Objective: This study aims to investigate the validity and reliability of the FS-ICU 24 survey in the Turkish language, to evaluate the satisfaction of ICU patients’ relatives, and to determine the factors affecting satisfaction.
Materials and Methods: In this study, the Turkish version was prepared based on the FS-ICU 24 survey applied to the relatives of ICU patients (Anesthesiology, Internal Medicine, General Surgery and Neurosurgery) at the Erciyes University in the Faculty of Medicine between April 2015 and June 2015. The Turkish version was tested and proven to be reliable and valid. Relatives of patients that were hospitalized for at least 48 hours, who had visited the patient at least once, were included. In this study, 369 surveys were completed.
Results: FS-ICU 24 survey was found reliable and valid in Turkish. Patients’ relatives were unsatisfied with physical conditions, waiting room setting and frequency of communication with nurses the most. The relatives were highly satisfied with the skills and competency of ICU doctors/nurses, setting of the ICU, completeness of treatment provided. Among the intensive care unit departments, there were not any statistically significantly different satisfaction results (p>0.05). The satisfaction level was found to decrease with increasing education levels and increasing duration of hospitalization (p<0.05). The satisfaction in the group who knew the diagnosis was higher (p<0.05).
Conclusion: Even though the general satisfaction level of the patients’ relatives was high, satisfaction level can be increased by improving physical factors, such as the waiting room setting, and by training on the communication skills of all staff that have contact with the patients’ relatives on communication skills.