The relationship between triage acuity level, age, education, and socioeconomic status and the physical and psychosocial needs of family members accompanying the adult emergency department patient

Family members play important roles in the care and support of patients when they arrive and are admitted to the emergency department. The purpose of this study was to assess the needs of family members who accompany patients to the emergency department (ED) and describe the relationship between characteristics of the patient's visit and characteristics of family members. Specifically, the study focused on the patient's triage acuity level and length of stay, and the family members' age, education level, socioeconomic status, and physical and psychosocial needs. This study also sought to validate family members' experiences by defining common themes related to their ED experience. The study was a descriptive, correlational design, using quantitative and qualitative methods. Seventy family members as designated by ED patients participated in the quantitative phase and a subset of 10 family members participated in the quantitative phase.; Six instruments were used in the study: (1) personal profile forms for the patient and family; (2) a five-level triage acuity scale; (3) Hollingshead's Two Factor Index of Social Position; (4) an adapted version of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI) for ED families; and (5) a semi-structured interview guide. Factor analysis on the adapted CCFNI identified the five dimensions of family needs present in the original instrument: information, comfort, proximity, assurance, and support.; In the analysis of the data, the needs that family members ranked as having most priority were related to the dimensions of information and proximity. Family members noted the following needs as most important: knowledge of how the patient is being treated medically; assurance that the patient is receiving the best possible care; and clear explanations from health care providers. No significant correlations were identified between the dimensions of needs and triage acuity level, family member's education level, and length of stay. Results showed a significant correlation between the dimension of proximity and family member age (p = .05). A significant relationship was also identified between the family member's social position and the dimensions of support (p = .02) and comfort (p = .02). Qualitative data reinforced the order of importance of the five dimensions of family needs identified in the quantitative phase and provided additional details related to family needs.; The results of this study identified the most important needs of family members who accompanied their loved ones to the emergency department. Since it is often the family who is responsible for the discharge care of the patient, policy development related to patient care should take a family-centered approach.