The views of patients and relatives of what makes a good intensivist: a European survey

Abstract

Objective: This study examined the views of adult patients and relatives about desirable characteristics of specialists in intensive care medicine (ICM) to incorporate these into an international competency-based training programme, CoBaTrICE.

Design: Convenience sample of patients and relatives administered after discharge from 70 participating ICUs in eight European countries (1,398 evaluable responses). The structured questionnaire included 21 characteristics of medical competence categorised as 'medical knowledge and skills', 'communication with patients', and 'communication with relatives'. It was available in the national languages of the countries involved. Questions were rated by respondents for importance using a four-point Likert scale. Responses to open questions were also invited.

Results: Most characteristics were highly rated, with priority given to medical knowledge and skills. Women were more likely to emphasise communication skills. There were no consistent regional differences. Free-text responses welcomed the opportunity to participate.

Conclusions: Patients and relatives with experience of intensive care in different European countries share similar views on the importance of knowledge, skills, decision making and communication in the training of intensive care specialists. These generic patient-centred components of training have been incorporated into the international competency-based ICM training programme, CoBaTrICE.