Ethical problems in nursing teleconsultations for people living with HIV during the Covid-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objectives: to understand the ethical problems experienced by primary health care nurses in using nursing teleconsultations for people living with the human immunodeficiency virus during the coronavirus pandemic. Methods: qualitative research, anchored in Constructivist Grounded Theory. Data was collected between July and September 2020, with 17 participants. Results: the first category highlights the ethical problems in conducting teleconsultations, managing high demand, communication barriers, and risks related to data security. The second emphasizes the potential of teleconsultations in communication and access, by generating changes in the work process and the use of protocols to guide clinical practice. Conclusions: nurses’ work in digital mode requires professional qualification, with a view to stimulating reflection on teleconsultation practice, ethical-moral deliberation and combating stigma, and also adopting data security-centered conduct.