"He is so much more than just his illness" using the Patient Dignity Question (PDQ) to elicit personhood and enhance dignity in the intensive care unit (ICU): A feasibility study examining family and healthcare professional feedback

Kendiss Olafson; Salina Pirzada; Lucas Mosienko; Kelsey Papineau; Lily Pankratz; Gagan Gill; Tim Hiebert; Maia S Kredentser; Kristin Reynolds; James M Bolton; Renée El-Gabalawy; Christian La Rivière; Harvey Max Chochinov

doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2025.155360

"He is so much more than just his illness" using the Patient Dignity Question (PDQ) to elicit personhood and enhance dignity in the intensive care unit (ICU): A feasibility study examining family and healthcare professional feedback

J Crit Care. 2026 Apr:92:155360. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2025.155360. Epub 2025 Nov 29.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. Electronic address: kolafson@manitoba-physicians.ca.
² Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
³ Max Rady Faculty of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁴ Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁵ Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁶ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁷ Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁹ Department of Clinical Health Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
¹⁰ Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
¹¹ Department of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; CancerCare Manitoba Research Institute, CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

PMID: 41319619
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2025.155360

Abstract

Purpose: To test the feasibility of a novel approach for eliciting personhood in ICUs.

Materials and methods: A multi-method study in ICUs examining the Patient Dignity Question (PDQ): "What do I need to know about you/your family member as a person to take the best care of you/them as possible?". The PDQ was used with family members of critically ill ICU patients. Brief interview summaries were placed at the bedside for the healthcare team to read. Feedback was obtained from families and staff through surveys utilizing Likert scales (1 strongly disagree, 5 strongly agree) and open-ended questions.

Results: Thirty-three family members reported PDQ participation was highly meaningful (Mean 4.8, SD 0.4), should be offered to other patients and families (Mean 4.8, SD 0.5), the PDQ information was accurate (Mean 4.9, SD 0.3), provided important information for the health care team (Mean 4.8, SD 0.4), and would impact their loved one's care (Mean 4.3, SD 0.8). Thirty-six ICU staff members reported the PDQ told them new information (Mean 4.5, SD 0.8), influenced their empathy (Mean 3.7 SD 1.1) and connectedness to the patient (Mean 3.9 SD 0.7). Despite this shift in tone of care, most felt it did not influence their physical care (Mean 2.8 SD 1.1). Qualitative themes from staff feedback include: 1) Knowing the whole person, tailoring care; 2) Increased empathy; and 3) Beyond the patient, impacting family interactions.

Conclusions: Families and staff reported PDQs were highly valued, providing a novel way of improving dignity conserving care in ICUs.

Keywords: Family centered care; Intensive care unit; Patient centered care; Patient dignity question; Personhood.

MeSH terms

Adult
Attitude of Health Personnel*
Critical Illness
Family* / psychology
Feasibility Studies
Feedback
Female
Humans
Intensive Care Units*
Male
Middle Aged
Personhood*
Professional-Family Relations
Respect*
Surveys and Questionnaires