Measuring Family Engagement in Critical Care (The FAME Study)

The FAME study is a prospective observational cohort study of 198 family members in the ICUs of 4 Canadian hospitals. The primary aim of this study is to validate the FAMily Engagement (FAME) instrument in the ICU setting. Secondary aims include (1) evaluating the association between family activation, engagement, and family-centered outcomes, and (2) exploring factors (age, relationship, sex, gender, race/ethnicity) that may influence family engagement in the ICU. There will also be an embedded qualitative study with 40 participants (10 per site) who will undergo a semi-structured interview about their beliefs, attitudes, and experiences with care engagement.

We will validate the FAME instrument using internal consistency testing, convergence validity with the Family Satisfaction in the ICU score, and data integration with the qualitative study. Regression analysis will be performed using participant characteristics to evaluate the relationship between FAME and mental health scores. The results of this study will inform efforts to measure the impact of family-centered interventions on improving engagement in patient care. This study will also elucidate the relationship of family engagement with family-centered outcomes and identify factors that impact engagement.

View Publication: Development of a Family Engagement Measure for the Intensive Care Unit