Conflict Management in the ICU

To provide a concise review of data and literature pertaining to the etiologies of conflict in the ICU, as well as current approaches to conflict management.

Detailed search strategy using PubMed and OVID Medline for English language articles describing conflict in the ICU as well as prevention and management strategies.

Descriptive and interventional studies addressing conflict, bioethics, clinical ethics consultation, palliative care medicine, conflict management, and conflict mediation in critical care.

Relevant descriptions or studies were reviewed, and the following aspects of each manuscript were identified, abstracted, and analyzed: setting, study population, aims, methods, results, and relevant implications for critical care practice and training.

Conflict frequently erupts in the ICU between patients and families and care teams, as well as within and between care teams. Conflict engenders a host of untoward consequences for patients, families, clinicians, and facilities rendering abrogating conflict a key priority for all. Conflict etiologies are diverse but understood in terms of a framework of triggers. Identifying and de-escalating conflict before it become intractable is a preferred approach. Approaches to conflict management include utilizing clinical ethics consultation, and palliative care medicine clinicians. Conflict Management is a new technique that all ICU clinicians may use to identify and manage conflict. Entrenched conflict appears to benefit from Bioethics Mediation, an approach that uses a neutral, unaligned mediator to guide parties to a mutually acceptable resolution.

Conflict commonly occurs in the ICU around difficult and complex decision-making. Patients, families, clinicians, and institutions suffer undesirable consequences resulting from conflict, establishing conflict prevention and resolution as key priorities. A variety of approaches may successfully identify, manage, and prevent conflict including techniques that are utilizable by all team members in support of clinical excellence.