Information booklets to patients' family and relatives. Survey of practice in a sample of 59 intensive care units, in France.

OBJECTIVE(S): To assess the content of the intensive care unit (ICU) information booklet delivered to patient families, and that of the general information booklet of the hospital in a sample of intensive care, in France. STUDY DESIGN: Survey. METHODS: A sample of 105 ICU was obtained at random from a national database. A survey form was sent to each ICU medical director. The ICU information booklet, that one from the hospital and the corresponding questionnaire of each participating ICU have been studied to assess the percentage of information items present which matched the recommendations of at least one of three different professional guidelines. RESULTS: Fifty-nine ICU answered. We observed a significant (P<0.01) heterogeneity by the kind ICU considered (general, medical, or surgical). The percentage of information items matching guidelines remained low (median: 41%) even if higher (P<10(-3)) than the percentage of items not matching guidelines (median: 6%). Among a panel of items we considered as important, we observed a significant discrepancy (P<10(-3)) between a low citation rate in ICU booklets (median: 14%) and the opinion of doctors who judged it should included in booklets (median: 68%). CONCLUSION: Guidelines in terms of patient and family information in ICU seem to have a mild impact on the information booklets which are also very different among the types of ICU. There is a gap between what doctors judge to be included in booklets and what they effectively write in these documents.