• Mary Jahrsdoerfer and Susan Goran.
• Philips Healthcare, 3000 Minuteman Road, Bldg. 4 MS500, Andover, MA 01810, USA. mary.jahrsdoerfer@philips.com
• Crit Care Nurse. 2013 Feb 1;33(1):57-67.

BackgroundResearch suggests that tele-intensive care units (tele-ICUs) are associated with decreases in mortality rates, length of stay, and health care costs. However, little is known about the awareness and perceptions of the tele-ICU among patients' significant others.ObjectivesTo assess whether patients' significant others were informed about the tele-ICU, what their preferences are regarding source and type of information about the tele-ICU, and what their perceptions are of the impact of the tele-ICU on patient care.MethodsA survey was conducted with a nonprobability, convenience sample of patients' significant others at 3 health systems.ResultsTwo-thirds of patients' significant others reported that they were uninformed about the tele-ICU and identified staff as the preferred source for this information. The 3 most important topics of information were patients' physical privacy, impact on patient care, and the technology. Most expressed favorable perceptions of the tele-ICU.ConclusionsThis pilot study demonstrated significant gaps in communication about the tele-ICU between staff and patients' significant others and revealed a preference to be informed about the tele-ICU by staff. Study findings will help define goals, objectives, and methods for further research to improve communication with patients' significant others about the tele-ICU.

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