Table 1 Structure of the experimental intervention and justification of its components
Part of the intervention | Description | Justification |
|---|---|---|
I. Standardized part | General information on nine relevant topics in the ICU using a guideline (with examples for each topic) | Topics were identified in trials of pre-operative information and patient education. A guideline was chosen to achieve a standardized structure but still having the possibility to make setting and ICU specific adaptations. |
II. Individualized part | Seven cards the patient could choose from, depicting common fears associated with an ICU-stay: | The cards offered patients the opportunity to start a conversation about specific fears, by helping them to articulate fear. So it was possible for the trial staff to answer accordingly (e.g., What is being done in the ICU to prevent this from happening to you?). Additionally vocally impaired patients (e.g. by mechanical ventilation) could indicate their fears, too. The opportunity to ask further questions was to meet informational needs in patients that wanted to know more or more detailed about their ICU stay. |
1. fear of complications | ||
2. fear of suffocating | ||
3. fear of pain | ||
4. fear of being helpless | ||
5. fear of death | ||
6. fear of being lonely | ||
7. fear of being confined | ||
Opportunity to ask additional and detailed questions on the ICU stay (recurring to the topics of part I or additional topics) |