Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2017 Jan;43(1):69-79.
doi: 10.1007/s00134-016-4592-0. Epub 2016 Nov 9.

A family information brochure and dedicated website to improve the ICU experience for patients' relatives: an Italian multicenter before-and-after study

Giovanni Mistraletti  1   2 , Michele Umbrello  3 , Elena Silvia Mantovani  3 , Benedetta Moroni  4 , Paolo Formenti  3 , Paolo Spanu  3 , Stefania Anania  3 , Elisa Andrighi  3 , Alessandra Di Carlo  3 , Federica Martinetti  3 , Irene Vecchi  3 , Alessandra Palo  5 , Cristina Pinna  6 , Riccarda Russo  7 , Silvia Francesconi  8 , Federico Valdambrini  9 , Enrica Ferretti  10 , Giulio Radeschi  11 , Edda Bosco  12 , Paolo Malacarne  13 , Gaetano Iapichino  4   3 ; http://www.intensiva.it Investigators
Affiliations
Comparative Study

A family information brochure and dedicated website to improve the ICU experience for patients' relatives: an Italian multicenter before-and-after study

Giovanni Mistraletti et al. Intensive Care Med. 2017 Jan.

Abstract

Purpose: Good communication between ICU staff and patients' relatives may reduce the occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression, and dissatisfaction with clinicians. An information brochure and website to meet relatives' needs were designed to explain in technical yet simple terms what happens during and after an ICU stay, to legitimize emotions such as fear, apprehension, and suffering, and to improve cooperation with relatives without increasing staff workload. The main outcomes were improved understanding of prognosis and procedures, and decrease of relatives' anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms.

Methods: In this prospective multicenter before-and-after study, a self-administered questionnaire was used to investigate relatives' understanding of prognosis, treatments, and organ dysfunction, families' satisfaction, and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress.

Results: A total of 551 relatives received questionnaires in nine Italian ICUs; 332 (60%) responded, 144 before and 179 after implementation of the brochure and website. Of the 179 relatives who responded after, 131 (73%) stated they had read the brochure and 34 (19%) reported viewing the website. The intervention was associated with increased correct understanding of the prognosis (from 69 to 84%, p = 0.04) and the therapeutic procedures (from 17 to 28%, p = 0.03). Multivariable analysis, together with non-modifiable factors (relative's gender, education level, relationship to patient, and patient status at ICU discharge), showed the intervention to be significantly associated with a lower incidence of post-traumatic stress symptoms (Poisson coefficient = -0.29, 95% CI -0.52/-0.07). The intervention had no effect on the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Conclusion: An information brochure and website designed to meet relatives' needs improved family members' comprehension and reduced their prevalence of stress symptoms.

Keywords: Communication strategies; Critically ill patients; ICU families; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Website.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. Crit Care Med. 2011 Feb;39(2):371-9 - PubMed
    1. Crit Care Med. 2010 Apr;38(4):1078-85 - PubMed
    1. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2007 Jun;23(3):170-7 - PubMed
    1. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2004 Feb 15;169(4):512-7 - PubMed
    1. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2005 May 1;171(9):987-94 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources