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Abstract

Learning Objectives: From the relatives' perspective, communication is assumed to be one of the most important factors in the perceived quality of care in the intensive care unit (ICU). In order to meet the communication needs, and consequently improve the quality of care, new interventions have been introduced to support the relatives. These interventions included an intake to provide information and to consider the emotional impact, an ICU-webportal with personalized information, encouragement to keep a diary, and a weekly psychosocial round. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the implemented interventions on behalf of the relatives in the ICU. Methods: A time-trend design was used to analyze the perceived quality of care before (2012) and after (2013) the introduced interventions. The recently developed Consumer Quality Index 'Relatives in the ICU' was used for both measurements. Two convenience samples of relatives of ICU patients from Erasmus MC, an academic hospital in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, were included with a total of 282 and 187 respondents respectively. Results: Survey data from 211 relatives (78% net response rate in 2012) and 123 relatives (68% net response rate in 2013) were used for the analysis. The two groups were significantly similar in age, education, ethnic background, relationship to the patient, and own health indication. The second measurement showed significant improvements in regard to the provided information, such as writing in a diary, clarity in what way to participate in the care of the patient, and being a partner in shared-decision making. The item ´Did the professionals pay attention to what you needed?´ raised from 41.7% of the respondents with ´always´ or ´mostly´ in 2012, to 80.5% in 2013. Although not statistically significant, the mean scoring of communication with intensivists and nurses, as well as general support, increased. Conclusions: The results of this study suggested a positive influence on the perceived quality of care caused by the additional support offered to the relatives.