Feasibility and Acceptability of a Novel Intensive Care Unit Communication Intervention ("Let's Talk") and Initial Assessment Using the Multiple Goals Theory of Communication.
Lauren J Van Scoy, Allison M Scott, Jacob Higgins and 4 others
PMID 37173285WHAT IT FOUND
Family members of ICU patients found the Let’s Talk comic-style workbook helpful for preparing for family meetings, especially emotional prompts.
Some disliked the comic style or writing. It was not tested as an intervention that improves outcomes.
Key findings
01Interviews with 9 family members found the workbook helped them organize thoughts and prepare questions before ICU family meetings.
02Six of 9 family members chose the comic version, but some disliked the comic style or found writing difficult.
03Communication-quality coding of 17 ICU family meetings was feasible, with high coder agreement and some differences between clinicians and family members.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was done at one academic ICU center, so it may not apply to other units or patient groups. The intended pilot comparison was stopped early for low enrollment and pandemic logistics, so it cannot say whether the workbook works. Only 9 family members were interviewed, and only 17 usable meeting recordings were coded, so the results are preliminary. Participants were mostly White and female, and families already open to end-of-life conversations may have been more likely to take part. The study did not compare the comic and text versions quantitatively, and it did not report clinician views of the workbook. No family distress, decision quality, or patient outcomes were measured.
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest. The work was funded by a Society for Critical Care Medicine Discovery Research Grant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that Let’s Talk improves ICU family meetings or reduces family distress. The study stopped before intervention comparisons and measured no patient or family outcomes.