Abstract
Communicating uncertainty with patients and families in the intensive care unit is challenging and requires time and skill to convey the information. This proposal aims to provide a structured path for identifying and communicating uncertainty with patients and families in the unit. The focus is to improve the quality of care and timely communication to meet the expectations and needs of families and patients. The project focuses on the first 24 hours of intensive care unit admission to improve communication of uncertainty. By utilizing the Plan-Do-Study-Act cycle, the workflow uses a screening tool to identify uncertainty and communicate using evidence-based recommendations and the mnemonic VALUE (Value family statements, Acknowledge emotions, Listen, Understand the patient as a person, Elicit questions) as the standard of care. The workflow can be incorporated during the routine rounds as part of the A-F liberation bundle. The outcome is to improve patient and family satisfaction scores using a validated Family Satisfaction with Care in the Intensive Care Unit (FS-ICU 24) questionnaire to achieve a score of 75 or more, which correlates with very good. Challenges and limitations are discussed in the proposal.
Highlights
Communicating uncertainty in the intensive care unit (ICU) to patients and families is challenging given multiple factors, including lack/limited information, complexity, and time pressure to manage sick and unstable patients [1]. This project aims to improve communication of uncertainty with patients and families in the ICU to enhance the quality of care and patient safety by being honest and transparent and disclosing information in a timely manner to build up trust with the healthcare team
The project will help improve the quality of care delivered in ICU to patients and their families by improving communication and support through decision-making under uncertainty and building trust
Given that communication is a crucial part of the trust framework, and perceived quality of care is linked to patient and family satisfaction, leadership from the hospital and family members will ensure sustainability and provide the support needed to maintain the structure
Summary
Communicating uncertainty in the intensive care unit (ICU) to patients and families is challenging given multiple factors, including lack/limited information, complexity, and time pressure to manage sick and unstable patients [1]. This project aims to improve communication of uncertainty with patients and families in the ICU to enhance the quality of care and patient safety by being honest and transparent and disclosing information in a timely manner to build up trust with the healthcare team. The project will help improve the quality of care delivered in ICU to patients and their families by improving communication and support through decision-making under uncertainty and building trust.
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