Isolation in Parents and Providers of Children With Chronic Critical Illness

An increasing number of children with medical complexity spend months or more in PICUs, lending to isolation for their parents and providers. We sought to better describe the experiences of parents and providers of children with chronic critical illness specifically around isolation during PICU admission.

In-person interviews and surveys of pediatric critical care providers and parents of children with chronic critical illness. Interview transcripts were analyzed for themes.

Academic institution; PICU.

Seven PICU physicians, eight nurse practitioners, and 12 parents of children with chronic critical illness.

Surveys and semi-structured interviews.

PICU providers acknowledge feeling medically isolated from children with chronic critical illness, fueled by a lack of chronic critical illness training and burnout. Providers also perceive medical isolation in parents of children with chronic critical illness manifesting as a declining level of parental engagement. Parents did not feel medically isolated in our study. Providers also perceive social isolation in families of children with chronic critical illness, identifying the child's protracted disease and lack of tangible support systems as contributing factors. Parents self-reported adequate social supports but scored high on depression scales suggesting a disconnect between perceived and actual support. Both parents and providers acknowledge that the child's chronic critical illness could be a source of support.

PICU providers perceived social and medical isolation in parents of children with chronic critical illness; however, parents did not endorse either directly. A majority of parents showed signs of depression despite reporting good social support. Providers reported feeling medically isolated from children with chronic critical illness and their families related to burnout and insufficient training. Novel methods to address these issues are needed.