Hello, my name is Rosie Freedman and I am studying a Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology at City University, London. My research project is in collaboration with Kings College Hospital (KCH), in London, and is split into two separate but overlapping studies.
I would like to interview relatives of ex-ICU patients about their experiences of ICU, to help provide better support for future patients’ relatives on ICU.
Study 1 will explore patients’ relatives’ and ICU staff experiences of ICU, particularly around areas such as communication, information needs, knowledge of ICU processes (such as decision-making for patients who are unable to make their own decisions), coping on the ICU and access to psychological support.
Study 2 is the development of an information leaflet for ICU staff at KCH to provide to patient’s relatives on the ICU, and a verbal script for staff to use with the leaflet.
Data from interviews in Study 1 and a focus group with Senior ICU Nurses will help to develop the leaflet, which will be used on the ICU at Kings College Hospital (KCH) for two weeks. This will be followed up with further interviews with the ICU staff from Study 1 as part of a preliminary evaluation of the leaflet.
I am currently looking to recruit participants for Study 1, to interview about their experiences of having had a loved one as a patient on an ICU.
The inclusion criteria for participants are as follows:
- Their loved one must have been an unplanned admission to an ICU
- Their loved one must have lacked capacity to make decisions for themselves at some point during their stay on an ICU
- Their loved one must have survived their stay on an ICU and was discharged.
- The participant must be able to give informed consent
- The participant must be able to read, write and comprehend the English Language.
The term ‘relatives’ also include adults who are a: Spouse, parent, child, sibling, grandchild, carer, or close friend, of an ex-ICU patient. The research would involve you meeting with me for an interview at City University in London. The interview would last approximately 30 minutes. I will ask you a range of questions about your experience of ICU and the areas mentioned above.
If you would like to take part in this project, please get in touch with me either by emailing me at: rosie.freedman.1@city.ac.uk or by giving me a ring on 07513 785221. Once you have expressed an interest I will send you a Participant Information Sheet with detailed information about the project and what would be required of you, and a Participant Consent form for you to sign.
Your help to improve support for and the experience of ICU for patients’ relatives in the future would be much appreciated. Thank you.
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