Trauma Information Group: A Level I Trauma Center's Integrated Approach to Family Support

As their loved one is admitted to the hospital, family members/significant others of trauma patients have specific needs for information, patient and health care provider access, and psychosocial support. The idea to offer an information group for family members of trauma patients was developed and implemented in a large, Level I Trauma Center in the Southwestern United States. The intervention, strategies, and considerations for successful implementation, program evaluation by family members, and implications for practice are described in this article. Providing specific, helpful information in response to family members' immediate needs can lead to improved patient outcomes and patient/family satisfaction with the care provided by an organization after a traumatic event.