Table 1.

Potential advantages and disadvantages of an open visiting policy.

	Advantages	Disadvantages	Scandinavian Experience during COVID-19 pandemic
For patients	More patient satisfaction; Promoting patient recovery by reducing stress; Positive psychological effect; Positive effects on vital signs, decreased ICU length of stay, less delirium	Patient not getting enough rest; nurses may have less time for patients; harmful physiologic consequences	Individual considerations must be considered;
For families	Less stress; less anxiety; improved communication with the healthcare team, engagement in patients’ care	Family members become exhausted and feel obligated to stay	Restricted access to loved ones; worse grieving (impossibility to say ‘Good-bye”)
For healthcare providers	Higher job satisfaction due to family members’ positive feedback; improved communication with families, improvement in nursing care due to better knowledge of patients’ values and preferences	Burnout; less time on direct patients’ care; More conflicts	Additional workload to supply family absence, less knowledge of patients’ values, increased stress, regret.