Effectiveness of an intervention on the family’s need for information in intensive care units

Objective: To establish the effectiveness of a nursing intervention aimed at improving the satisfaction of the information needs of patients’ family in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Materials and method: A prospective experimental study with a randomized intervention was conducted. The sample was recruited from an ICU in Bogotá, Colombia. The study population consisted of relatives of patients admitted to the ICU. The intervention’s outcomewas evaluated using the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory and the Critical Care Family Satisfaction Survey. The sample size was 66families. Randomization was performed using random numbers in permuted blocks, resulting in 33 families in the control group and 33 in the intervention group. Results: A significant difference was found in communication and support. In the proximity dimension, there was statistical significance in talking to the same nurse daily (p = 0.009). In the dimensions of safety and comfort, there was no statistical significance. The overall satisfaction was favorable, with the intervention group showing amuch greater magnitude of change (p < 0.001***) compared to the control group (p < 0.01**). Conclusion: Developing a structured intervention using information strategies such as face-to-face meetings, information leaflets, and a notebook to record concerns allows satisfying the need forinformation of patients’ families while maintaining the quality of care, family well-being, and coping capacity.