Enhancing Family Satisfaction in Intensive Care Units Through Structured Nurse-Family Communication: Effects of the...

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Nursing
• Health Communication

Background:

• Families of intensive care unit (ICU) patients frequently report distress and communication dissatisfaction.
• Effective communication is crucial for family-centered care and patient outcomes in critical care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of the COMFORT communication model on family satisfaction and nurse-family communication in ICUs.
• To assess if structured communication interventions can improve the experience of families with critically ill patients.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, nonrandomized study involving 96 families of ICU patients with reduced consciousness.
• Intervention group: 10 ICU nurses trained in the COMFORT model conducted daily structured communication sessions (20 min for 5 days).
• Control group: Families received routine communication. Family satisfaction (FS-ICU-24) and communication quality (QUALPAC) were assessed.

Main Results:

• Families in the COMFORT intervention group reported significantly higher satisfaction scores compared to the control group.
• Nurse-family communication quality, measured by QUALPAC, showed improvement over the 5-day intervention period.
• The COMFORT model implementation positively impacted family-reported outcomes and communication dynamics.

Conclusions:

• The COMFORT communication model is an effective strategy for enhancing family satisfaction in the ICU.
• Implementing structured communication frameworks like COMFORT strengthens nurse-family relationships and improves care quality.
• Targeted communication interventions can mitigate distress and improve the overall experience for families of critically ill patients.