Family Members' Needs in Internal Medicine Wards and the ICU: A Comparison

Families of patients being mechanically ventilated in hospital ward or ICU settings, may experience significant morbidities. A comparison of the needs in these two populations is necessary to address the challenges they experience.

Explore the needs of families of ventilated patients located in the ICU compared to those whose family member is being ventilated in an internal medicine ward.

This was a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data collected between 2013 and 2019 in ICU and internal medicine departments. Participants in both settings were aged over 18 years, gave their consent to participate in the questionnaire-based study, and were either family or legal relatives of a hospitalised patient. Inclusion criteria required a hospital length of stay of more than 2 days.

A total of 221 family members were recruited: 89 from the ICU and 132 from internal medicine departments. The results indicated that families of a patient in an internal medicine ward required significantly more support and proximity than those with a family member in the ICU. In contrast, the ICU associated families demonstrated significantly higher needs for information than those with a family member in an internal medicine ward.

Families of ventilated patients in internal medicine wards and ICUs have unfulfilled needs that should be considered. Different clinical settings present diverse challenges, which clinicians need to know how to address. The climate and nature of the clinical ward or unit influence the family's needs.