Abstract
Introduction:
The family has an important role in the care of the ICU patient. Research shows that the implementation of non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium, including interventions with the family, can reduce the incidence of delirium. The aim of this review was to search the available literature about the experiences and attitudes of family/carers of ICU patients diagnosed with delirium during hospitalization.
Methods:
A scoping review method was used to map terms relevant to the involvement of relatives in the care of critically ill patients with delirium. To identify studies, the following databases were searched: PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The database search was ongoing from 15 July 2022, with a final search on 4 August 2022.
Results:
Thirteen articles reporting on the experiences and attitudes of family/carers of ICU patients who developed delirium during hospitalization were included in the scoping review. Of the included studies, eight were qualitative studies, three were quantitative studies and two were reviews (systematic review and integrative review). The studies were conducted in North America, Europe, South Africa, and Asia. Our findings show that carers experienced adverse effects associated with delirium in ICU patients such as stress, anxiety, embarrassment, uncertainty, anger, shock. Families/relatives need both emotional and informational support from medical staff.
Conclusion:
Relatives want to be involved in the care of the delirium patient, although this needs improvement in some aspects of care such as: lack of awareness, family/relatives knowledge of delirium, improved education, and communication with medical staff. Recognition of delirium by families is acceptable and feasible. Family involvement may induce an increased anxiety, but this aspect needs further research.
Introduction
Patients' families have an important role in ICU patient care. They are often involved in the decision-making process as representatives of critically ill patients, support their relatives and are the link between the patient and the ICU medical staff. Patient Centered Care (PCC) and Family Centered Care (FCC) is increasingly being implemented and desired in the hospital setting. The PCC and FCC model of care involves patient care that takes into account and respects the patient's beliefs, values and preferences, and involves the family in the process of caring for the relative (, ). Family involvement in the patient care process (F) in the intensive care unit has been added to the ABCDEF package. The ABCDEF package is an evidence-based approach to the holistic management of critically ill patients, with the focus on optimizing recovery and patient outcomes in the ICU and engaging and empowering patients and families during hospitalization. It includes: (1)Assess, Prevent, and Manage Pain, (2) Both Spontaneous Awakening Trials (SAT) and Spontaneous Breathing Trials (SBT), Choice of analgesia and sedation, (3) Delirium: Assess, Prevent, and Manage, (4) Early mobility and Exercise, and (5) Family engagement and empowerment (Figure 1) (, ). Studies showed that greater compliance with the ABCDEF package was independently associated with improved clinical outcomes (). ICU patients are at particular risk of developing delirium during hospitalization. It is estimated to occur in up to 80% of ICU patients (). Studies show that implementing non-pharmacological interventions to prevent delirium, including interventions with the family, can reduce the incidence of delirium (–). Understanding the experiences and attitudes of carers can contribute to the development of nursing interventions with patient families, provide support, education and improve the relationship between medical staff and patient families. In addition, highlighting the role that ICU nurses play in their relationships with families/relatives of delirious ICU patients may result in increased staff awareness, which may ultimately have a positive impact on the care of delirious ICU patients and improve the wellbeing of patients and their families.
Figure 1
Objectives and rationale
The aim of the scoping review was to search the available literature about the experiences and attitudes of family/carers of ICU patients diagnosed with delirium during hospitalization. Of particular interest were the experiences of relatives because these people are increasingly involved in the care of critically ill patients and the risk of delirium is high in ICU patients. The research questions (RQs) for our scoping review are as follows:
1. What is the family's experience of caring for ICU patients with delirium?
2. What is the attitude of the family toward the care of an ICU patient with delirium?
Methods
Study design
We chose the scoping review method because we wanted to map terms relevant to the involvement of relatives in the care of critically ill patients with delirium. Scoping reviews are a relatively new approach to synthesizing evidence, and there is currently little guidance on deciding between a systematic review and a scoping approach during the synthesis of evidence, especially when the literature has not yet been comprehensively reviewed or shows a large, complex or heterogeneous nature that cannot be subject to a more thorough systematic review ().
