[How well do patients' relatives evaluate and understand information provided by the intensive care unit?]

A study was made of the process of providing information to the relatives of critical patients admitted to a polyvalent ICU. Work was carried out by a group of nurses not usually responsible for informing patients or their relatives, which usually is the task of attending physicians. In intensive care, nurses should become more involved in the information process because they are in close contact with patients and their families. The specific objectives of the study were: 1. To study relatives' reaction to and acceptance of the information process. 2. To evaluate their perception of the quality of care. 3. To collect information for developing an information protocol that would assist nurses in communicating with relatives and informing them of the care and needs of the patient. An analysis was made of responses to an opinion survey obtained from the relatives of 180 patients who received medical information daily. The sample consisted of patients admitted on even numbered days. Results were favorable with regard to the level of satisfaction and understanding of the information given to relatives. However, they noted that the lack of privacy and courtesy worsened the perceived quality of care.