[Improving the care of critical patient family members: Agreed on strategies].
BACKGROUND
Within the context of participatory action research (PAR), a 4-stage process was established with the general aim of promoting improvements in the care offered to families of patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The 4 stages consisted of a situational diagnosis, proposals for change, the design and implementation of the proposals, and an evaluation. This paper presents the first 2 stages.


OBJECTIVE
To define the attention given to families of patients in the Intensive Care Unit. To reach a consensus on areas for action/intervention in the unit.


METHODS
A qualitative methodology.


METHODS
PAR. Data-collection technique: 4 focus groups made up of 10 professionals, and consensus with support groups made up of 30 members. Content analysis was performed. The theoretical saturation point was reached.


RESULTS
Two documents were drawn up: 1) A situational diagnosis, describing the current situation of the attention given to families and 2) 10 proposals for change, 5 of which were given priority. They were: a session to familiarize professionals with evidence concerning families of patients in the ICU and the handing out of informative leaflets, the improvement of (nurse-family and intra-team) informative procedures, more privacy for patients and a reduction in environmental noise, a training plan for professionals, and change in the visiting policy.


CONCLUSIONS
By using consensus-based methodologies, strategies for change can be prioritized and designed, adapted to the context in which they will be applied.
Zaforteza Lallemand
C
C
Departament d'Infermeria i Fisioteràpia, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Islas Baleares, España. concha.zaforteza@uib.es
Prieto González
S
S
Canet Ferrer
T P
TP
Díaz López
Y
Y
Molina Santiago
M
M
Moreno Mulet
C
C
Nieto González
A
A
Sánchez Martín
A
A
Val Pérez
J V
JV
D000328:Adult; D032921:Consensus; D016638:Critical Illness; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008962:Models, Theoretical