Family Information Management in the Intensive Care Unit

Relatives in intensive care units (ICU) are important partners in decision-making in the treatment of critically ill patients and provide a significant resource in the care and recovery of patients. Therefore, a professional, educational intervention targeting these caregivers may have fundamental benefits with little risk. As in other fields, information is searched in the internet, but this unselected information is often overwhelming and of little use in this context. Symptoms of anxiety, stress and depression are common in affected relatives. The majority of family members report some level of anxiety, depression and stress, sometimes even resulting in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Importantly, an association between lack of information and post-traumatic stress disorder PTSD has been reported. The large number of potentially affected families poses a particular challenge to healthcare and may cause substantial secondary costs to national economy.