Estimation of critically ill patients' complaints by the nurse, the physician and the patient's family: A prospective comparative study

Complaint management system and patient satisfaction in grassroots hospitals

Primary healthcare institutions face limitations in medical resources, leading to concerns from patients and their families regarding the quality of medical services, resulting in complaints against these institutions. This study aims to analyze the causes of complaints and implement improvement measures to enhance the service quality of primary healthcare institutions, increase satisfaction among patients and their families, and reduce the number of complaints. Relevant data were collected, and verified complaints were categorized based on departments, administrative office, and category. Pearson Chi-square test, Spearman correlation analysis, as well as univariate logistic regression were employed to analyze factors influencing patient satisfaction. A complaint-handling process was established, and regulations pertaining to complaints were formulated. Pearson Chi-square test results indicated a significant correlation between satisfaction and departments (P = .016) and administrative office (P = .022). Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between satisfaction and departments (ρ = 0.157, P = .017) and administrative office (ρ = 0.151, P = .021). Univariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between satisfaction and other related complaints in administrative office (OR = 3.321, 95% CI = 1.196-9.218, P = .021). Complaints related to departments and administrative offices are significantly correlated with satisfaction. After the implementation of a complaint management system in primary healthcare institutions, there is a notable improvement in service quality, enhanced patient experience, increased satisfaction, and a reduction in hospital complaints.

Counselling offered to and needed by Finnish adult intensive care unit patients based on patients' records and memories

OBJECTIVES

Objectives of this study were to characterize the counselling (broadly defined) that Finnish adult intensive care unit patients received and needed during intensive care according to patients' records and memories.

DESIGN SETTING

The study was based on retrospective analysis of patient records and documented follow-up clinics, using a descriptive, qualitative approach and deductive-inductive content analysis.

FINDINGS

According to both the records and documented memories of 162 patients (56 women and 106 men aged 18-75 years; mean 50.8, median 53.5 years) patients' confidence in their own recovery, including feelings of safety and ability to participate, is enhanced by counselling during intensive care. They had strong memories of counselling that gave them knowledge about their medical conditions and procedures, symptoms, care, and psychological support. At follow-up, patients did not have such strong memories of lifestyle counselling that they received during intensive care.

CONCLUSION

Patients need counselling during an intensive care unit stay to improve their confidence in their recovery. The counselling strategy for intensive care should be documented, and patient memories collected during follow-up clinics, to help assessment of the quality of counselling provided in intensive care.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Counselling during intensive care enhances patients' confidence in their own recovery. To assess the quality of counselling it is essential to recognize the types provided and needed. Appropriate documentation is crucial for evaluating intensive care unit patient counselling, and planning its continuity.

Physician and Nurse Research in Multidisciplinary Intensive Care Units

BACKGROUND

Although clinical care is multidisciplinary, intensive care unit research commonly focuses on single-discipline themes. We sought to characterize intensive care unit research conducted by physicians and nurses.

METHODS

One hundred randomly selected reports of clinical studies published in critical care medical and nursing journals were reviewed.

RESULTS

Of the 100 articles reviewed, 50 were published in medical journals and 50 were published in nursing journals. Only 1 medical study (2%) used qualitative methods, compared with 9 nursing studies (18%) (P = .02). The distribution of quantitative study designs differed between medical and nursing journals (P < .001), with medical journals having a predominance of cohort studies (29 articles [58%]). Compared with medical journal articles, nursing journal articles had significantly fewer authors (median [interquartile range], 5 [3-6] vs 8 [6-10]; P < .001) and study participants (94 [51-237] vs 375 [86-4183]; P < .001) and a significantly lower proportion of male study participants (55% [26%-65%] vs 60% [51%-65%]; P = .02). Studies published in medical journals were much more likely than those published in nursing journals to exclusively involve patients as participants (47 [94%] vs 25 [50%]; P < .001). Coauthorship between physicians and nurses was evident in 14 articles (14%), with infrequent inclusion of authors from other health care disciplines.

CONCLUSIONS

Physician research and nurse research differ in several important aspects and tend to occur within silos. Increased interprofessional collaboration is possible and worthwhile.

The relationship between stressors and intensive care unit experiences

BACKGROUND

Patients in intensive care units (ICUs) face many physical and psychological stressors because of the environment of these units and their own critical conditions and experience stress in various degrees. Each stressor may affect patients' experiences in ICUs differently.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine the relationship between stressors and patients' experiences in an ICU.

METHODS

This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2014 and June 2015 in a university hospital and included 116 patients who were admitted to the general ICU for at least 24 hours. Data were collected using the Intensive Care Experience Scale and a questionnaire that included questions about socio-demographic and disease-related characteristics of patients and their stressors.

RESULTS

The mean age of the patients was 57.81 ± 13.81 years, and the mean duration of ICU stay was 2.28 ± 3.88 days. There was a moderate positive relation between the stressors noise (r = .534; P < .01), thirst (r = .438; P < .01), loneliness (r = .410; P < .01), and pain (r = .404; P < .01) and the subscale frightening experiences. However, there was a moderate, negative relation between the stressors inability to speak (r = -.444; P < .01), surrounding speeches (r = -.458; P < .01), equipment noise (r = -.490; P < .01), and physical exercise (r = -.546; P < .01) and the subscale satisfaction with care.

CONCLUSIONS

The patients associated stressors with satisfaction and frightening experiences in the early period of their discharge from the ICU. As stressors increases, so do frightening experiences, and satisfaction with care is affected negatively.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Currently, stressors to which patients discharged from ICU are exposed during their admission to wards are not evaluated in practice. This study is important in that it can help health professionals be aware of effects of stressors on patients in the early period of their discharge.