influenced clinicians' decision-making process during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	© 2023 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Publisher Keywords:	COVID-19; Choosing Wisely, shared decision making; clinician decision making; interview; nursing practice
Subjects:	R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Healthcare Services Research & Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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