Evidence-Based Design: Structuring Patient- and Family-Centered ICU Care.

Three decades ago, the Picker Institute set forth recommendations about how to include patients and families in care delivery [1]. Since then, patients’ loved ones are increasingly recognized as vital to patients’ healing processes, particularly during hospitalizations for acute and life-threatening conditions. In a typical adult intensive care unit (ICU), a priority is to protect patients from infections and stress. Restricting visitor access also protects staff space and privacy, enabling staff to focus on the hour-to-hour needs of patients. While this model has some important benefits, it also has some drawbacks that patientand family-centered care (PFCC) models address. Specifically, PFCC replaces a hierarchical, clinician-centered model by treating patients’ loved ones as partners in healing rather than visitors. Patient’s family members, once restricted to 10-minute visits with patients every few hours, are now invited to be present continually—in some cases during rounds and shift changes. Significant cautions about and barriers to adoption of PFCC models of ICU care, however, need close attention and are considered in the rest of this article. But first, what are some of the important benefits of PFCC?