VidaTalk™ patient communication application "opened up" communication between nonvocal ICU patients and their family

Assessing the Satisfaction and Usability of Patient Families in the ICU With the Use of the Telehealth Communication Application myVisit

BACKGROUND

During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were many restrictions on family meetings, especially on patients' families meeting their dear ones in hospitals. We aimed to evaluate patients' family members' experience using the mobile application myVisit which was developed in KAMC, to connect patients in the ICU to their families and allow them to talk to them securely.

METHODOLOGY

We conducted a cross-sectional study with mixed qualitative and quantitative methods, using the technique of thematic analysis for a qualitative approach to assess user satisfaction responses and a quantitative approach to using a validated survey and comparing our findings in both methods to determine existing usability issues and potential improvements. The survey included two sections, closed and open-ended questions, which were distributed online to 63 patient family members.

RESULTS

The response rate was 85%, the overall mean score for the first part of the closed questions (advantages of using myVisit telehealth) was 4.32 and for the second part of the scale on the ease of use of the system (advantages of using myVisit telehealth) was 3.52. Three useful topics were generated concerning the open questions, covering 220 codes from the participants' responses. In general, there is a great interest in technology and its ability to improve people's lives, especially in the medical field and cases where things do not go normally, as well as in exceptional circumstances.

CONCLUSIONS

The overall evaluation of the myVisit application was positive in terms of the idea and content, as usability of the system is very good at 71%, plus the users' opinions of the myVisit application are that it saves time at 96%, and save money and effort for the patient's family 74%.

Symptom Assessment for Mechanically Ventilated Patients: Principles and Priorities: An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report

Mechanically ventilated patients experience many adverse symptoms, such as anxiety, thirst, and dyspnea. However, these common symptoms are not included in practice guideline recommendations for routine assessment of mechanically ventilated patients. An American Thoracic Society-sponsored workshop with researchers and clinicians with expertise in critical care and symptom management was convened for a discussion of symptom assessment in mechanically ventilated patients. Members included nurses, physicians, a respiratory therapist, a speech-language pathologist, a critical care pharmacist, and a former intensive care unit patient. This report summarizes existing evidence and consensus among workshop participants regarding 1) symptoms that should be considered for routine assessment of adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation; 2) key symptom assessment principles; 3) strategies that support symptom assessment in nonvocal patients; and 4) areas for future clinical practice development and research. Systematic patient-centered assessment of multiple symptoms has great potential to minimize patient distress and improve the patient experience. A culture shift is necessary to promote ongoing holistic symptom assessment with valid and reliable instruments. This report represents our workgroup consensus on symptom assessment for mechanically ventilated patients. Future work should address how holistic, patient-centered symptom assessment can be embedded into clinical practice.

Communication Between Registered Nurses and Family Members of Intensive Care Unit Patients

Background

Effective communication between intensive care unit patients and their families and nurses promotes relationship-centered care and improves nurses’ ability to meet patient and family needs. However, communication with these patients is challenging because of their critical illness. Families often become surrogate decision makers for adult intensive care unit patients.

Objective

To systematically assess available evidence on communication between adult intensive care unit patients and their families and nurses as the initial step in developing nursing strategies to strengthen communication skills.

Methods

In this integrative review, the method of Whittemore and Knafl was used to synthesize findings from qualitative and quantitative (descriptive and experimental) research.

Results

The review revealed a variety of research designs, measurement tools, and types of interventions. The qualitative findings suggest that nurses can strengthen relationship-centered care by regularly updating patients’ families and providing information that can assist with decision-making. The quantitative findings suggest that nurses should be mindful of family members’ needs for assurance, comfort, and support. Providing information on patient status can help alleviate family concerns.

Conclusions

Improved communication between patients and families and intensive care unit nurses is essential to strengthen relationship-centered care. Additional research is needed to better understand the communication needs of adult patients and their families in the intensive care unit.