title: Evaluation and recommendations from a study of a critical-care waiting room.
abstract: The intensive care unit (ICU) waiting room is a dynamic place that influences the satisfaction of families of critically ill patients. Waiting-room comfort and amenities are important, because families often spend a great deal of nonvisiting time there. A quality improvement evaluation of the ICU waiting room at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA, was conducted. Methods included distribution of an 18-item family survey, ethnographic observations, interviews, and assessment of the physical environment. Findings suggest that the role of the receptionist and access to food and other services were important to families and influenced their assessment of the quality of services provided by the ICU.
authors.affiliation: Lehigh Valley Hospital, Allentown, PA, USA. lynn.deitrick@lvh.com
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deitrick
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.forename: Glenn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fuhrman
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masiado
authors.forename: Sandra L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Yaich
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wasser
mesh_terms: D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003625:Data Collection; D004779:Environment Design; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D006272:Health Facility Environment; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010414:Pennsylvania; D014789:Visitors to Patients