Table 2

Proportion of participants reporting they were ‘very comfortable’ speaking up in specific ICU conversations

ICU conversation* Overall
n=1155
Current ICU admission
n=105
Prior ICU admission
n=1050
How comfortable would you be asking a member of your medical team: (% very comfortable)
To review with you the name, dose or reason for medications when they are administered (to be sure they are correct)?811 (70.2)72 (68.6)739 (70.4)
Whether he/she has cleaned his/her hands?481 (41.6)32 (30.5)449 (42.8)
For a meeting with the healthcare team to review your loved one’s health status?726 (62.9)58 (55.2)668 (63.6)
About concerns you may have regarding your loved one’s medical care?779 (67.4)61 (58.1)718 (68.4)
To discuss a disagreement where you or your loved one wants less aggressive medical care than the team is proposing?520 (45.0)37 (35.2)483 (46.0)
To discuss a disagreement where you or your loved one wants more aggressive medical care than the team is proposing?504 (43.6)33 (31.4)471 (44.9)
About a possible mistake in your loved one’s medical care?624 (54.0)48 (45.7)576 (54.9)
To clarify if he/she gives you confusing information?746 (64.6)55 (52.4)691 (65.8)
Overall comfort
Speaking up summary score†27.3 (4.4)26.0 (5.5)27.4 (4.2)
  • *Respondents rated their comfort speaking up in each conversation on a scale from 1 to 4. Here we present the number (and percent) of respondents who selected a comfort level of 4 (‘very comfortable’) for the specified conversation.

  • †Presented as mean (SD). Possible range: 8–32.

  • ICU, intensive care unit.