[Family's and/or relatives expectations concerning a patient emergently hospitalized into an intensive care unit after out-of-hospital medical care of by a samu team]

Abstract

Introduction: Emergency admission of a patient into an intensive care unit (ICU) is a source of stress for family and/or relatives. Expectations of family and/or relatives are important endpoints for the medical and paramedical team in charge of the patient, to better answer to their questions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine family's and/or relatives expectations concerning a patient emergently hospitalized into an ICU after out-of-hospital medical care of by a samu team.

Materials and method: We performed a survey using a questionnaire sent by email to 500 randomly chosen individuals from the French population.

Results: We received 220 responses (44 %). Family and/or relatives expectations are different about short, medium and long terms. Elements perceived as the most important in the short term are severity, diagnosis and prognosis, whereas in the medium and long terms they are hospital-stay and potential sequels. Medical language used is considered as too much complex for more than half of respondents. In case of foreseeable unfavourable outcome, 90 % of respondents would like to receive immediate information using a simple and brief language. At last, nearly two thirds of respondents had been really exposed to such a situation before, and assessed the quality of information received as moderate, with a score of 5/10.

Conclusion: Information of families and/or relatives of a patient hospitalized in ICU is essential. Their expectations concern short, medium and long terms. At last, most of them prefers that information would be delivered by a physician, and using a simple and brief language.