Patients' and Family Members' Perspectives on Family Presence During Adult Resuscitation in Asian Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review.

Abstract

Introduction: Family presence during resuscitation has been examined for more than 4 decades. Although many studies describe potential benefits, debate persists regarding its effects on patients, family members, and clinicians. Effective implementation also hinges on cultural and religious norms and contextual features of care settings, which require careful consideration and further study. This scoping review maps the evidence and identifies family presence during resuscitation knowledge gaps in Asian hospital contexts, focusing on studies that enrolled patients and their family members.

Methods: This scoping review adhered to the JBI methodology and is reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. In August 2024, a total of 11 databases were systematically searched for primary studies conducted in Asian hospital settings. Eligible studies were published in English or Indonesian, which included adult patients and/or family members aged 18 years or older.

Results: Twenty-three articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review: 1 focused on patients, and 22 involved family members. Findings from the family member studies were synthesized into 5 themes: support for family presence during resuscitation, neutrality or opposition toward family presence during resuscitation, cultural and spiritual matters, family members' needs during resuscitation, and recommendations for family presence during resuscitation implementation.

Discussion: Overall, the analysis of reviewed articles found that most family members support family presence during resuscitation. However, patient-derived evidence remains limited, underscoring the need for further research centered on patients' perspectives.