RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: There is a need to understand how family engagement in the intensive care unit (ICU) impacts patient outcomes. We reviewed the literature for randomized family-centered interventions with patient-related outcomes in the adult ICU. DATA SOURCES: The MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception until July 3, 2023. STUDY SELECTION: Articles involving randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the adult critical care setting evaluating family-centered interventions and reporting patient-related outcomes. DATA EXTRACTION: Author, publication year, setting, number of participants, intervention category, intervention, and patient-related outcomes (patient-reported, physiological, clinical) were extracted. DATA SYNTHESIS: There were 28 RCTs (12,174 participants) included. The most common intervention types were receiving care and meeting needs (N = 10) and family presence (N = 7). 16 RCTs (57%) reported ≥1 positive outcome from the intervention; no studies reported worse outcomes. Studies reported improvements in patient-reported outcomes such as anxiety, satisfaction, post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, and health-related quality of life. RCTs reported improvements in physiological indices, adverse events, mechanical ventilation duration, analgesia use, ICU length of stay, delirium, and time to withdrawal of life-sustaining treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly two-thirds of RCTs evaluating family-centered interventions in the adult ICU reported positive patient-related outcomes. KEYPOINTS: Question: Do family-centered interventions improve patient outcomes in the adult intensive care unit (ICU)? FINDINGS: The systematic review found that nearly two-thirds of randomized clinical trials of family-centered interventions in the adult ICU improved patient outcomes. Studies found improvements in patient mental health, care satisfaction, physiological indices, and clinical outcomes. There were no studies reporting worse patient outcomes. Meaning: Many family-centered interventions can improve patient outcomes.