Previous Intensive Care Unit Experience Improves Family Satisfaction With Decision-Making: A Survey.
Pei-Yi Wang, Mu-Hsing Ho, Chia-Chin Lin
PMID 41738988WHAT IT FOUND
Family members rated ICU care 85.4 and decision-making 84.5 out of 100.
Families with prior ICU experience were more satisfied with decision-making; families of patients who died reported higher satisfaction.
Key findings
01Family members rated satisfaction with ICU care 85.4 and satisfaction with decision-making 84.5 on a 0 to 100 scale.
02Family members with previous ICU experience reported higher satisfaction with decision-making than family members without such experience.
03Family members of patients who died in the ICU reported higher overall satisfaction and satisfaction with care than family members of patients who survived.
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 conducted at one medical centre, so results may not apply to other ICUs or countries. Participants were referred by the ICU head nurse, which may have favoured agreeable families and inflated satisfaction scores. Family members without high school education were excluded, so it does not represent all families. Not all recruited participants provided valid responses. The survey was cross-sectional and used correlations and group comparisons, so it did not test whether any factor caused satisfaction differences. Data were collected in 2018, before pandemic changes to ICU visitation, communication, and family stress.
Declared interests
The authors report nothing to report and declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that ICU care is excellent or that prior ICU experience causes higher satisfaction. The survey was single centre, used head nurse referral, excluded lower education levels, and collected data before pandemic changes to ICU visiting and communication.