Informing Patient Relatives in Intensive Care Units… Face to Face or by Phone?

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Health Communication
• Patient-Family Centered Care

Background:

• Effective communication with relatives is vital in family-centered intensive care.
• Understanding relatives' information preferences is crucial for optimal care delivery.
• Previous research highlights the importance of communication in intensive care units (ICUs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate relatives' preferences for receiving information in ICUs.
• To examine factors influencing communication expectations and perceived information adequacy.
• To identify demographic and clinical correlates of communication preferences.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional survey of 401 participants using a validated questionnaire.
• Analysis of communication preferences based on demographic, educational, regional, and experiential factors.
• Multivariable logistic regression to identify predictors of accepting telephone-based communication.

Main Results:

• 89.8% of participants preferred face-to-face communication over other methods.
• 62.8% found telephone-based information insufficient, with face-to-face communication fostering trust.
• Male sex, non-local residence, and longer ICU stays (21-31 days) were associated with accepting telephone communication.

Conclusions:

• Face-to-face communication is the preferred method for most ICU patient relatives.
• Communication preferences are influenced by a complex interplay of demographic, regional, and clinical characteristics.
• Tailored communication strategies are more effective than a one-size-fits-all approach for relatives in the ICU.