European Society of Intensive Care Medicine consensus statement on human-centred partnership in the intensive care unit

A human-centred partnership in the intensive care unit (ICU) aims to integrate person-centred care, communication, emotional support, equity, and collaboration into ICU environments. The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) developed a consensus statement on human-centred partnership in the ICU following a systematic, multi-phase, evidence-informed methodology incorporating the views of ICU professionals, academics, and patient and family representatives. This international multidisciplinary panel of 46 members conducted rapid reviews addressing 20 Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes (PICO) questions across six domains: person-centred care; communication and transparency; emotional well-being; equity, diversity, and inclusion; ICU environment; technology and innovation. Based on the evidence synthesis, 53 draft statements were developed and evaluated through a two-round eDelphi study. The final set of statements was discussed and ratified at an expert consensus meeting with the initial panel of experts and with patients and family representatives. A total of 201 international stakeholders participated in round 1 and 149 in round 2. Members of the expert consensus meeting ultimately endorsed 43 consensus statements. Key recommendations supported flexible family visitation, structured interdisciplinary communication, empathy-based staff training, psychological support for patients and ICU professionals, culturally responsive care, environmental interventions to improve sleep and reduce delirium, and the integration of digital supported technologies. The consensus statement on human-centred partnership in the ICU provides a comprehensive framework for clinicians with evidence-informed directions to deliver high-quality practice across diverse ICU settings. By prioritising person-centred care, communication, inclusivity, and well-being alongside responsible technological innovation, the experiences and outcomes of patients, families, and ICU professionals may improve.

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Publication Details

Journal
Intensive Care Medicine
Published
2026-10-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-026-08626-9
Primary Topic
Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

European Society of Intensive Care Medicine consensus statement on human-centred partnership in the intensive care unit

Robert Slappendel, Diogo Costa Leandro de Oliveira, Yuxia Zhang, Annachiara Marra et al.
Intensive Care Medicine
Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units
article

European Society of Intensive Care Medicine consensus statement on human-centred partnership in the intensive care unit

Robert Slappendel, Diogo Costa Leandro de Oliveira, Yuxia Zhang, Annachiara Marra, Shining Cai, Margaretha C. E. van der Woude, Jos M. Latour, Stefan Josef Schaller, Cansel Kocakabak, Giulio Calgaro, Anne Højager Nielsen, Yaseen M. Arabi, Julie Sarah Benbenishty, Peter Nydahl, Gabriel Heras La Calle, Nikolaos Efstathiou, Alysia Coventry, Amit Kansal, Victoria Metaxa, Alessandro Galazzi, Ayda Kebapçı, Margaret S. Herridge, Kristina E. Fuest, Neil A. Halpern, Ruth M. Kleinpell, Shelley Schmollgruber, Jozef Kesecioğlu, Evren Şentürk, Natalie A. Pattison, Annette Robertsen, Marlies Ostermann, Shahla Siddiqui, Ling Liu, Martina Hermann, Sabrina Eggmann, Jelle Kristian Rober, Rajesh Chandra Mishra, Margo M. C. van Mol, Iben Strøm Darfelt, Emilio Rodríguez‐Ruiz, Yujiro Matsuishi, Massimiliano Greco, Tingyu Guan, Maurizio Cecconi, Nicolás Nín, Carole Boulanger, Stephanie Meddick-Dyson, Veronica A. Rojas, Sian Saha, Guy François, Hongyu Zhang, ZHU Airong, JingTing Wu, Godfrey Opiah, Joppe Jansen, Gioia Vigliercio
article en

