Criteria deemed important by ICU patients when designating a reference person.

BACKGROUND

We investigated the criteria that hospitalized patients in intensive care units (ICUs) deem important when designating relatives who are best qualified to interact with the caregiving staff.

METHODS

We conducted an exploratory, observational, prospective, multicenter study between March 1, 2018, and October 31, 2018, within two ICUs. A 12-item questionnaire was distributed to patients in the ICUs by the investigating physicians. Patients were considered eligible if they had a good understanding of the French language and if they had not officially designated surrogates before ICU admission.

RESULTS

Seventy-one patients whose average age was 63.9± 17.3 years, of whom 21 (29.5%) were females, completed the questionnaire. The average Charlson comorbidity score was 2.5 ± 2.4, and the average Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) was 39.8 ± 16.5. The main etiology was respiratory infection (40.8%), followed by sepsis (23.9%). The most important criteria identified by patients when selecting reference persons were a good knowledge of the patient's wishes and values, an emotional attachment to the patient, and being a family member.

CONCLUSION

Our findings reveal that ICU patients considered the following criteria to be critical when designating reference persons: knowledge of their wishes and the existence of emotional and family attachments.