Efficacy of information interventions in reducing transfer anxiety from a critical care setting to a general ward: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Our aim was to undertake a comprehensive systematic review on the efficacy of information interventions on reducing anxiety in patients and family members on transfer from a critical care setting to a general ward.

MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Google Scholar databases from 1990 to January 1, 2011, were searched. Bibliographies of identified articles were reviewed. Only high-quality randomized controlled trials comparing an intervention to reduce transfer anxiety with standard care, where transfer anxiety is measured by the validated State Trait Anxiety Inventory, were included. Data were extracted to estimate standard mean differences (SMDs), pooled odds ratios (ORs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using both fixed and random effects model.

Of 266 studies identified in the primary search, 5 studies enrolling 629 participants met the inclusion criteria, family members' transfer anxiety was significantly reduced in the intervention arm of information provision (OR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.15-2.52; P = .01) compared with those who received standard care (OR, 0.42; 95% CI; 0.276-0.625; P < .001), and patients' transfer anxiety was significantly reduced in one study.

Providing information to understand a future ward environment can significantly reduce patients' and family members' transfer anxiety from the critical care setting when compared with standard care.