Objective: To review the literature for randomized family-centered interventions with family-centered outcomes in the adult intensive care unit (ICU). Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library database from inception until February 2023. Study Selection: We included articles involving randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the adult critical care setting evaluating family-centered interventions and reporting family-centered outcomes. Data Extraction: We extracted data on author, year of publication, setting, number of participants, intervention category, intervention, and family-centered outcomes. Data Synthesis: There were 52 RCTs included in the analysis, mostly involving communication and receiving information (38%) and receiving care and meeting family member needs (38%). Nearly two-thirds of studies (N = 35; 67.3%) found improvements in at least 1 family-centered outcome. Most studies (N = 24/40; 60%) exploring the impact of family-centered interventions on mental health outcomes showed improvement. Improvements in patient-centered outcomes (N = 7/17; 41%) and healthcare worker outcomes (N = 1/5; 20%) were less commonly found. Conclusions: Family-centered interventions improve family-centered outcomes in the adult ICU and may be beneficial to patients and healthcare workers.
Keywords: adult critical care; family-centered care; family-centered outcomes; randomized trials; systematic review.