Using family satisfaction data to improve the processes of care in ICU

Excerpt

Critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) are often unable to appreciate the processes of care; however, the healthcare team also cares for family members who are intertwined in the patient’s experience. Families have an important role in sharing relevant information, for example: what transpired before the admission; what kind of person the patient is; and, perhaps most importantly, what the patient would want in terms of care, given the current situation. Increasingly, families are engaged by the healthcare team as partners in decision-making [1]. As a result, researchers are interested in that partnering role of family members, particularly in ways to improve the quality of end-of-life decision making in the ICU. An important measure of any improvement strategy is evaluating the satisfaction of family members with the processes of care. …