Families' interactions with physicians in the intensive care unit: the impact on family's satisfaction

The objective of this study is to correlate the levels of satisfaction of family members, with their perception of the way information was offered and assistance delivered during the patient's stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).

This is a prospective study conducted in a 13-bed mixed ICU in a tertiary cancer. Family members were enrolled 2 days after admission if the patient remained in the ICU. Questions derived from a previous study assessed the quality of the information and support received (Crit Care Med 1998; 26:1187). To generate the satisfaction criteria, families fulfilled a Portuguese version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory.

One hundred sixty-four families were interviewed between May 2002 and May 2003. Insufficient information concerning the consequences of disease was a determinant of dissatisfaction (odds ratio [OR], 3.35; confidence interval [CI], 1.3-8.8), as well as insufficient information given by the ICU doctors (OR, 3.85; CI, 1.2-12.2). Accessibility of doctors was a major determinant of dissatisfaction when considered inadequate (OR, 6.92; CI, 2.3-20.6), and it was associated to a conflict regarding prognosis (P = .017).

Family satisfaction and understanding in the ICU may improve if the doctors are more accessible to provide information and the staff strive to better explain the patient's condition.