We conducted the scoping review according to the methods described in the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology Manual for Scoping Reviews (), and using the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines () (available on request from the corresponding author).
Inclusion criteria
To identify important aspects related to family experiences and attitudes toward care of ICU patients with delirium, we developed research questions that clearly define the Population, Concept and Context (PCC) of the scoping review.
Population
Studies whose participants were family or carers of patients admitted to the intensive care unit who were diagnosed with delirium during the hospital stay were included in the review.
In this scoping review, adults were defined as those who were aged 18 years or older.
Family was defined as people who are related to patients by blood or marriage, and carers/relatives were defined as people who accompanied patients during their stay in the ICU.
Concept
The object of interest was the experiences and attitudes of family members/carers whose relatives experienced delirium while in the ICU stay. This included research on the experiences and readiness of relatives to be involved in the care of an ICU patient with delirium. In addition, we also included studies on the impact of caring for an ICU patient with delirium on the occurrence of anxiety and depression symptoms.
Context
Studies to be included in the review had to be conducted in the adult intensive care unit.
Types of studies
Quantitative and qualitative studies of any design or methodology were included in this review. Secondary evidence sources—literature reviews and systematic reviews—were also included.
Exclusion criteria
Studies that took place in non-ICUs or children's ICUs were excluded from the scoping review. Studies in which the concept did not involve delirium and the experiences and attitudes of the family toward the care of an ICU patient with delirium were also rejected. In addition, studies published before 2017 and in a language other than English were excluded from the scoping review.
Search strategy
Two authors systematically searched the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, EBSCO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The following keywords were used: “care givers”, “family”, “experience”, “attitudes”, “delirium”, “delirium prevention”, “ICU”,” critical ill”. Keywords with their combinations using AND or OR were entered. The search was limited to studies published between 2017 and 2022. All publications were examined by title and abstract to exclude irrelevant records. Any discrepancies were resolved through discussion with the researchers, and at the end of the selection process, full agreement was reached on the articles to be included. The database search was ongoing from 15 July 2022, with a final search on 4 August 2022.
Extraction of data
The data extraction form, based on the JBI scoping review guidelines (), was used, and the most important information in the studies was included. Data extraction, which is referred to in the scoping review as “data charting” () was undertaken by two reviewers independently. To identify relevant studies, we used the Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework. Information extracted from included studies included: First author, and year, country, study design, aim of the study, inclusion (PCC) and exclusion criteria, results, and findings. Reviews are considered eligible if all the following criteria are met. The authors performed the extraction using Microsoft Excel.
Critical appraisal process
The purpose of this scoping review was to collate the information that has been published on family experiences and attitudes toward care of ICU patients with delirium. We did not critically appraise the individual sources of evidence. For a scoping review, it is acceptable to review the current evidence without considering the methodological assessment of the included studies ().
Results
Our scoping review identified 209 articles, from which 13 articles reporting the experiences and attitudes of family/carers of ICU patients who developed delirium during hospitalization were included (Figure 2). Of the included studies, eight were qualitative studies (–), three were quantitative studies (–), and two were reviews (one systematic review and one integrative review) (, ). The studies were conducted in North America (n = 5), Europe (n = 4), South Africa (n = 1), Asia (n = 1). To reach the purpose, qualitative studies mostly used the semi-structured interview method. In quantitative research, questionnaires were used: Sour Seven, Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) and original survey questionnaires. The results and conclusions are presented in Tables 1–3.
