Survey of Family Satisfaction with Patient Care and Decision Making in Neuro-Intensive Care Unit- A Prospective Single Center Cross Sectional Study from an Indian Institute of Neurosciences

Background: Quality of health care is a major issue. Providing care that accommodates individual patient preferences and values is termed patient-centered care. Objectives: In this study, we assessed family satisfaction (FS) with intensive care unit (ICU) care and family satisfaction with decision making in the care of critically ill neurological/neurosurgical patients. Materials and Methods: The FS-ICU questionnaire was used to assess family satisfaction. Data were analyzed using frequency tables and rates. Results: Of the 154 FS-ICU questionnaires analyzed, the overall satisfaction rate with care was 59.97, with information needs was 56.52. and with decision making was 59.46. Lower satisfaction rates among families may be due to the highly morbid nature of neurological illness in their kin or due to differences in socioeconomic factors. Conclusions: Periodic audit of the FS questionnaire is useful in assessing the quality of health care in the neuro-ICU. Efforts to incorporate suggestions of study subjects may improve FS with patient care and decision making.

Automated summary

This study aimed to assess family satisfaction with care and decision making in the care of critically ill neurological/neurosurgical patients. The overall satisfaction rate with care was found to be high, but satisfaction rates with information needs and decision making were lower. Lower satisfaction rates among families may be attributed to the severity of the patients' diseases and differences in socioeconomic factors.