Caring for Families of Patients With Acquired Brain Injury Early During Hospitalization: A Feasibility Study of the SAFIR© Intervention.
Véronique de Goumoëns, Krystel Bruyere, Dionys Rutz and 5 others
PMID 39268852WHAT IT FOUND
Nurse-led early family meetings for families of patients with acquired brain injury were feasible and valued, but the study was small and showed only limited outcome effects, so it cannot prove the intervention improves care.
Key findings
01Five families participated, all remained until completion (100% retention), and all family members reported positive experiences.
02Measured family outcomes showed limited efficacy, with trends toward better Approach Coping and Family Functioning.
03Protocol fidelity varied over time: it was 94% in Phase 1, 78% in Phase 3, and 54% at follow-up.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Only five families participated, and there was no comparison group, so changes cannot be attributed to SAFIR. The sample was all stroke patients, so it does not show feasibility for families of people with traumatic brain injury. Pandemic restrictions interrupted recruitment and limited family access, and only 18% of eligible patients and their families were recruited. Protocol fidelity dropped over time, and follow-up fidelity was 54%, mainly because remote contact was difficult. The study was not powered to test efficacy, and the family outcome scores had no established threshold for clinically meaningful change.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. They disclosed receipt of financial support for the research, authorship, and publication, but the supplied text does not name the funder or describe its role.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that SAFIR improves family outcomes or should replace usual care. This was a feasibility study with five families, no comparison group, limited efficacy on measured family outcomes, and pandemic-related recruitment and follow-up problems, so it cannot show that the intervention caused improvement.