• D Escudero, L Martín, L Viña, B Quindós, M J Espina, L Forcelledo, L López-Amor, B García-Arias, C del Busto, S de Cima, and E Fernández-Rey.
• Servicio de Medicina Intensiva, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España. Electronic address: dolores.escudero@sespa.princast.es.
• Rev Calid Asist. 2015 Sep 1; 30 (5): 243-50.

ObjectiveTo determine the design and comfort in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs), by analysing visiting hours, information, and family participation in patient care.DesignDescriptive, multicentre study.SettingSpanish ICUs.MethodsA questionnaire e-mailed to members of the Spanish Society of Intensive Care Medicine, Critical and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC), subscribers of the Electronic Journal Intensive Care Medicine, and disseminated through the blog Proyecto HU-CI.ResultsA total of 135 questionnaires from 131 hospitals were analysed. Visiting hours: 3.8% open 24h, 9.8% open daytime, and 67.7% have 2 visits a day. Information: given only by the doctor in 75.2% of the cases, doctor and nurse together in 4.5%, with a frequency of once a day in 79.7%. During weekends, information is given in 95.5% of the cases. Information given over the phone 74.4%. Family participation in patient care: hygiene 11%, feeding 80.5%, physiotherapy 17%. Personal objects allowed: mobile phone 41%, computer 55%, sound system 77%, and television 30%. Architecture and comfort: all individual cubicles 60.2%, natural light 54.9%, television 7.5%, ambient music 12%, clock in the cubicle 15.8%, environmental noise meter 3.8%, and a waiting room near the ICU 68.4%.ConclusionsVisiting policy is restrictive, with a closed ICU being the predominating culture. On average, technological communication devices are not allowed. Family participation in patient care is low. The ICU design does not guarantee privacy or provide a desirable level of comfort.Copyright © 2015 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

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