Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the 16 patient cases involved in the study, for which 19 family members were interviewed

Age of patients (median, range)

50 (19 – 87) years

Gender of patients

8 women; 8 men

Diagnosis

3 Infective

1 Hypoxic brain injury

4 Neurological injury

3 Malignancy

2 Gastrointestinal

2 Organ Transplant

1 Organ failure

Total length of ICU stay

22 (1-156) days

median (range)

Three patients had two admissions

Gender of family members who provided information

10 women; 9 men

Age of interviewees (range)

53 (30 – 73) years

Ethnicity of interviewee

16 White British

2 Mixed Caribbean

1 Afro-Caribbean

Religion of interviewee

9 No religion

8 Christian

1 Muslim

1 Other

Relationship to patient

8 partner/spouse

7 son/daughter

4 parent