Objective. To know the family needs of patients admitted to our Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Design. Prospective, descriptive study performed over a 6-month period. Setting. ICU of the Insular University Hospital in Gran Canary Islands. Participants. Adult patients admitted to the ICU for more than 48 hours who were discharged to the hospitalization ward. Intervention. A modified Society of Critical Care Medicine Family Needs Assessment instrument was administered to the first-degree relatives of patients after discharge by face-to-face interviews by not-informing personnel. Main variables. Data were gathered on demographic information on the patients and their interviewed relatives, reason for admission, and evaluation on information, care, empathy with the personnel and comfort. Results. Family members of 99 patients were interviewed. A total of 80% of those interviewed considered the information had been in terms that they could understand, that they understood what was happening to the patient and why things were being done. However, 74% answered that the personnel had never explained the equipment being used. About 90% thought that they had received sincere information and that adequate care was being given. Considering empathy with the personnel, almost all considered they were nice but that 73% of them had never been asked if they needed anything. A total of 85% of them were sure that someone would phone them if there was any significant change in their relative's condition, and they felt comfortable during the time of visit; 74% did not feel alone or isolation. Conclusions. Most family members were highly satisfied with the care provided to them and their relatives in the intensive care unit, but the need to improve some aspects of the communication with families was identified.
Objetivo. Conocer la satisfacción de los familiares de pacientes ingresados en nuestra Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI). Diseño. Estudio prospectivo descriptivo durante un período de 6 meses. Ámbito. UCI polivalente del Hospital Universitario Insular de Gran Canaria. Sujetos. Familiares de pacientes adultos ingresados en la UCI durante más de 48 horas y que fueron dados de alta a planta de hospitalización. Intervención. Se realizó una encuesta personal a los familiares directos de los pacientes, en el momento del alta de la unidad, llevada a cabo por personal médico no informador. Variables de interés principales. Se recogieron datos demográficos de los pacientes y de los familiares entrevistados, diagnóstico de ingreso, y la valoración acerca de la información, cuidados, empatía con el personal y la comodidad. Resultados. Se entrevistó a familiares de 99 pacientes. El 80% recibieron la información con terminología comprensible, entendían lo que le ocurría a su familiar y los medios que se estaban poniendo para su curación, a pesar de que al 74% nunca se les había explicado la tecnología utilizada. El 90% creían recibir una información sincera y que los cuidados eran los adecuados. A nivel de empatía con el personal médico, para casi todos eran amables; sin embargo, al 73% ninguno le preguntó si necesitaba algo. El 85% estaban seguros de que alguien les llamaría a casa si ocurría algún cambio en el estado de su familiar y se sentían cómodos durante el tiempo de visita; el 74% no tuvo sentimiento de soledad ni aislamiento. Conclusiones. La mayoría de los familiares estaban muy satisfechos con los cuidados recibidos por ellos y por sus familiares enfermos en la UCI, aunque detectamos la necesidad de mejorar en determinados aspectos de la comunicación con los familiares.
