Patient and relative satisfaction with intensive care. Importance of duration and quality of life

Abstract

Objectives: • To determine the satisfaction with intensive care management of surviving patients and the relatives of both surviving and non-surviving patients. • To determine both patients' and relatives' views on the importance of duration and quality of life following intensive care in deciding whether intensive care is justified. • To compare the views of patients and their relatives. Setting: Normal residence of survivors and their relatives. Design: Structured interview and health profiles. Subjects: Surviving adult patients admitted to two intensive care units (ICUs) over a 15-week period; and relatives of all patients including those of non-survivors. Results: There were 80 participants, of whom 30 were patients and 50 relatives (76% uptake of interview). Patients and relatives had high median satisfaction scores that did not vary significantly with outcome as judged on health profile scales. The relatives of non-survivors were as satisfied with ICU as those of survivors. Duration of life was cons...