Persistence of patient and family experiences of critical illness.

Objective: To investigate: (1) patient and family experiences with healthcare and the intensive care unit (ICU); (2) experiences during their critical illness; (3) communication and decision making during critical illness; (4) feelings about the ICU experience; (5) impact of the critical illness on their lives; and (6) concerns about their future after the ICU.

Design: Four semistructured focus group interviews with former ICU patients and family members.

Settings: Multicultural community group and local hospitals containing medical/surgical ICUs.