title: Measuring Family Satisfaction With Care Delivered in the Intensive Care Unit.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In our competitive health care environment, measuring the experience of family members of patients in the intensive care unit to ensure that health care providers are meeting families' needs is critical. Surveys from Press Ganey and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are unable to capture families' satisfaction with care in this setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To implement a sustainable measure for family satisfaction in a 12-bed medical and surgical intensive care unit. To assess the feasibility of the selected tool for measuring family satisfaction and to make recommendations that are based on the results.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive survey design using the Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit 24-item questionnaire to measure satisfaction with care and decision-making.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty family members completed the survey. Overall, the mean score for families' satisfaction with care was 72.24% (SD, 14.87%) and the mean score for families' satisfaction with decision-making was 72.03% (SD, 16.61%). Families reported that nurses put them at ease and provided understandable explanations. Collaboration, inclusion of families in clinical discussions, and timely information regarding changes in the patient's condition were the most common points brought up in free-text responses from family members. Written communication, including directions and expectations, would have improved the families' experience.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although patients' family members reported being satisfied with their experience in the intensive care unit, there is room for improvement. Effective communication among the health care team, patients' families, and patients will be targeted for quality improvement initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Kathleen Clark is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing, Fairfield, Connecticut, and a critical care nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Massachusetts.|Kerry A. Milner is an associate professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing.|Marlene Beck is a clinical assistant professor and director of the MSN and DNP online programs at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing.|Virginia Mason is a coordinator and critical care/intensive care unit nurse education specialist at UMASS Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Kathleen Clark is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing, Fairfield, Connecticut, and a critical care nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Massachusetts. milnerk@sacredheart.edu.|Kerry A. Milner is an associate professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing. milnerk@sacredheart.edu.|Marlene Beck is a clinical assistant professor and director of the MSN and DNP online programs at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing. milnerk@sacredheart.edu.|Virginia Mason is a coordinator and critical care/intensive care unit nurse education specialist at UMASS Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts. milnerk@sacredheart.edu.
authors.forename: Kerry A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Milner
authors.affiliation: Kathleen Clark is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing, Fairfield, Connecticut, and a critical care nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Massachusetts.|Kerry A. Milner is an associate professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing.|Marlene Beck is a clinical assistant professor and director of the MSN and DNP online programs at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing.|Virginia Mason is a coordinator and critical care/intensive care unit nurse education specialist at UMASS Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Marlene
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: Kathleen Clark is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing, Fairfield, Connecticut, and a critical care nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton, Massachusetts.|Kerry A. Milner is an associate professor at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing.|Marlene Beck is a clinical assistant professor and director of the MSN and DNP online programs at Sacred Heart University College of Nursing.|Virginia Mason is a coordinator and critical care/intensive care unit nurse education specialist at UMASS Memorial Medical Center, Worcester, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Mason
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003422:Critical Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States