ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Facilitating Communication for Family Members of Critically Ill Patients During and Following a Hospital Stay: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Primary result · HADS-depressionResult — go to the resultDifference in mean HADS-depression −0.07 95% CI −0.70 to 0.55Authors' conclusion
For family members of critically ill patients facing a high likelihood of death or serious disability, involving a communication facilitator during and after an ICU stay did not lead to a reduction in depressive symptoms.
Study context
- Population
- ICU patients with chronic life-limiting illness and/or acute severe illness with >15% hospital mortality risk, and their family members; three hospitals in Seattle, WA505 family members
- Participants
- 449 patients
- Comparison
- Nurse communication facilitator intervention vs control
- Interventionn = 225
- Controln = 224reference
- Primary endpoint
- Family member depression (HADS-depression) at randomization, 1, 3 and 6 mo
- Follow-up
- 6 mo
Methodological detailsmulticentre
- Multicentre
Primary result
HADS-depression
Difference in mean Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)-depression
−0.07
95% CI −0.70 to 0.55
By group
Control
5.9
mean · SD 4.1
Intervention
5.9
mean · SD 4.5
Intervention vs Control
difference in mean HADS-depression −0.07 (95% CI −0.70 to 0.55)
As reported in the abstract
Secondary outcomes
| Outcome | P value |
|---|---|
| Relationship with the healthcare team (family-reported)Expected direction; small effect size | P = 0.0162 |
| Goal concordance (family-reported)Expected direction; small effect size | P = 0.0504 |
Original publication
Facilitating Communication for Family Members of Critically Ill Patients During and Following a Hospital Stay: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Crit Care Med. Published 22 July 2026. doi:10.
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