Communication and the Perceived Involvement of Team Members during the ICU Morning Round

This descriptive study investigated team communication behaviours and perceptions of involvement in decision-making during the ICU round. A combination of self-report and observational measures were made during the review of patients. Observations focused (during each patient review) on i) the frequency of verbal communication behaviours made by junior team members (trainee doctors and nursing staff), ii) the frequency of information requests made by senior doctors, and iii) the frequency of explicit goal setting made by senior doctors. Furthermore, team members also recorded their perceived levels of involvement in the patient decision-making process. Data was collected on a sample of 37 ICU teams (44 participants), who assessed 105 ICU patients. The data indicated team member roles to influence observed behaviours and self-assessed perceptions of involvement during the patient decision-making process. Specifically, junior team members felt less involved in the patient decision-making process and were observed to contribute information to the patient discussion infrequently. The implications of the study are discussed.