Communication with patients' families in the intensive care unit: A point prevalence study

We aimed to describe point of care communication encounters with patients' families in centers with open visitation practices.

Cross-sectional one-day point prevalence study in 14 Canadian adult intensive care units (ICUs) located in 7 academic and 7 community hospitals with open family visitation policies.

ICU bedside nurses working on a randomly selected weekday completed a survey reporting all observed communication between providers and patients' families. Family point of care communication encounters were measured for 146 of 159 patients (92%) admitted to the study ICUs. Most patients had family (98%) with the majority observed visiting on the study date (73%). Of patients with family (n = 143), direct in-person communication occurred 71% of the time, either via participation in rounds (23%), family meetings (24%), and/or informal updates (71%). 43% (n = 62) of families had direct communication with a physician or nurse practitioner. Nurses provided the largest portion of informal bedside updates (83%, n = 85) and supplemented family communication with phone calls (22%, n = 31). There was no communication contact for 13% (n = 19) of families.

ICUs adopt multiple ways of communicating with family members of critically ill patients. Significant interactions occur outside of traditional family meetings, in a less formal and more frequent fashion. Our study supports development of tools to support best practices within contemporary communication paradigms to support provider, patients and family needs.