Survey of family satisfaction with intensive care units: A prospective multicenter study

Although family satisfaction is an important indicator for quality improvement of intensive care units (ICUs), few studies have translated family satisfaction data into quality improvement in Asia. A prospective multicenter study was conducted to evaluate family satisfaction regarding the care of patients and their family. The family satisfaction in the ICU (FS-ICU) questionnaire was administered from January 2015 to February 2016 at ICUs of 3 tertiary teaching hospitals in South Korea. Family members of adult patients, staying at an ICU for ≥48 hours, were included. Key factors affecting satisfaction were identified using quantitative and qualitative analyses. In total, 200 family members participated in this survey. The mean score for overall family satisfaction (FS-ICU/total) was 75.4 ± 17.7. The mean score for satisfaction with information/decision-making was greater than that for satisfaction with care (78.2 ± 18.2 vs 73.5 ± 19.4; P ≤ .001). Family members who agreed to not resuscitate and whose patient died at the ICU had lower FS-ICU/total scores. When compared with hospital A, hospital C was an independent predictor with an FS-ICU/total score of <75. Families reported the least satisfaction for the atmosphere of the ICU, including the waiting room atmosphere and management of agitation. We evaluated family satisfaction regarding ICUs for the first time in Asia using a validated tool. The decision to not resuscitate, ICU mortality, and ICU culture were associated with family satisfaction with critical care. Efforts should be targeted for improving factors that cause low family satisfaction when planning quality improvement interventions for ICUs in Asia.