‘Hearing nothing from those caring for my patient is depressing’: Family members’ perception of their needs in intensive care unit at Kamuzu Central Hospital, Malawi

Background: Family members are the first people that recognize satisfactory care provided to their patients regardless of the outcome. However, little is known about the perceptions of family members regarding their needs when a relative is admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). We explored family members’ perceptions of their needs in the ICU at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe, Malawi. Study Designs and Methods The study used a qualitative descriptive design. We purposively selected 12 participants from immediate family members of patients hospitalized for 48 hours or more in ICU and adult HDU at Kamuzu Central Hospital. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. Data analysis followed the steps of conventional content analysis. Findings: The following four themes were identified: perceived information, physical, and psychosocial needs, and coping mechanisms of the family members. The findings indicated that family members need to access information about their patient’s progress to lessen their anxiety as a priority compared to other needs such as comfort, and foodstuffs among others. Conclusion: This study suggests that there should be a collaborative relationship between the ICU team and family members in order to meet their needs. Health professionals should be aware of how strong family members need information about their patients. The findings affirm the need to offer the basic guidelines or standards developed by both health professionals and family members on their needs and support when they have a patient in ICU.