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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 Participants in the proactive communication group spoke about 9 minutes more, on average, than those in the standard care group.
Ninety days after the death of their loved ones, all of the study participants were interviewed by phone. The proactive communication group had a lower incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms than the standard group: 45 percent versus 69 percent. Anxiety symptoms were present in 45 percent of the proactive communication group, compared to 67 percent of the standard care group. And depression symptoms were present in 29 percent of the proactive group, compared to 56 percent of the standard care group.
Asked if these findings would likely be replicated in the United States, Dr. Craig Lilly, who co-authored an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal, said, "The basic messages are almost certainly translatable. If you spend an extra 10 minutes listening to families, not talking at them, but listening, stress levels will be less.
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"When your family member is in crisis, it's important to spend time talking to your doctor about your loved one's values and about what kind of functional outcome they would want," said Lilly, who is a professor of medicine, anesthesiology and surgery at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.
If your loved one's physician or health-care team doesn't approach you, Lilly said to request a meeting with the doctors and nurses involved and have all the important family members present as well, to make it an efficient communication session for all concerned.
"Those formal communication sessions can be helpful on both sides. Family members should come prepared. Tell the doctors what the patient's values are and what they wanted; what the goals of care should be. Good communication helps everyone understand the available options and know what to expect," Lilly said.
More information
The Society of Critical Care Medicine has advice on taking care of yourself while your loved one is in intensive care.
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