Background:

Use of isolation precautions (IP) may represent a trade-off between reduced transmission of infectious pathogens and reduced patient satisfaction with their care.

Objective:

Perform a systematic literature review and meta-analysis to identify if and how IPs impact patients’ care experiences.

Data sources:

MEDLINE, ClinicalTrials.gov, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, PsychInfo, HSRProj, and the Cochrane Library databases.

Study eligibility criteria:

Interventional and observational studies published January 1990 to May 2019 were eligible for inclusion.

Participants:

Patients admitted to an acute-care facility.

Interventions:

Isolation precautions versus no isolation precautions.

Methods:

Six reviewers screened titles, abstracts, and full-texts. Experience of care reported by patients using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey was assessed as the outcome for the meta-analysis. Pooled odds ratios were calculated using the random effects model. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 value.

Results:

After screening 7,073 titles and abstracts, 15 independent studies were included in the review. Pooling of unadjusted estimates from the HCAHPS survey demonstrated that IP patients were less likely to give top scores on questions pertaining to respect, communication, receiving assistance, and cleanliness compared with the no IP patients. Patients under IP with longer length of stay appeared to have more negative experiences with the care received during their stay compared with no IP.

Conclusions:

Patients under IP were more likely to be dissatisfied with several aspects of patient care compared with patients not under IP. It is crucial to educate patients and healthcare workers in order to balance successful implementation of IP and patient care experiences, particularly in healthcare settings where it may be beneficial.