Zhang Yimei, Hu Qiulan, Wang Yu, Li Qinglan, Zhou Min, Yang Jingran, Lu Jiafei, YangLan Ruijie, Ma Fang
The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
Nurs Ethics. 2025 Nov;32(7):2386-2401. doi: 10.1177/09697330251339419. Epub 2025 May 3.
BackgroundIntensive care is essential for critically ill patients who experience loss of personal identity and restricted physical and emotional expression. However, patient privacy in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) remains inadequately protected, with both patients and healthcare professionals (HCPs) reporting breaches. Cultural backgrounds and individual perspectives of patients and HCPs significantly shape their views on privacy. In China, discourse on ICU patient privacy is still in its early stages.Research aimThis study aims to explore the experiences of HCPs and patients regarding the patient privacy in ICU under the Chinese background.Research designA qualitative study was conducted using purposive sampling methods for semi-structured, face-to-face, in-depth interviews, followed by thematic analysis to identify key themes.Participants and research contextSix focus-group interviews (with a total of 33 nurses) were conducted, while seven doctors and 10 patients were interviewed individually from March to July 2024 at a tertiary hospital in China.Ethical considerationsThis study was approved by the hospital's Ethics Committee (reference number: 2024-L-158). Informed consent was obtained from all participants, and data confidentiality was ensured through anonymization and encrypted storage.FindingsFour themes were identified: (1) the coexistence of consensus and disagreement regarding privacy scope; (2) the paradoxical perception of privacy protection; (3) conflicting responses to privacy violation and (4) much has been done, but more is needed.ConclusionsMinimizing exposure of ICU patients' private areas and protecting their information are essential to safeguarding privacy. Education and training in bioethics can enhance HCPs' sensitivity to ethical issues and improve practices regarding privacy protection. Teaching resilience and stress management can help mitigate psychological distress associated with privacy violations in ICU patients. Additionally, promoting HCPs' privacy awareness, limiting visits by opposite-sex family members, and enhancing HCPs' empathy are key strategies in this context.
背景
重症监护对于经历个人身份丧失以及身体和情感表达受限的重症患者至关重要。然而，重症监护病房（ICU）中的患者隐私保护仍不充分，患者和医护人员均报告存在隐私泄露情况。患者和医护人员的文化背景及个人观点极大地影响了他们对隐私的看法。在中国，关于ICU患者隐私的讨论仍处于早期阶段。
研究目的
本研究旨在探讨在中国背景下医护人员和患者对ICU患者隐私的体验。
研究设计
采用目的抽样方法进行定性研究，通过半结构化、面对面、深入访谈，随后进行主题分析以确定关键主题。
参与者和研究背景
2024年3月至7月，在中国一家三级医院进行了六次焦点小组访谈（共33名护士），同时分别对七名医生和十名患者进行了访谈。
伦理考量
本研究获得了医院伦理委员会的批准（参考编号：2024 - L - 158）。所有参与者均获得了知情同意，并通过匿名化和加密存储确保了数据保密性。
研究结果
（1）隐私范围上的共识与分歧并存；（2）对隐私保护的矛盾认知；（3）对隐私侵犯的矛盾反应；（4）已做了很多工作，但仍需更多努力。
结论
尽量减少ICU患者私人区域的暴露并保护其信息对于保护隐私至关重要。生物伦理学方面的教育和培训可以提高医护人员对伦理问题的敏感度，并改善隐私保护措施。教授恢复力和压力管理可以帮助减轻ICU患者因隐私侵犯而产生的心理困扰。此外，提高医护人员的隐私意识、限制异性家庭成员的探视以及增强医护人员的同理心是这方面的关键策略。
