A focus on family members of intensive care patients: Prof. Dr. Rahel Naef discusses the FICUS® - Family Support in Intensive Care Units in «CheckUp – Das Gesundheitsmagazin»
When a person is admitted to the intensive care unit, this affects not only the patient but also their family members. In the current feature by «CheckUp – Das Gesundheitsmagazin», experts provide insights into the FICUS® family-focused care model and discuss how evidence-based family support may be implemented and established across Switzerland. Prof. Dr. Rahel Naef explains the scientific foundations behind the model.
When a person becomes seriously ill and requires treatment in the intensive care unit, their families are also affected. Family members often experience a highly challenging time – characterised by uncertainty, concerns and many unanswered questions. How can families be supported in this situation and meaningfully involved in care?
This question is addressed in the current feature by «CheckUp – Das Gesundheitsmagazin». The program provides insights into the FICUS® care model and highlights the importance of evidence-based family support in intensive care.
Prof. Dr. Rahel Naef, Head of the Implementation Science in Nursing Research Group at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zurich and Head of the Centre for Clinical Nursing Science at University Hospital Zurich, explains the scientific basis and the next steps in research:
«We were able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model. We are now focusing on researching how the model can be established throughout Switzerland. We are interested to learn how we can sustainably implement evidence-based family-focused care, which we know is effective, as part of routine care, so that as many families as possible can benefit.»
From demonstrating effectiveness to sustainable implementation
Research on FICUS® shows that structured and evidence-based family support can make an important contribution to patient- and family-focused care. The model was developed together with healthcare professionals and family members based on a systemic family care approach and research evidence, and was evaluated in a scientific study. Results show a small improvement in overall family satisfaction with ICU care, clearly improved satisfaction with involvement in decision-making, and strongly enhanced quality of communication and nurse support for families.
The current focus is on how successfulcare approaches can be sustainably integrated into clinical practice. This is where Implementation Science plays a key role: it investigates which factors and strategies are needed to ensure that evidence-based interventions are successfully implemented and maintained in everyday healthcare.
The introduction of FICUS® at Klinik Hirslanden is an important step in this process. At the same time, research highlights the importance of further developing and implementing family-focused care approaches in intensive care across Switzerland.
To the feature by «CheckUp – Das Gesundheitsmagazin»
More information on FICUS®