[Has the time arrived to allow family members to be present during resuscitation?]

In the last few years, family presence during resuscitation (FPDR) has emerged as an important topic. Traditionally, family members were not allowed to be present during resuscitation. The logic behind the practice of separating family members from their relatives during resuscitation was that watching a family member during resuscitation--a process that involves invasive procedures, is a traumatic and unnecessary experience for the family. However, over recent years, as part of a changing attitude towards patients and their families, and the development of medical consumerism, there is a change toward permitting family members to be present during resuscitation. Following these developments, fertile research is taking place. The Israeli Ministry of Health has not published any guidelines to date concerning FPDR. Therefore, FPDR is subject to the particular staffs' decisions. If a decision to adopt FPDR as a policy will be taken, it is not clear if the means to accommodate such a policy are available in Israel. FPDR is emerging as an important subject and as part of patient-centered care. More research and discussion are needed in the Israeli health system in order to understand the differences between the Israeli system and other health systems. To date, FPDR is not a viable option in the Israeli health system. Further research will help understand why this option is not a feasible option in Israel and will shed light on whether there are specific characteristics of the Israeli health care system that impede the implementation of such a policy change. There is also a need to understand the viewpoints of medical staff, patients and their families, as well as the social, logistic, ethical and legal implications of FPDR.