Abstract

A human-centred partnership in the intensive care unit (ICU) aims to integrate person-centred care, communication, emotional support, equity, and collaboration into ICU environments. The European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) developed a consensus statement on human-centred partnership in the ICU following a systematic, multi-phase, evidence-informed methodology incorporating the views of ICU professionals, academics, and patient and family representatives. This international multidisciplinary panel of 46 members conducted rapid reviews addressing 20 Population, Intervention, Comparator, Outcomes (PICO) questions across six domains: person-centred care; communication and transparency; emotional well-being; equity, diversity, and inclusion; ICU environment; technology and innovation. Based on the evidence synthesis, 53 draft statements were developed and evaluated through a two-round eDelphi study. The final set of statements was discussed and ratified at an expert consensus meeting with the initial panel of experts and with patients and family representatives. A total of 201 international stakeholders participated in round 1 and 149 in round 2. Members of the expert consensus meeting ultimately endorsed 43 consensus statements. Key recommendations supported flexible family visitation, structured interdisciplinary communication, empathy-based staff training, psychological support for patients and ICU professionals, culturally responsive care, environmental interventions to improve sleep and reduce delirium, and the integration of digital supported technologies. The consensus statement on human-centred partnership in the ICU provides a comprehensive framework for clinicians with evidence-informed directions to deliver high-quality practice across diverse ICU settings. By prioritising person-centred care, communication, inclusivity, and well-being alongside responsible technological innovation, the experiences and outcomes of patients, families, and ICU professionals may improve.

Intensive Care Medicine
Oslo University Hospital (NO), Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (US), University Health Network (CA), Sterling Hospitals (IN), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US), Humanitas University (IT), Koç University (TR), Harvard University (US), University of Hertfordshire (GB), University of Tsukuba (JP), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (GB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (PT), The University of Melbourne (AU), National University of Singapore (SG), King's College London (GB), University of Oslo (NO), King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences (SA), University of Toronto (CA), University of Hull (GB), Universidad de Jaén (ES), University of the Witwatersrand (ZA), Utrecht University (NL), Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL), Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (ES), Vanderbilt University (US), University of Zurich (CH), Aarhus University (DK), Curtin University (AU), Tsukuba University of Technology (JP), Fudan University (CN), Paracelsus Medical University (AT), House of Representatives (NL), University Hospital of Bern (CH), Erasmus MC (NL), Ng Teng Fong General Hospital (SG), King Abdulaziz Medical City (SA), University Medical Center Utrecht (NL), Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE), St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne (AU), King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (SA), Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (ES), St Vincent's Health (AU), Zhongda Hospital Southeast University (CN), European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (BE), King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Unidade Local de Saúde de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (PT), University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein (DE), Complejo Hospitalario de Jaén (ES), Regionshospitalet Herning (DK), Zhongshan Hospital (CN), University Children's Hospital Zurich (CH), Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago (ES), National University Health System (SG), King's College Hospital (GB), Regional Hospital Randers (DK), Melbourne Health (AU), Servicio Gallego de Salud (ES), IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital (IT), Toronto General Hospital Research Institute (CA), Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (GB), Nursing Research Institute (AU), National Guard Health Affairs (SA), Imperial College London (GB), University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT), Monash University (AU), Technical University of Munich (DE), University of Chile (CL), Hull York Medical School (GB), University of Naples Federico II (IT), Universitat de Barcelona (ES), Medical University of Vienna (AT), Southeast University (CN), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE), University of Birmingham (GB), Australian Catholic University (AU), Universidad Católica del Uruguay (UY), University of Plymouth (GB)
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Vanderbilt University, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Aarhus Universitet, Institut for Klinisk Medicin, Aarhus Universitet, University of Hull, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Santiago de Compostela, Inselspital, Universitätsspital Bern, Imperial College London, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, King's College London, Australian Catholic University, University of Hertfordshire, National University of Singapore, Monash University, RMIT University, University of Melbourne, Universiteit Utrecht, Fudan University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Toronto, Universitetet i Oslo, Technische Universität München, Universitat de Barcelona, Medizinische Universität Wien, Universidad de Chile, Universität Zürich, University of Tsukuba, Freie Universität Berlin, Southeast University, Humanitas University, National University Health System, Paracelsus Medizinische Privatuniversität, European Society of Intensive Care Medicine, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Koç Üniversitesi, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Science, Humanitas Research Hospital, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Servicio Gallego de Salud
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Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units
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