title: Intensive Care Unit death and factors influencing family satisfaction of Intensive Care Unit care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Family satisfaction of Intensive Care Unit (FS-ICU) care is believed to be associated with ICU survival and ICU outcomes. A review of literature was done to determine factors influencing FS-ICU care in ICU deaths.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factors that positively influenced FS-ICU care were (a) communication: Honesty, accuracy, active listening, emphatic statements, consistency, and clarity; (b) family support: Respect, compassion, courtesy, considering family needs and wishes, and emotional and spiritual support; (c) family meetings: Meaningful explanation and frequency of meetings; (d) decision-making: Shared decision-making; (e) end of life care support: Support during foregoing life-sustaining interventions and staggered withdrawal of life support; (f) ICU environment: Flexibility of visiting hours and safe hospital environment; and (g) other factors: Control of pain and physical symptoms, palliative care consultation, and family-centered care. Factors that negatively influenced FS-ICU care were (a) communication: Incomplete information and unable to interpret information provided; (b) family support: Lack of emotional and spiritual support; (c) family meetings: Conflicts and short family meetings; (d) end of life care support: Resuscitation at end of life, mechanical ventilation on day of death, ICU death of an elderly, prolonged use of life-sustaining treatment, and unfamiliar technology; and (e) ICU environment: Restrictive visitation policies and families denied access to see the dying loved ones.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Families of the patients admitted to ICU value respect, compassion, empathy, communication, involvement in decision-making, pain and symptom relief, avoiding futile medical interventions, and dignified end of life care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Naveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salins
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Jayita
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Deodhar
authors.affiliation: Department of Palliative Medicine, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Muckaden
keywords: Death; Intensive Care Unit; family satisfaction of care