Context: Health-related Internet utilization is common but its use by proxies of critically ill patients is unknown. Our objective was to describe the prevalence and the Internet utilization characteristics among surrogates of critically ill septic patients. We conducted a prospective observational study in French ICUs. Three survey instruments were used to describe ICU organization regarding information delivery, patients and surrogates characteristics.
Results: 169 surrogates of 146 septic patients hospitalized in 19 ICUs were included. One sixth of ICUs (n = 3, 16%) had their own website. Majority of patients were males (n = 100, 68%), aged 64±1 years old, with a SAPS2 score at 53±17 and required vasopressors (n = 117, 83%), mechanical ventilation (n = 116, 82%). More than one quarter required renal replacement therapy (n = 36, 26%). Majority of surrogates were female, in their fifties. Only one in five knew the word sepsis (n = 27, 16%). Majority of proxies internet users (n = 77; 55%) search on the internet about sepsis. The main motivation was curiosity. Majority of surrogates found the information online reliable, suitable for request and concordant. Prior use of health-related Internet (OR = 20.7 [4.30-100.1]), the presence of a nursing staff during family-physician meetings (OR = 3.33 [1.17-9.53]), a younger patient age (OR = 1.32 [1.01-1.72]) and renal replacement therapy requirement (OR = 2.58 [1.06-6.26]) were associated with health-related Internet use. Neither satisfaction with medical care or information provision, neither presence of anxiety-depression symptoms, were associated with health-related Internet use. Majority of surrogates (N = 76 (52%)) would have like receiving a list of selected websites on sepsis.
Conclusions: Majority of proxies of critically ill patients with sepsis use Internet to learn more about sepsis. Internet utilization is independent of satisfaction with global ICU care, perceived quality of information delivery by doctors or the existence of anxiety-depression symptoms during ICU stay. The delivery of a list of recommended web sites on sepsis would have been appreciated.