Family-centered ICU care may be good for everyone

Excerpt

In this issue of ICM, Irene Jongerden and her colleagues [1] present the results of a before-and-after study that explores the effect of a change in ICU environment on family and patient satisfaction. Family satisfaction was measured by the FS-ICU [2‐4], a much used and previously validated tool, while patient satisfaction was elicited by using an adapted version of this questionnaire. A similar approach has been taken previously by a Swiss group [5]. The structural intervention was a move of the ICU to new premises, which entailed a bundle of changes. New rooms were single-bed rooms, noise-reduced, with increased privacy, more space around each bed, natural lighting and windows with a view. There were also changes in workflow, visual display of other patients via the bedside monitor, and medication prepared in a satellite pharmacy, thereby reducing medication errors. In addition, the number of family rooms was increased, and facilities for families were improved. In association with these changes, both overall family and patient satisfaction increased significantly. …