Clinician-initiated written communication for families of patients at a long-term acute care hospital.

Objective: To assess the experience of families and clinicians at a long term acute care hospital (LTACH) after implementing a written communication intervention.

Methods: Written communication templates were developed for six clinical disciplines. LTACH clinicians used templates to describe the condition of 30 mechanically ventilated patients at up to three time points.

Daily Written Care Summaries for Families of Critically Ill Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objectives: To determine the effect of daily written updates on the satisfaction and psychologic symptoms of families of ICU patients.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Setting: Single, urban academic medical center.

Challenges faced by families of critically ill patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: To understand how surrogates of critically ill patients adjusted to challenges that resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants (N = 62) were surrogates of critically ill adults with COVID-19 in the ICU at an urban, academic medical center from March to June 2020. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling and took part in one-time qualitative individual interviews via telephone.