title: National survey on the indicators of quality in Bioethics of the SEMICYUC in the departments of Intensive Care Medicine in Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple interventions are performed in critical patients admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs). This study explores the presence in the daily practice of ICUs of elements related to the 6 bioethics quality indicators of the Spanish Society of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine and Coronary Units, and the participation of their members in the hospital ethics committees.
  
  
  METHODS
  A multicenter observational study was carried out, using a survey exploring descriptive aspects of the ICUs, with 25 questions related to bioethics quality indicators, and assessing the participation of ICU members in the hospital ethics committees. The ICUs were classified by size (larger or smaller than 10 beds) and type of hospital (public/private-public concerted center, with/without teaching).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 68 analyzed surveys revealed: daily informing of the family (97%), carried out in the information room (82%); end-of-life care protocols (44%); life support limitation form (48.43%); and physical containment protocol (40%). Compliance with the informed consent process referred to different procedures is: tracheostomy (92%), vascular procedures (76%), and extrarenal clearance (25%). The presence of ICU members in the hospital ethics committee is currently frequent (69%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Information supplied to relatives is adequate, although there are ICUs without an information room. Compliance with the informed consent requirements of various procedures is insufficient. The participation of ICU members in the hospital ethics committees is frequent. The results obtained suggest a chance for improvement in the bioethical quality of the ICU.
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital de Sagunto, Sagunto, Valencia, España.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: López Camps
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital de Sagunto, Sagunto, Valencia, España. Electronic address: mangelesymangel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: García García
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital de Torrejón, Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Martín Delgado
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital Universitario La Paz-Carlos III, Madrid, España.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Añón Elizalde
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital Josep Trueta, Girona, España.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Masnou Burrallo
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Fundación Althaia, Manresa, Barcelona, España.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rubio Sanchiz
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital de Jerez de la Frontera, Jerez de la Frontera, Cádiz, España.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Estella García
authors.affiliation: UCI, Hospital San Pedro, Logroño, La Rioja, España.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Monzón Marín
mesh_terms: D016223:Advance Directives / Q000941:ethics; D003422:Critical Care / Q000941:ethics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D028741:Ethics Committees, Clinical; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006306:Health Surveys; D006742:Hospital Bed Capacity; D006801:Humans; D007258:Informed Consent / Q000941:ethics; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000941:ethics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008020:Life Support Care / Q000941:ethics; D011368:Professional-Family Relations / Q000941:ethics; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care; D012149:Restraint, Physical / Q000941:ethics; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards; D013030:Spain; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000941:ethics; D014342:Truth Disclosure / Q000941:ethics
keywords: Bioethics; Bioética; Comité de bioética asistencial; Documentos de consentimiento informado; Ethics committee; Indicadores de calidad; Informed consent forms; Intensive Care Units; Quality indicators; Servicios de Medicina Intensiva