Improving family communication in the ICU and its effect on health
Communication quality during family meetings in the intensive care unit: how does quality impact health outcomes?
This project looks at how well healthcare teams talk with family members in the intensive care unit and how that communication affects family well-being and patient care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hershey, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11090453 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
When a loved one is in the ICU and cannot make decisions, families often need to make important choices with healthcare providers. This project wants to understand why some conversations go better than others, especially considering factors like a family's background, education, and economic situation. We will gather information from family members in several ICUs to see how communication quality affects their stress levels and the overall care their loved one receives. The goal is to find ways to improve these crucial conversations for better outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project focuses on family members of patients who are in the intensive care unit and cannot make their own medical decisions.
Not a fit: Patients who are able to make their own medical decisions or those not in an intensive care unit would not directly benefit from this particular communication improvement effort.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better communication strategies for healthcare teams, reducing stress for families and improving the quality of care for patients in the ICU.
How similar studies have performed: While many past efforts to improve ICU communication have had limited success, this project takes a novel approach by focusing on how social factors influence communication quality.
Where this research is happening
Hershey, United States
- Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr — Hershey, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Van Scoy, Lauren Jodi — Pennsylvania State Univ Hershey Med Ctr
- Study coordinator: Van Scoy, Lauren Jodi
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.