Criteria deemed important by the relatives for designating a reference person for patients hospitalized in ICU

Abstract Purpose We investigated the criteria that patients' relatives deem important for choosing, among themselves, the person best qualified to interact with the caregiving staff. Methods Exploratory, observational, prospective, multicentre study between 1st March and 31st October 2018 in 2 intensive care units (ICUs). A 12-item questionnaire was completed anonymously by family members of patients hospitalized in the ICU 3 and 5 days after the patient's admission. Relatives were eligible if they understood French and if no surrogate had been appointed by the patient prior to ICU admission. More than one relative per patient could participate. Results In total, 87 relatives of 73 patients…