A systematic review and meta-synthesis examining the relationship between virtual communication and mental health outcomes of family members of intensive care unit patients.

内容摘要

IntroductionEffective communication between family members, intensive care unit (ICU) patients, and healthcare providers is essential for easing family member's distress. We sought to understand how virtual communication patterns between family members, ICU patients, and healthcare providers are related to the mental health outcomes of family members.MethodsWe systematically searched CINAHL and PubMed for peer-reviewed studies published between January 2015 and August 2024 that documented virtual communication with the family member of an adult ICU patient (e.g., phone calls, video calls) and used the family member's mental health as an outcome. Guided by the adapted Source, Channel, Message, Receiver, Outcome Model of Communication, quantitative mental health outcomes were categorized as "improved, neutral, or negative," and qualitative study findings were synthesized into themes.ResultsAmong 2,573 articles initially identified, 21 were selected for review. Phone and video calls were the most common communication modalities, and text messages were uncommon. Measured mental health outcomes included anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and stress or distress. Virtual communication was associated with either improved or no difference in measured mental health outcomes. However, meta-synthesis revealed two themes that suggest ways virtual communication can negatively influence emotions: (1) anxiety with variations in communication source, message, and frequency and (2) reassurance versus distress with communication modality.DiscussionPromoting communication through virtual communication strategies may improve mental health outcomes or emotions experienced among family members of ICU patients. ICU healthcare providers should consider tailoring virtual communication modality and frequency to family members' preferences. When a person is in the intensive care unit (ICU), it can be very stressful for family members—especially when they cannot visit or talk to the patient, doctors, or nurses in person. This study looked at how virtual communication, like phone calls, video calls, and text messages between families, patients, and ICU doctors and nurses, is related to the mental health of family members.We reviewed 21 studies published between 2015 and 2024. These studies measured how virtual communication is related to family members’ mental health and emotional well-being. Most studies focused on anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or stress. For the studies that directly measured mental health, we found that virtual communication usually helped family members feel better or made no difference—none of the studies showed that virtual communication made mental health worse. However, some studies that interviewed family members showed that video calls could either reassure families or make them have negative emotions, such as feeling worried.It is important for ICU doctors and nurses to ask families about their communication preferences. This way, they can adjust the type and frequency of virtual communication to support the mental health of family members of ICU patients.