[Open intensive care units: a feasible option? The opinions of patients, relatives and health care workers].
BACKGROUND
Open ICUs ban restrictions to relatives visits. Aim of this paper is to describe patients, parents and health care workers satisfaction with restricted and unrestricted visiting policies, comparing open and close ICUs.


METHODS
Questionnaires were distributed to significant persons (Critical Care Family Needs Inventory) of ICU patients; patients (Environmental Stressor Questionnaire) and doctors and nurses (Attitudes Toward Visitation In ICUs Questionnaire) of two open and two closed ICUs.


RESULTS
Questionnaires to patients and relatives were distributed only in one open ICU. The level of satisfaction was higher in patients and relatives allowed free access. The vast majority of doctors favor unrestricted visiting policies while nurses fear the increased workload determined by the presence of relatives.


CONCLUSIONS
Open ICUs represent a challenge: they positively impact on patients and relatives satisfaction but require an appropriate structure and organization of work.
Azzil
Roberto
R
Medicina d'Urgenza e Unità Medica di Terapia Intensiva, Dipartimento di Emergenza e Urgenza, Nuovo Ospedale Civile S. Agostino, Estense di Modena.
Bambi
Stefano
S
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000592:standards*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014789:Visitors to Patients