Abstract

BACKGROUND
This study was designed to analyze the influences of ICU patients' experiences in the ICU setting and the effect of ICU patient families' stress derived from their needs and daily life stress on the patients' quality of life. METHODS: ICU patients' quality of life was evaluated with KQOLS surveying 144 patients alive. The data was classified into 2 groups according to severity of illness and analyzed with an ANOVA. With a t-test, comparative analysis was made to examine deficiency of responses on patient families' needs and patients' quality of life. RESULTS: The patients in the group of higher severity of illness showed lower quality of life. The APACHEII score had a negative correlation with all domains except health status change domain, health status perception domain, and spiritual domain. There was a negative correlation between patients' age and three domains of physical function, role limitation, and social function and a positive correlation between patients' hospital LOS and health status change domain. The families in the group of lower severity of illness showed higher level of deficiency of responses on their needs for medical treatment and nursing information, and emotional support. Also, patients' quality of life in lower daily life stress group was higher than that in higher stress group especially in psychological health domain. CONCLUSIONS: The findings show that ICU patients `quality of life was influenced by not only medical factors but also psychosocial factors and suggest that multidimensional intervention plans are required for improving patients' quality of life and recovering their health.