SURGICAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT SURROGATE SATISFACTION STUDY (INTENSIVE CARE).
Contributors: University of Iowa.
Published: 1991
Number of pages: 317
Subjects: Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery.; Health Sciences, Nursing.
Description: The association between the experience of the relative (surrogate) of the Surgical Intensive Care Unit patient and the level of satisfaction the surrogate reports both on day three of the admission and at 12 to 16 weeks after hospital discharge was investigated in a group of 71 surrogates (male = 20, female = 51). Surrogates reported on perceptions of their experience as well as reactions/attitudes, and responded to six satisfaction questions on: RN Care, RN Communication, Doctor Management, Doctor Communication, Waiting Room, and Treatment as a Relative.

The greatest degree of satisfaction was with RN Care (92%) and the least was with Doctor Communication (59%). Frequency of doctor contacts was associated with satisfaction with Doctor Communication (p $<$.0001) and was the only variable to enter a logistic regression model (p $<$.0005) for the probability of being satisfied with Doctor Communication. Length of conversations with the doctor was not significantly (p $>$.90) associated with satisfaction with Doctor Communication. Factor analysis derived five factors with $\alpha$ =.62 to.88: Connectedness, Stress, Upset, Waiting Room, and Nurses. Connectedness (p $<$.0001) and Upset (p $<$.005) were significant predictors in a multiple regression model where Doctor Communication was the dependent variable. Surrogates who were dissatisfied with Doctor Communication tended to be dissatisfied generally (p $<$.0001), with those very dissatisfied or very satisfied with Doctor Communication tending to give the same response to other satisfaction items (p $<$.0001).

At follow-up satisfaction (n = 67) was higher (RN Care (96%), Doctor Communication (70%)). There was a significant degree of concordance (p $<$.05) in satisfaction responses from the time of admission to follow-up for five of six satisfaction items, excepting Treatment as a Relative ($>$.10). There was no association between extent of patient recovery (full, partial, very limited) and surrogate satisfaction (p $>$.20), and there was no tendency at follow-up for those reporting dissatisfaction with Doctor Communication to be dissatisfied generally. The data suggest that aspects of communication with the doctor are critical to the surrogate's level of satisfaction during the SICU admission, and that patient outcome at two to three months post hospital discharge is not related to satisfaction.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-01, Section: B, page: 0196.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, 1991.

School code: 0096.