title: Important clinician information needs about family members in the intensive care unit.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Clinicians often lack key information regarding intensive care unit (ICU) families. Our objective was to identify (1) important information for clinicians to know about ICU families when making decisions and (2) important information for families to know about patients from clinicians.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified important information items through a literature review and semistructured interviews. A separate cohort of family members, nurses, and physicians from 2 ICUs in a single institution were asked to prioritize the identified information as necessary for decision making.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 21 items important for clinicians to know about families and 32 items important for families to know about patients from clinicians. Themes important for clinicians to know about family members included family background, questions, understanding, goals, concerns, well-being, and requests for additional help. Themes important for families to know about the patient included diagnosis, treatments, prognosis, clinical status, schedule, comfort, goals of care, medical team, and family participation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Through qualitative and quantitative analysis, we identified important information for ICU clinicians to know about family members and for family members to know about patients. The identified information can be used to guide strategies and tools to improve assessment of and communication with families.
authors: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905. Electronic address: wilson.michael1@mayo.edu.
authors: Michael E
authors: ME
authors: Wilson
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905. Electronic address: drsumanjit2000@gmail.com.
authors: Sumanjit
authors: S
authors: Kaur
authors: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905. Electronic address: GalloDeMoraes.Alice@mayo.edu.
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Gallo De Moraes
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905. Electronic address: Pickering.Brian@mayo.edu.
authors: Brian W
authors: BW
authors: Pickering
authors: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905. Electronic address: gajic.ognjen@mayo.edu.
authors: Ognjen
authors: O
authors: Gajic
authors: Department of Anesthesiology, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905. Electronic address: Herasevich.Vitaly@mayo.edu.
authors: Vitaly
authors: V
authors: Herasevich
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: Communication; Family; Intensive care; Needs assessment