Analyzing clinical and system drivers of satisfaction in the intensive care unit as a component of high quality care.
Kevin Hummel, Zhining Ou, Avani Latchireddi and 2 others
PMID 33383546WHAT IT FOUND
Families who saw a daily plan posted in the ICU room were more likely to report high satisfaction, while families living with the patient reported lower satisfaction.
Illness severity and length of stay did not distinguish satisfied from dissatisfied families.
Key findings
01A posted Plan of the Day was associated with higher family satisfaction. In the adjusted model, the odds of high satisfaction were 3.3 times higher when the plan was posted, and 49.5% of satisfied respondents reported it was posted versus 25.8% of dissatisfied respondents.
02Family members living with the patient were less likely to report high satisfaction, with adjusted odds of 0.5 compared with those who did not live with the patient.
03Clinical indicators of acuity or risk of mortality were not associated with family satisfaction.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Single center, so findings may not apply to other ICUs. Socioeconomic status was not available, so financial burden could not be assessed. The population was mostly White/Caucasian, which may affect generalizability. The Plan of the Day was not a validated tool, and its impact was based on family recall. The study measured associations at one time point, so it cannot show that a posted plan caused higher satisfaction.
Declared interests
The article metadata lists NIH extramural and non-U.S. government research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that posting a Plan of the Day causes higher family satisfaction. This was a survey of family recall in one ICU, and the plan was not tested as a validated intervention.