Analysis of the difference between importance and satisfaction of the needs of family members of critical patients. / Análisis de la diferencia entre importancia y satisfacción de las necesidades de los familiares de pacientes críticos.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the difference between the degree of importance and satisfaction of the needs of family members of patients in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU). DESIGN: A descriptive, cross-sectional analytical study was carried out. SETTING: Medical - surgical ICU of a university hospital in Chile. PARTICIPANTS: Family members of critical patients with a length of stay of ≥ 48hours, over 18 years of age, and with at least one visit to the patient. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: The Critical Care Family Needs Inventory questionnaire was used to determine the difference between the degree of importance and satisfaction of the needs of the family members. In addition, the needs were classified according to the categories proposed by importance - performance analysis (IPA). RESULTS: A total of 253 family members were recruited, observing a negative gap (satisfaction