[Visitation policy, design and comfort in Spanish intensive care units].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the design and comfort in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs), by analysing visiting hours, information, and family participation in patient care.


METHODS
Descriptive, multicentre study.


METHODS
Spanish ICUs.


METHODS
A questionnaire e-mailed to members of the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine, Critical and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), subscribers of the Electronic Journal Intensive Care Medicine, and disseminated through the blog Proyecto HU-CI.


RESULTS
A total of 135 questionnaires from 131 hospitals were analysed. Visiting hours: 3.8% open 24h, 9.8% open daytime, and 67.7% have 2 visits a day. Information: given only by the doctor in 75.2% of the cases, doctor and nurse together in 4.5%, with a frequency of once a day in 79.7%. During weekends, information is given in 95.5% of the cases. Information given over the phone 74.4%. Family participation in patient care: hygiene 11%, feeding 80.5%, physiotherapy 17%. Personal objects allowed: mobile phone 41%, computer 55%, sound system 77%, and television 30%. Architecture and comfort: all individual cubicles 60.2%, natural light 54.9%, television 7.5%, ambient music 12%, clock in the cubicle 15.8%, environmental noise meter 3.8%, and a waiting room near the ICU 68.4%.


CONCLUSIONS
Visiting policy is restrictive, with a closed ICU being the predominating culture. On average, technological communication devices are not allowed. Family participation in patient care is low. The ICU design does not guarantee privacy or provide a desirable level of comfort.
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España. Electronic address: dolores.escudero@sespa.princast.es.
D
D
Escudero
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
L
L
Martín
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
L
L
Viña
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
B
B
Quindós
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
M J
MJ
Espina
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
L
L
Forcelledo
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
L
L
López-Amor
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
B
B
García-Arias
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
C
C
del Busto
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
S
S
de Cima
Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España.
E
E
Fernández-Rey
D064648:Critical Care Nursing; D005190:Family; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006749:Hospital Design and Construction; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016134:Organizational Policy; D000070659:Patient Comfort; D010820:Physicians; D018907:Privacy; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014789:Visitors to Patients
Comfort; Confortabilidad; Horario de visitas; Humanisation; Humanización; Intensive care unit; Organisation; Organización; Unidad de cuidados intensivos; Visiting hours