Managing intensive care units: make LOVE, not war!
OBJECTIVE
Describe a program set up in a French intensive care unit (ICU) aimed at improving communication inside the team and communication information given to patients and their relatives; explain how those actions can improve communication inside the ICU and ultimately why it could improve patient's outcome.


METHODS
Position paper.


METHODS
Progressive implementation of multifaceted quality improvement program.


RESULTS
The program Leadership, Ownership, Values, and Evaluation (LOVE) was developed over 10 years. It was usually well accepted by the members of the team, patients, and relatives, in particular the 24-hour visiting program that was prospectively evaluated. Information and decisions were shared with the patients or more often with the relatives, who became for some of them really "part of the team." Additional actions such as participation to some of the simplest cares by the families are under investigation. A prospective evaluation of such programs, although difficult to perform, remains probably necessary.


CONCLUSIONS
Quality of life within the ICU is based on many factors including a strong and positive leadership, an absolute respect of individuals, and a rigorous evaluation of quality of care, which could influence heavily the quality of life in the ICU for patients, relatives, and health care professionals and facilitate team work. Whether this could really influence outcome remains to be demonstrated.
Carlet
Jean
J
Groupe Hospitalier Paris Saint-Joseph, Réanimation Polyvalente, 75014 Paris, France. j.carlet@has-sante.fr
Garrouste-Orgeas
Maité
M
Dumay
Marie-Françoise
MF
Diaw
Fredérique
F
Guidet
Bertrand
B
Timsit
Jean-François
JF
Misset
Benoit
B
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003142:Communication; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010358:Patient Participation; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care