Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Nadig, Nandita R.
• Sterba, Katherine R.
• Johnson, Emily E.
• Goodwin, Andrew J.
• Ford, Dee W.

Titel

Inter-ICU transfer of patients with ventilator dependent respiratory failure: Qualitative analysis of family and physician perspectives

Ist Teil von

• Patient education and counseling, 2019-09, Vol.102 (9), p.1703-1710

Ort / Verlag

Ireland: Elsevier B.V

Erscheinungsjahr

2019

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• •The impact of inter-ICU transfer on families of ventilated patients is understudied.•Families are rarely engaged in the decision to transfer their loved one between ICU’s.•There is lack of standardized communication between clinicians prior to inter-ICU transfer.•There is lack of resources to support family members during inter-ICU transfer. Ventilator dependent respiratory failure (VDRF) patients are seriously ill and often transferred between ICUs. Our objective was to obtain multi-stakeholder insights into the experiences of families during inter-ICU transfer. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews with family members of VDRF patients as well as clinicians that have received or transferred VDRF patients to our hospital. Interviews were transcribed and template analysis was used to identify themes within/across stakeholder groups. Patient, family, clinician and systems-level factors were identified as key themes during inter-ICU transfer. The main findings highlight that family members were rarely engaged in the decision to transfer as well as a lack of standardized communication between clinicians during care transitions. Family members were reassured with the care after transfer in spite of practical and financial challenges. Clinicians acknowledged the lack of a systematic approach for meeting the needs of families and suggested various resources. This is one of the first qualitative studies to gather a multi-stakeholder perspective and identify problems faced by families during inter-ICU transfer of VDRF patients. Our results provide a starting point for the development of family-centered support interventions which will need to be tested in future studies.