Meeting the Needs of Family Members of Trauma Patients in the Emergency Department.

Abstract

While the needs of family members have previously been studied, the needs of families of trauma patients have received less attention. This study aims to assess the needs of family members of trauma patients in the emergency department. This cross-sectional survey study was conducted over 4 months (February-May 2022) with family members of trauma patients admitted to the emergency department of a state hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. The validated Critical Care Family Needs Inventory - Emergency Department survey was administered face-to-face to a convenience sample of consenting family members. A total of 248 family members participated, representing 84 patients. The mean age of the participants was 33 (8.18) years, with a gender distribution of 50% women. On average, 76.5% of the family members' needs were met. The most important needs reported as mean (SD) were as follows: communication, 3.52 (0.68); participation in care, 3.52 (0.68); comfort, 3.36 (0.65); and support needs, 3.21 (0.72). These needs were met to varying degrees: communication 85%, participation in care 81.2%, comfort 75.4%, and support needs 65.2%. The study findings indicate that the needs of family members of emergency department trauma patients are not fully met. Families report needing communication the most and comfort the least.