Table 2. Transition-related communication disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What communication was disrupted?	How was communication disrupted?	Communication sender/receiver?	What was the impact of disruption?
During discharge planning in hospital
communication about patient’s status and needs	rounds without visual communication/tools	hospital interprofessional team	discharge planning not as productive
communication about patient’s care plans, status and needs	personal protective equipment made it difficult to communicate (lack of non-verbal cues, reduced sound)	hospital providers and patient	difficult for providers to assess patient’s level of function and plan for their care needs after discharge
communication about patient’s care plans, status and needs discharge instructions/resources	due to restricted visitor policies, communication occurred by email or phone	from hospital providers to caregivers	rapport/trust between caregiver and provider caregivers less prepared to assist patient providers unclear whether caregivers received/understood information additional administrative tasks and time to providers workload, direct reduced patient care time
referrals to community services	unclear whether resource/service was still available and referrals were received	from hospital to community providers	patients may not receive needed community resource/service
After discharge home from hospital
7-day follow-up	due to restricted in-person visits providers had to selectively determine which patients had to be seen in hospital versus virtual care -patients and caregivers were not always willing to attend in-person visits	community provider and patient	greater risk of misdiagnosis patients had decreased care-seeking behaviour virtual care provided alternative to in-person visits and quicker follow-up
patients’ willingness to seeking care	patients and caregivers unwilling to seek in-person care when symptoms arise due to fearing getting COVID-19 from healthcare institution/provider	patient, hospital and/or community provider	patients may not identify adverse events and can lead to poor management of care needs and overall poor health status
community services/resources	patients and caregivers declining community services and resources	patient, caregiver, community providers	caregivers having to take on more responsibilities patient’s health can decline reduced opportunity to recognize adverse symptoms