• C E IJssennagger, S Ten Hoorn, A Van Wijk, J M Van den Broek, A R Girbes, and P R Tuinman.
• Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Electronic address: p.tuinman@vumc.nl.
• J Crit Care. 2018 Dec 1; 48: 263-268.

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate ICU health care providers' perception towards communication and associated problems with mechanically ventilated (MV) patients. The primary aim was to quantify the extent of the problem and to determine its effect on patient care and job satisfaction.MethodsA multicenter survey study was conducted among nurses, residents and intensivists of 15 ICUs in the Netherlands using an online questionnaire.ResultsOut of 1740 caregivers, 457 responses were received. Communication difficulties were experienced in half of the interactions with MV patients. Over 75% of participants indicated that patient care was negatively affected. Job satisfaction was negatively affected in 43% of the participants, primarily with feelings of unfulfillment (76%) and frustration (72%). Patient factors considered relevant to communication difficulties were delirium, disease severity and anxiety, among others. To facilitate communication, the use of basic gestures remained the most preferred method.ConclusionsIn half of the interactions with MV patients, health care professionals experience significant communication difficulties. The respondents indicated that these difficulties frequently lead to negative effects on patient care and job satisfaction. These results emphasize the need for improvements such as the development of communication protocols, skills training and continued research into new communication methods.Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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