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Emotional strain, communication, and satisfaction of family members in the intensive care unit compared with expectations of the medical staff: experiences from a Norwegian University Hospital

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Abstract

Objectives

To determine satisfaction in regard to information concerning, and support and facilities for relatives in the intensive care unit (ICU), and to compare this with the staff’s expectations on these issues; to determine relatives’ degree of psychological distress and use of hypnotics, anxiolytics, and antidepressants; finally, to compare the distress of relatives of survivors and relatives of non-survivors.

Design

Prospective study.

Setting

University-affiliated ICU.

Methods

Relatives of 50 patients who survived at least 6 days in the ICU and relatives of 18 non-survivors who stayed for at least 24 h anonymously completed a mailed questionnaire at home 4 weeks after treatment in the ICU. Forty-three staff members (69%) answered the questionnaire. The degree of satisfaction was measured on a five-point scale (0–4).

Main results

The average satisfaction scores were 3.4±0.6 SD for relatives of survivors and 3.4±0.5 for relatives of non-survivors. Staff expected a significantly lower degree of satisfaction, with a score of 2.9±0.5 (P<0.001). The distress scores of relatives of survivors (2.7±1.0) were no higher than the ones of relatives of non-survivors (2.4±0.6) during the ICU stay, but significantly lower than staff expectations (3.2±0.5) (P<0.01). The use of medication was moderate.

Conclusions

The relatives’ satisfaction was greater than anticipated by the staff. Staff generally expected a higher degree of distress among relatives than was actually the case. Relatives were very satisfied with the support and communication in the ICU despite substantial distress. Relatives of survivors and non-survivors were equally satisfied.

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Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the relatives and the nurses participating in this study, and a special thanks to the nurses Hanne Eriksen and Eric Serck Hansen for assistance in the gathering of data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Acute Medicine, University of Oslo, 0407 , Oslo, Norway

    Hilde Myhren

  2. Emergency Room, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Øivind Ekeberg

  3. Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

    Ingrid Langen

  4. Intensive Care Unit, Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    Olav Stokland

Authors
  1. Hilde Myhren
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  2. Øivind Ekeberg
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  3. Ingrid Langen
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  4. Olav Stokland
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hilde Myhren.

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Myhren, H., Ekeberg, Ø., Langen, I. et al. Emotional strain, communication, and satisfaction of family members in the intensive care unit compared with expectations of the medical staff: experiences from a Norwegian University Hospital. Intensive Care Med 30, 1791–1798 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-004-2375-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-004-2375-5

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