Acute and Critical Care

Original Articles

Nursing
Engagement and perspectives regarding the family conference process when considering discontinuation of life-sustaining treatments among critical care specialist nurses: a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Japan: Akane Kato, Yuta Tanaka, Yoshiyuki Kizawa, Hiroaki Yamase, Asami Tado, Junko Tatsuno, Mitsunori Miyashita; Acute Crit Care. 2025;40(2):339-348. Published online May 20, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.003096

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Abstract PDF: Background
Recognizing the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration during treatment family conferences is increasing in critical care settings. We aimed to elucidate how critical care specialist nurses engage in the family conference process in terms of the actual discussions held, the recommended topics, and their perspectives regarding transfer of critical care patients to general wards.
Methods
This self-administered nationwide survey was conducted between October and December 2020, targeting a random sample of 740 critical care specialist nurses. An anonymous questionnaire based on established guidelines and pilot tests was used to assess the level of engagement with the family conference process, content of discussions, considerations regarding withholding or withdrawing treatment, and perspectives concerning patient care location and discontinuation of life-sustaining treatments among the surveyed nurses.
Results
Of the 396 returned questionnaires (response rate, 51.9%), 384 were analyzed. Less than 35% of the nurses consistently participated in family conferences and ensured that decisions regarding withholding or withdrawing life-sustaining treatments were re-evaluated following the conferences. Discussions focused predominantly on the patients’ physical aspects, whereas the nurses believed that patients’ values and preferences should be discussed. More than 70% of the nurses supported transferring patients from critical care settings to general wards for end-of-life scenarios.
Conclusions
Critical care specialist nurses in Japan exhibit limited engagement in family conferences and often fail to address their patients’ values and preferences. Educational programs and enhanced interprofessional collaborations are warranted to improve nurse involvement in family conferences and ensure continuity of care between critical care and general ward settings.

Nursing
A study to assess the psychosocial needs of patient family members in the intensive care unit in India: Lalthlanawmi Renthlei, Ronur Srikantasastry Ramesh, Mahalakshmy Thulasingam, Manjini Jeyaram Kumari; Acute Crit Care. 2024;39(3):420-429. Published online August 30, 2024; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2023.01116

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1 Crossref

Background
Admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) is considered a mental crisis for patients and their families as they are unprepared for such a stressful and difficult situation. Hence, the objectives of this study are to assess the psychosocial needs of patient family members in the ICU in various dimensions such as assurance, proximity, information, support, and comfort; and to associate their psychosocial needs with their socio-demographic variables and clinical variables of the patient.
Methods
This was a cross-sectional analytical study conducted between December 2021 and January 2022 among 188 family members of patients admitted to the ICU using a convenience sampling technique in a tertiary hospital in Puducherry, India. The modified Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) questionnaire was administered to all consenting family members to determine their needs.
Results
The overall most important need among the five dimensions of modified CCFNI scores identified by the family members is the need for assurance (2.71±0.38). Using analysis of variance, statistical significances were found as follows. Education and comfort (F-statistic and P-value): 2.76 (0.029); relationship with the patient and assurance: 2.61 (0.036); relationship with the patient and support: 2.44 (0.048); level of consciousness and comfort: 4.63 (0.010); ICU visit restriction and assurance: 3.28 (0.022); ICU visit restriction and comfort: 8.08 (<0.001).
Conclusions
Since family members are essential members of the treatment teams, nurses should concentrate on reassuring them, assisting them in emerging from crises through appropriate communication, offering support, and attending to their needs.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Perceived Needs of Families of Critically Ill Patients
Destiny R. Brady, Jennifer R. O’Neill, Joann M. Condon
Critical Care Nursing Clinics of North America.2025;[Epub] CrossRef

Nursing/Quality Improvement
Transcultural Adaptation and Validation of the Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit Questionnaire in a Korean Sample: Youlim Kim, Jinsoo Min, Gajin Lim, Jung-Kyu Lee, Hannah Lee, Jinwoo Lee, Kyung Su Kim, Jong Sun Park, Young-Jae Cho, You Hwan Jo, Hogeol Rhu, Kyu-seok Kim, Sang-Min Lee, Yeon Joo Lee; Korean J Crit Care Med. 2017;32(1):60-69. Published online February 28, 2017; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4266/kjccm.2016.00962

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4 Web of Science
4 Crossref

Abstract PDF Supplementary Material

Background
A number of questionnaires designed for analyzing family members’ inconvenience and demands in intensive care unit (ICU) care have been developed and validated in North America. The family satisfaction in the intensive care Unit-24 (FS-ICU-24) questionnaire is one of the most widely used of these instruments. This study aimed to translate the FS-ICU-24 questionnaire into Korean and validate the Korean version of the questionnaire.
Methods
The study was conducted in the medical, surgical, and emergency ICUs at three tertiary hospitals. Relatives of all patients hospitalized for at least 48 hours were enrolled for this study participants. The validation process included the measurement of construct validity, internal consistency, and interrater reliability. The questionnaire consists of 24 items divided between two subscales: satisfaction with care (14 items) and satisfaction with decision making (10 items).
Results
In total, 200 family members of 176 patients from three hospitals completed the FS-ICU-24 questionnaire. Construct validity for the questionnaire was superior to that observed for a visual analog scale (Spearman’s r = 0.84, p < 0.001). Cronbach’s αs were 0.83 and 0.80 for the satisfaction with care and satisfaction with decision making subscales, respectively. The mean (± standard deviation) total FS-ICU-24 score was 75.44 ± 17.70, and participants were most satisfied with consideration of their needs (82.13 ± 21.03) and least satisfied with the atmosphere in the ICU waiting room (35.38 ± 34.84).
Conclusions
The Korean version of the FS-ICU-24 questionnaire demonstrated good validity and could be a useful instrument with which to measure family members’ satisfaction about ICU care.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Development and Effects of a Family-centered Care Application for Intensive Care Unit Families Based on the Facilitated Sensemaking Model : Focusing on Family Satisfaction, Family Stress, and Self-Efficacy
Yun Ha Oak, Eun Ha Kim
Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing.2025; 18(2): 1. CrossRef
The Effect of a Multifaceted Family Participation Program in an Adult Cardiovascular Surgery ICU*
Hye Jin Yoo, JaeLan Shim
Critical Care Medicine.2021; 49(1): 38. CrossRef
Psychometric validation of the Chinese patient- and family satisfaction in the intensive care unit questionnaires
Veronica Ka Wai Lai, Johnson Ching-Hong Li, Anna Lee
Journal of Critical Care.2019; 54: 58. CrossRef
Survey of family satisfaction with intensive care units
Jinsoo Min, Youlim Kim, Jung-Kyu Lee, Hannah Lee, Jinwoo Lee, Kyung Su Kim, Young-Jae Cho, You Hwan Jo, Ho Geol Ryu, Kyuseok Kim, Sang-Min Lee, Yeon Joo Lee
Medicine.2018; 97(32): e11809. CrossRef

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