EP.TU.639Daily Next of Kin Updates in the Intensive Care Unit: A Crucial Message in Effective Communication

Abstract

Abstract Aim The Society of Critical Care Medicine has stated that next of kin (NOK) should be updated daily to inform and support family members of patients in the ICU. We aimed to determine whether daily NOK updates of surgical patients were performed routinely by ICU doctors and to explore any associated difficulties. Method A retrospective audit of 132 patient records from surgical ICU admissions between September and October 2020 was reviewed to assess frequency of NOK updates. A concurrent survey was circulated amongst ICU doctors to assess the self-reported frequency of NOK updates and perceived challenges. Results Daily NOK updates were carried out in 61.2% of cases. On admission, NOK were contacted in only 19.4% of cases and only 4.7% of NOK were contacted on step-down days. Conversations were documented in 65% of contacts. The survey was completed by 20 ICU doctors, 60% stating they always carried out updates. High workload was a contributory factor for not performing updates. 60% found it challenging to speak to NOK. Conclusion Although NOK updates are occurring there is scope for improvement. We assume from our study that the parent surgical teams will inform NOK of patients being admitted to ICU; however, this should be better communicated to ICU staff to ensure that updates for these patients are not being overlooked. A nominated doctor or nurse is recommended to ensure NOK updates are performed. Juniors should be provided with a forum to discuss and learn from challenging conversations.