Enhancing psychological support and communication in intensive care unit data transmission

Dear Editor,

We have read with great attention and interest the article "Clinical data transmission in intensive care unit: what have we learned from COVID-19?" by Pota et al. We believe that the authors have addressed a very important clinical and ethical aspect regarding the transmission of clinical data. The pandemic has taught us that unforeseen emergent events are still possible and that the global healthcare and economic systems may not be adequately prepared to respond. We agree that, to date, there is no precise regulation on the transmission of patient-related clinical data to families. This includes challenges such as identifying the appropriate recipient, the lack of qualified personnel for medical communication, and the use of uncertified channels that neglect data protection regulations. Additionally, we wish to draw attention to another crucial aspect: psychological support. Healthcare personnel often find themselves communicating severe clinical evaluations and sometimes unfavorable treatment outcomes. Some of the main challenges faced daily by operators in intensive care contexts involve continuous exposure to severe physical and psychological suffering, navigating uncertainty and unpredictability, and balancing the needs of the patient with those of their family. The complexity of current technological aspects introduces new challenges in this scenario. The lack of in-person communication could weaken the trust and empathy that should exist between healthcare personnel and the family. [...]