Family Members’ Need and Need Responses of Terminally Critically Ill Patients with Palliative Care in Intensive Care Unit

Abstract

         The purposes of this descriptive research were to study family members^, needs and need responses of terminally critically ill patients with palliative care in intensive care unit. The purposive sampling was used to recruit 86 family members of terminally critically ill patients in intensive care unit at Singburi hospital. Research instruments included needs and need responses questionnaire which based on the family^, need concept of Gaglione. The Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient of this questionnaires were .85 and .87 respectively. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics and paired t-test. The results were as follows

1. The overall average need score of family members were at high level (M =3.29, SD=1.71). For each aspect, informational need was the highest average score, followed by emotional, spiritual and physiological need scores respectively (M = 3.97, 3.36, 3.34, and 2.50; SD = 1.32, 1.55, 1.59, and 1.37).


2. The overall need responses score of family members were at high level (M =3.02, SD=1.66). For each aspect, informational need responses was the highest average score, followed by followed by emotional, spiritual and physiological need response scores respectively (M = 3.81, 2.92, 2.87, and 2.48; SD = 1.60, 2.24, 2.83, and 2.96) .


3. Paired t-test showed a statistic significant difference between overall need score and over all need responses score (t =1.33, p = .018).         

          The result can be used as evidence to improve quality of care for family members of terminally critically ill patients with palliative care in intensive care unit.