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Family-centred care interventions in paediatric intensive care units: a scoping review
Karina R Charles1, Jessica A Schults2, Jed Duff3
1School of Nursing, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Queensland, Briscmdbane, Queensland, Australia.
Insights
Family-centred care in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs) shows varied interventions and outcomes. Greater parent involvement in designing family-centred care initiatives is needed for better practice.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Intensive Care
- Family-Centered Care
- Healthcare Interventions
Background:
- Family-centered care is standard in pediatric intensive care units (PICUs).
- Interventions, implementation, and evaluation of family-centered care in PICUs lack clarity.
- Mapping these interventions is crucial for understanding components, outcomes, and family involvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and map family-centered care interventions implemented in PICUs.
Main Methods:
- Searched seven databases (2013-2025) following PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
- Extracted data on intervention components, outcomes, and family involvement.
- Assessed replicability (TIDieR) and methodological quality (QI-MQCS, MMAT).
Main Results:
- 38 studies met inclusion criteria from 2,921 screened.
- Common interventions: family presence (26%), PICU diaries (18%), nurse-led goal setting (10%).
- 102 outcomes measured; family satisfaction most frequent (15%). Only 4 studies involved parents in design. Replicability 63-96%; quality varied widely.
Conclusions:
- Significant variation exists in family-centered care interventions and outcome measures in PICUs.
- Limited consistency in evaluation, replicability, and quality was observed.
- Minimal parent involvement in intervention design highlights the need for co-designed initiatives.
Background:
Globally, family-centred care is the standard of care in paediatric intensive care units (PICUs). However, the types of interventions used, their implementation, and evaluation remain unclear. Mapping family-centred care interventions in PICUs is essential to understanding their components, outcomes, and opportunities for improved family involvement.
Objectives:
To identify and map family-centred care interventions implemented in PICU.
Methods:
Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched seven databases from 2013 to 2025. Eligible studies included any family-centred care intervention implemented in PICU. Data were extracted on the interventional components, outcome measures, and family involvement in the development of the intervention. Intervention replicability was assessed using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist. Methodological quality was appraised using the Quality Improvement Minimum Quality Criteria Set (QI-MQCS) for quality improvement interventions and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) for observational studies.
Results:
Of 2,921 articles screened, 38 met the inclusion criteria. The most common interventions were family presence during ward rounds (n = 10; 26%), PICU diaries (n = 7; 18%), and nurse participation in goal setting (n = 4; 10%). In total, 102 unique outcome measures were reported, studies used 37 validated tools to measure outcomes. Family satisfaction was the most measured outcome (n = 15; 15%). Only four studies involved parents in the design of the intervention. Replicability scores ranged from 63% to 96%. Methodological quality scores, expressed as the percentage of appraisal criteria met using the QI-MQCS and MMAT, ranged from 19% to 100% across included studies.
Conclusions:
This review highlighted wide variation in family-centred care interventions and outcome measures, with limited consistency in evaluation, replicability and quality. Family involvement in design was minimal, underscoring the need for more collaborative, co-designed initiatives.
Implications For Practice:
Prioritising collaborative family-centred care approaches that incorporate validated outcome measures and parent co-design will support the development of interventions that are relevant, sustainable, and truly reflective of family-centred care in PICU practice.
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