Critical care patients' perceptions of visits

Most policies regarding patient visitors are developed based on institutional considerations with little emphasis placed on illness-related factors or personal factors. When developing the most appropriate visiting policies to promote patient recovery, patient perspectives and preferences for visitors should be considered. A study was performed to evaluate how patients in coronary care units (CCU) and surgical intensive care units (SICU) feel about having visitors. The preferred frequency of visits reflected each patient's individual preference for being with other people. Both CCU and SICU patients preferred to have three-to-four visits per day, two-to-three people per visit, with each visit lasting an average of 24 to 39 minutes. The preferred length of the visit increased with increasing age and increased as socioeconomic status decreased. The majority of the patients reported that visits were helpful and were not tiring. SICU patients reported a greater preference for having a telephone in their room than CCU patients, and the SICU patients said that they would like visitors at any time of the day or night. As the patients' perception of the severity of their illness increased, the number of preferred visits per day increased. It is suggested that visiting policies be tailored to fit the individual needs of the patient, with consideration for personal and illness-related factors. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)