Communication in Intensive Care
Group “Communication”
D Biarent, L Huygens, L Bossaert, De Jongh, Y Somers, M Laurent, M Slingemeyer
Goals of communication
Quality of communication between HCP and family could play a role on recovery of patients Tilly, AJM 2000
Family want to be informed and to participate to medical decision
Molter DCCN, 1994;13:2-3
Jacob Am J Crit Care, 1998;7:30-36
Family are waiting honest information Harvey Crit Care Med, 1993;4:484-549
No rational behind exclusion of the family during care of the patient
Robinson Lancet, 1998;352:614-17
Query
Ideally : query directed to patient and/or family Questionnaire directed to ICU directors
Only on voluntary basis
Profile of all Belgian units
Indirect tools to measure level of information and communication
Sensitisation
Query
Evaluation of modalities of reception of a patient and his family in ICU
Architecture for reception/admission
Schedules and organisation for visiting ICU patient
Premises
Communication (indirect evaluation)
Identification of HCP
Modalities of information of relatives
Delivery of bad news/prognosis
Modalities of information of GP
Team
Psychological support
Education
Transmission of information
Files
DNR order
Results
Number of ICU 39 / 134 (28.3 %)
Number of beds 637
Visits limited to less than 2 h/day
Children admitted from 10 y of age
Family is accompanied by HCP during admission/resuscitation
Relative not allowed to witness resuscitation / procedure
Interviews with family are frequent but not structured
Possibility for family to stay during night are scarce
Bad news delivery
Structured interview with relatives: who speaks
Intensivists 82%
Dr in charge 63%
Specialists 50%
Psychologist 13%
Resident 39%
Nurse 63%
Cultural repres 26%
GP 26%
Also present
Structured interview with
relatives: teaching & discussion
Discussion/communication after bad news delivery
Unformal: 63%
Organised during staff meeting: 66%
Psychiatrist liaison meeting: 8%
Written report: 55%
Team psychologic help / support
Individual systematic: 5%
Individual on request: 29%
Group systematic: 11%
Group on request: 24%
Patient’s files
Fully computerised files : 30%
Partially computerised : 41%
Limited access for some HCP categories : 91%
Nursing file access for relatives : 54%
Patient file access for relatives : 59%
Death of patients
Family members are informed that death of their relative is near in 98%
Relatives are present during the death event in 84%
Relatives may stay longer in privacy with the deceased in 24%
Conclusion
Obvious concern from majority of ICU to
communicate with relatives (dedicated HCP, frequent information during resuscitation, HCP identification, oldest children accepted)
Presence during procedure and resuscitation, length of visit, possibility to stay with the patient, visit of
youngest children, bad news delivery modalities and teaching are subject to possible improvement
Architectural limitation impairs confidentiality
Lack of psychological support