Figure 2
Table 1
| References | Country | Study design | Participants | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lange et al. ( | Poland | Qualitative study (semi-structure interviews) | 8 family members | ✓ Inadequate education and information, ✓ The benefit of obtaining prior information, ✓ Surprise, shock, and anger at the change in a relative's behavior. |
| Leigh et al. ( | Canada | Qualitative descriptive study (focus groups) | 3 family members | ✓ Family detection of delirium is feasible and of value for patient care and coping by family members. ✓ Actively involving family members in delirium detection at the bedside may improve outcomes and experiences for both patients and family members. |
| Huang et al. ( | Taiwan | Qualitative descriptive study (semi-structure interviews) | 20 family caregivers | ✓ Uncertainty among family caregivers of patients with delirium in ICUs can lead to feelings of fear and anxiety. |
| Pandhal et al. ( | England | Qualitative descriptive study (semi-structure interviews) | 9 relatives | ✓ Lack of understanding about delirium amongst family members and how they could have supported delirium management. ✓ Families were keen to be involved in delirium. ✓ Interventions such as video-ICU delirium education have been found to be effective in educating family members about delirium management. |
| Hume ( | South Africa | Qualitative study (semi-structured interviews, unstructured observation and and focus groups) | 2 family members | ✓ The negative impact of the physical environment and pacing culture in intensive care. ✓ Damaging mistrust |
| Bohart et al. ( | Danish | Qualitative study (semi-structure interviews) | 11 relatives | ✓ Lack of knowledge about delirium, ✓ Delirium as a second order problem, ✓ Lack of information on delirium by medical staff. ✓ Varied nature of delirium and different ways of dealing with it |
| Page et al. ( | UK | Qualitative study (in-depth interviews) | 15 family members | ✓ Relatives experience the events associated with ICU hospitalization (including those associated with delirium) in a very real and ingraining manner. ✓ Family members may experience a different version of a critical illness episode than their relatives (patients). |
| Smithburger et al. ( | United States | Qualitative study (purposeful sampling, interview) | 10 family members | ✓ Families of ICU patients want to be involved in the care and prevention of delirium. ✓ Need for communication between family and nursing staff |
Characteristics and findings of qualitative study included in scoping review.
Table 2
| References | Country | Study design | Participants | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poulin et al. ( | Canada | A cross-sectional study | 147 family caregivers | Family caregivers of critically ill adults with delirium frequently experience clinically significant anxiety and are significantly more likely to report frequently worrying too much about different things. |
| Smithburger et al. ( | United States | A cross-sectional study | 60 family members | Patients' families can be a valuable resource to engage when implementing delirium-prevention activities in the ICU, according to health care providers and family members |
| Rosgen et al. ( | Canada | A cross-sectional study | 147 patient-caregivers | Caregiver-detected patient delirium was associated with increased depression and anxiety symptoms in family caregivers of critically ill patients. |
Characteristics and findings of quantitative study included in scoping review.
Table 3
| References | Study design | Included studies | Participants | Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boehm et al. ( | A systematic review and qualitative meta synthesis | 14 articles | 364 participants inc. 70 family members | ✓ The experience of delirium has emotional, cognitive, physical, relational, spiritual, and situational implications for patients and family members. ✓ Less attention is focused on the interventions that patients and their families perceive as beneficial in alleviating this suffering. |
| Assa et al. ( | An integrative review | 7 studies | 633 family caregivers | ✓ Family caregivers experienced adverse outcomes related to delirium in patients in the ICU (e.g., distress, anxiety, depression, anger, shock, uncertainty, dissatisfaction). ✓ Family Caregivers' needs: informational support, emotional support from health care professionals effective communication. |
Characteristics and findings of review study included in scoping review.
Discussion
In this review, we identified 13 studies regarding the experiences and attitudes of families/carers of ICU patients who experienced delirium during hospitalization, published between 2017 and 2022. Our findings show that carers experienced adverse effects associated with delirium in ICU patients such as stress, anxiety, embarrassment, uncertainty, anger, shock. Families/ relatives need both emotional and informational support from medical staff. Relatives want to be involved in the care of a patient with delirium, but this requires removing some of the barriers such as: lack of family knowledge and awareness of delirium, improved education, and communication with medical staff. Research shows that the use of delirium assessment tools designed for the family is feasible and acceptable to medical staff. Family involvement may induce an increased anxiety but this aspect needs further research. The included studies support family involvement in the care of ICU patients with delirium.
