Introduction: Open ICUs ban restrictions to relatives visits. Aim of this paper is to describe patients, parents and health care workers satisfaction with restricted and unrestricted visiting policies, comparing open and close ICUs.
Method: Questionnaires were distributed to significant persons (Critical Care Family Needs Inventory) of ICU patients; patients (Environmental Stressor Questionnaire) and doctors and nurses (Attitudes Toward Visitation In ICUs Questionnaire) of two open and two closed ICUs.
Results: Questionnaires to patients and relatives were distributed only in one open ICU. The level of satisfaction was higher in patients and relatives allowed free access. The vast majority of doctors favor unrestricted visiting policies while nurses fear the increased workload determined by the presence of relatives.
Conclusions: Open ICUs represent a challenge: they positively impact on patients and relatives satisfaction but require an appropriate structure and organization of work.