The impact of being present during in-hospital resuscitation on family members: A scoping review.

Abstract

Aim: To identify the impact on family members who witness resuscitation of a loved one in a hospital setting.

Methods and results: This study was conducted according to the JBI methodology for scoping reviews. Electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL (EBSCO), Embase, Emcare, and Google Scholar were searched to identify papers evaluating the impact and experiences of family members after being present during adult resuscitations in hospital settings. The search was limited to studies published in English since 1982. The screening process was conducted by two independent reviewers. Data were analysed using descriptive content analysis and checked for quality according to The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). A total of 4233 records were identified from the included databases and five additional articles through citation searching. Of this 4238, 11 studies met the inclusion criteria (quantitative=5; qualitative=6). The included studies were published between 2004 and 2023 and were conducted in the United States, Sweden, Iran, Jordan, Finland-Poland, and Pakistan. Three main themes were identified: psychological impact on family members, family attitudes and preferences on being present during resuscitation, and family members' experiences during a loved one's resuscitation.

Conclusion: Studies evaluating the psychological impact on family members who are present during adult resuscitations in hospital settings are limited and show mixed results. Future research should investigate family members' responses to family presence during resuscitation in various clinical, cultural, and geographical settings and include short-term and long-term impacts.

Registration: The protocol was published on the public Open Science Framework platform on 29th April 2024 (no registration reference provided) and can be accessed at https://osf.io/u6aw8.