Parental Bereavement Needs in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit: Review of Available Measures

Background: Pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) are highly technological settings in which advanced care is used to restore health to critically ill children; however, they are also places where children die. Understanding the needs of parents bereaved in this setting is essential for better family care. Objective: To systematically review the extant literature to identify instruments potentially useful for assessing the needs of parents bereaved in the PICU. Methods: We searched PubMed (TM), CINAHL (TM), and Health and Psychosocial Instruments (TM) for tools to assess family needs during a relative's hospitalization. From 357 abstracts, 96 articles were reviewed that described 31 instruments. Fifteen instruments were selected based on their (1) use with parents and/or the bereaved, (2) use in PICU, neonatal intensive care, or pediatric wards, (3) measurement of family needs or related constructs, and (4) published psychometrics. Need-related constructs included satisfaction with family care and environmental stress since these have been related to met and unmet needs, respectively. Results: No instruments specifically designed to assess the needs of parents bereaved in the PICU were identified. Most tools reviewed showed validity and reliability in the populations and settings for which the tools were intended; however, validity and reliability were not established for parents bereaved in the PICU. No tools addressed the full range of needs for parents bereaved in the PICU. Conclusions: A new instrument is needed to adequately assess the needs of parents bereaved in the PICU. Patient conditions, illness trajectories, and life course perspectives must be considered in designing a new tool.