Caregiver perceptions on intensive care: A qualitative study from southern India.

Background: Admission of a patient to an intensive care unit (ICU) can result in tremendous stress to family caregivers not only because of the need to provide physical and emotional support to the sick relative, but also due to the burden of decision-making on behalf of the critically ill person. We enquired about family caregivers' perspectives on intensive care, the challenges they faced with decision-making and their perceptions on the nature of their interactions with healthcare providers.

Methods: We used maximum variation sampling and enrolled 20 consenting caregivers for semi-structured interviews.

COST OF INTENSIVE CARE IN INDIA.

Objectives: The majority of patients in India access private sector providers for curative medical services. However, there is scanty information on the cost of treatment of critically ill patients in this setting. The study evaluates the cost and extent of financial subsidy required for patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in India.

Cost-utility in medical intensive care patients. Rationalizing ongoing care and timing of discharge from intensive care.

Rationale: Intensive care unit (ICU) treatment costs pose special challenges in developing countries.

Objectives: To determine the prognostic value of the "utility" score and evaluate the relationship of willingness to pay assessment to utility score during ICU admission.

Methods: We performed a prospective study spanning 12 months in a 24-bed medical ICU in India.