Bundle Consent and Expectation Setting in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit

Summary

Participation Requirements

Description

Having a child admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is a deeply challenging and stressful experience for parents and caregivers. Despite the high survival when compared to adult ICUs, a PICU admission can have meaningful long-term, negative health consequences for adult caregivers in...

Having a child admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is a deeply challenging and stressful experience for parents and caregivers. Despite the high survival when compared to adult ICUs, a PICU admission can have meaningful long-term, negative health consequences for adult caregivers including symptoms of depression, anxiety and PTSD. There is little known in regards to what specific factors impact the mental health of parents/caregivers of PICU patients. However, research into stress and anxiety has suggested that uncertainty is a significant contributor to stress when faced with a new environment. Usual informed consent for procedures performed in the PICU is obtained immediately prior to the procedure. Participants will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to either usual informed consent prior to each procedure or to a single consent form obtained upon admission to PICU for possible procedures their child may undergo. In this study participants will be asked to complete a survey at two separate times during the child's PICU hospitalization- 48-72 hours after admission and again upon transfer or discharge from the PICU. Data will be collected about the child from the medical record including age, diagnosis/reason for PICU admission, length of stay, and any procedures performed in PICU requiring consent.

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