Research shows that the family ('F') is important in the care of the ICU patient, therefore experts have included the family in the ABCDE package developed (
A study by Leigh et al. (
Our findings suggest that family/relatives of ICU patients want to be involved in delirium-related activities (
Both medical staff, patients and family are of the opinion that relatives can and should be involved in delirium prevention activities, but there are several barriers that should be considered (
According to families and relatives, one of the barriers was inadequate communication between medical staff and carers (
An important facilitating factor for family involvement, according to families and relatives, is education. Families feel the need and want to be educated about delirium (
Families experience negative emotions related to the occurrence of delirium in their relatives such as: stress, anxiety, embarrassment, uncertainty, anger, shock (
A high incidence of delirium is also observed in non-ICU wards (
Limitations
Some important studies may have been omitted from the search and selection process due to limitations on publication date (studies from 2017) and language (English). The studies included in the review were conducted in different regions, so the cultural aspect and the general policies of the ICU environment in the country should be considered.
Conclusion
Family/carers of ICU patients are the people who can provide information about the initial symptoms of delirium in ICU patients. Relatives want to be involved in the care of a patient with delirium, but this needs improvement in some aspects of care such as: lack of awareness, family/ relatives' knowledge of delirium, improved education, and communication with medical staff. Recognition of delirium by families is acceptable and feasible. Involvement of the family may result in an increased anxiety, but this aspect needs further research.
Implications for research
Further research on the experiences of families and ICU patients related to delirium are needed. Understanding the perspective and experiences of patients and their families related to an episode of delirium is an important part of the management of delirium. Conducting additional interviews could potentially reveal added information, perspectives, experiences of delirium. Additionally, future research should consider the psychological aspect of the impact of family involvement in the care and detection of delirium in their relatives.
Implications for practice
Difficulties in caring for patients with delirium often result from a lack of knowledge of delirium by family/relatives. It is crucial to provide education in this area. Educating the family/relatives with ready-made brochures or videos is effective but should be complemented by a direct conversation with medical staff, which is the method most preferred by families. Education should be conducted at the beginning of the patient's stay in the ICU. In addition to theoretical education, families need emotional support from the medical staff (e.g., by talking to the nurse at the patient's bedside), which bring them relief, alleviate anxiety, and reduce discomfort. Communication between medical staff and the family should be based on clear communication of expectations from both sides and have an open dialogue. There is a concern that family involvement in detecting symptoms of delirium can be a stressor, so these people should be offered support from a professional such as a psychologist.
Publisher's note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Statements
Author contributions
Conceptualization and methodology: SL, WM-D, and SK. Formal analysis: SL and SK. Writing—original draft preparation: SL, WM-D, AF, and SK. Writing—review and editing: SL, WM-D, AF, DR, and SK. Supervision: DR and SK. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
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Summary
Keywords
family, experiences, delirium, ICU, scoping review
Citation
Lange S, Mȩdrzycka-Da̧browska W, Friganović A, Religa D and Krupa S (2022) Family experiences and attitudes toward care of ICU patients with delirium: A scoping review. Front. Public Health 10:1060518. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1060518
Received
03 October 2022
Accepted
31 October 2022
Published
23 November 2022
Volume
10 - 2022
Edited by
Wulf Rössler, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
Reviewed by
Mirna Žulec, katoličko sveučilište Hrvatsko, Croatia; Vesna Konjevoda, University Hospital Sveti Duh, Croatia
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Copyright
© 2022 Lange, Mȩdrzycka-Da̧browska, Friganović, Religa and Krupa.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Sandra Lange sandra.lange@gumed.edu.pl
This article was submitted to Public Mental Health, a section of the journal Frontiers in Public Health
Disclaimer
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.