Family satisfaction with intensive care and preexisting family and patient characteristics: equivalence analysis of cross-sectional surveys

Early identification of families at risk of having an unsatisfactory ICU experience is important because (dis)satisfaction with care is a care-related factor for post-ICU anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Several studies have failed to demonstrate a relevant association with characteristics from routine documentation. Our study shows that this approach is unlikely to yield useful results. Therefore, it is crucial to focus research on care-related factors and their impact on family (dis)satisfaction and to build capacity for family-centered care in the ICU.