Junior versus senior physicians for informing families of intensive care unit patients

Title

Junior versus senior physicians for informing families of intensive care unit patients

Creator

Moreau D; Goldgran-Toledano D; Alberti C; Jourdain M; Adrie C; Annane D; Garrouste-Orgeas M; Lefrant JY; Papazian L; Quinio P; Pochard F; Azoulay E

Publisher

American Journal Of Respiratory And Critical Care Medicine

Date

2004

Subject

Female; Humans; Male; Intensive Care Units; Adult; Critical Illness; Medical Staff; Prospective Studies; Aged; Middle Aged; Professional-Family Relations; Communication; Internship and Residency; Intensive Care; Comprehension; Family Health; Personal Satisfaction; ICU Decision Making; Hospital

Description

To compare the effectiveness of information delivered to family members of critically ill patients by junior and senior physicians, we performed a prospective randomized multicenter trial in 11 French intensive care units. Patients (n = 220) were allocated at random to having their family members receive information by only junior or only senior physicians throughout the intensive care unit stay; there were 92 and 93 evaluable cases in the junior and senior groups, respectively, with no significant differences in baseline characteristics. Between Days 3 and 5, one family representative per patient was evaluated for comprehension of the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment in the patient; satisfaction with information and care; and presence of symptoms of anxiety and depression. No significant differences were found between the two groups for any of these three criteria. Family members informed by a junior physician were more likely to feel they had not been given enough information time (additional time wanted: 3 [0-6.5] vs. 0 [0-5] minutes, p = 0.01) and to have sought additional explanations from their usual doctor (48.9 vs. 34.4%, p = 0.004). Specialty residents, if given opportunities for acquiring experience, can become proficient in communicating with families and share this task with senior physicians.
2004

Rights

Article information provided for research and reference use only. PedPalASCNET does not hold any rights over the resource listed here. All rights are retained by the journal listed under publisher and/or the creator(s).

Type

Journal Article

Citation List Month

Backlog

Citation

Moreau D; Goldgran-Toledano D; Alberti C; Jourdain M; Adrie C; Annane D; Garrouste-Orgeas M; Lefrant JY; Papazian L; Quinio P; Pochard F; Azoulay E, “Junior versus senior physicians for informing families of intensive care unit patients,” Pediatric Palliative Care Library, accessed March 19, 2024, https://pedpalascnetlibrary.omeka.net/items/show/12740.