Criteria deemed important by the relatives for designating a reference person for patients hospitalized in ICU

We investigated the criteria that patients' relatives deem important for choosing, among themselves, the person best qualified to interact with the caregiving staff.

Exploratory, observational, prospective, multicentre study between 1st March and 31st October 2018 in 2 intensive care units (ICUs). A 12-item questionnaire was completed anonymously by family members of patients hospitalized in the ICU 3 and 5 days after the patient's admission. Relatives were eligible if they understood French and if no surrogate had been appointed by the patient prior to ICU admission. More than one relative per patient could participate.

In total, 87 relatives of 73 patients completed the questionnaire, average age of relatives was 58 ± 15 years, 46% were the spouse, 30% were children/grandchildren. Items classed as being the most important attributes for a reference person were: good knowledge of the patient's wishes and values; an emotional attachment to the patient; being a family member; and having an adequate understanding of the clinical status and clinical history.

This study identifies the attributes considered by relatives to be most important for designating, among themselves, a reference person for a patient hospitalized in the ICU.