Informative Bulletin in the ICU: perception of family members and health professionals

Abstract

It is a descriptive exploratory study with the purpose to identify similarities and differences among various Informative Bulletins (IBs) of Intensive Care Unity (ICU) and the information routine to the family members in the ICUs; to describe the family members and health professionals’ perception about the IB as an instrument to communicate the ICU patient clinical state ; to identify the communication aspects involved in the comprehension of the ICU Informative Bulletin by professionals and family members; to identify suggestions given by professionals and family members in order to create suitable IBs to the family members’ needs. The participants were 41 professionals and people with a family member under treatment in an ICU. Data were collected between February and April 2006, through semi-structured interviews followed by answer content analysis in accordance with Bardin (2004). Comparison between information routine of each ICU and the various IBs indicated that they are both similar in form and content. Most of the participants characterized the IB as not clear and containing technical terms, not elucidative about the condition of the patient, generating confusion and doubts about the information reliability. They also considered it subjective and controversial due to lack of consensus criteria on the used terms. Some participants mentioned that the IB is an effective way to transmit information and reach the family member perception because it is simple and there are ethical aspects that limit its content. They also emphasized the importance of the inclusion of other not technical items with a glossary. It was possible to identify similarities in the professional’s discourses and family members and a professional practice that didn’t correspond to the discourse. This leads to the reflection that a change is vital both in form and content used in the IBs, and that it is necessary to revise some routine ways of thinking and acting, transforming the discourse of “attention with quality” into action.