A Rapid-Cycle Intervention to Enhance Patient and Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit

Patient and family satisfaction with care in intensive care units is not reflected in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems surveys. Gaps may be unknown.

In a cardiothoracic intensive care unit, patient satisfaction scores were not assessed and gaps could not be addressed. The primary aim was to obtain baseline data on patient and family satisfaction. The secondary aim was to improve identified gaps in satisfaction.

A preintervention-postintervention, 2-cycle quality improvement project and a 12-month sustainability assessment were conducted to evaluate patient and family satisfaction in a cardiothoracic intensive care unit in a large academic health system from August 2022 to August 2023. The Nursing Intensive Care Satisfaction Scale was used to measure patients' satisfaction and the European Quality Questionnaire was used to measure family members' satisfaction with intensive care unit nursing care. Standardized scripting, processes for patient and family engagement during rounds, and structured communication were used to enhance patient and family engagement.

At baseline (47 patients, 35 family members), overall patient and family satisfaction was high (mean [SD] satisfaction scores: patients, 87.6 [19.3]; family members, 94.6 [9.7]; P = .06). After intervention cycle 2, family members (n = 50) had high mean satisfaction scores on the Information Needs sub-scale of the European Quality Questionnaire. Family participation in rounds improved from 18.5% of rounds at baseline to 76.5% after intervention cycle 2 and was 61.5% at 12 months.

Strategies that engage family members in rounds improve communication and satisfaction.