RT Book, Section A1 Hunziker, Sabina A1 Howell, Michael D. A2 Hall, Jesse B. A2 Schmidt, Gregory A. A2 Kress, John P. SR Print(0) ID 1107715534 T1 Caring for the Family T2 Principles of Critical Care, 4e YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071738811 LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1107715534 RD 2024/11/08 AB Family members of ICU patients often serve as surrogate decision makers and are at high risk to develop long-term psychological problems, such as depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder.Proactive communication has been shown to be an important factor improving satisfaction and lower psychological burden in families of patients dying in the ICU (end-of-life situation).It can be assumed that around 50% of family members do not understand the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of their loved ones. Better information and higher completeness of information have been shown to result in increased family satisfaction.Relatives' preference for involvement in the decision-making process varies. Physicians should respect their preference and adapt the family conference accordingly.Family conferences can be improved if (a) they occur promptly after ICU admission of the patient, (b) information is consistent across treating teams, (c) there is an adequate room for the conference with privacy and good atmosphere, and (d) health care workers ensure that in an end-of-life situation the patient will not suffer and provide explicit support for decisions made by the family.Empathic statements and more time listening to family members (and less time talking by health care workers) improve families' experiences in the ICU.