Will a doctor provide support for family members of those in ICU?

Every hospital is different but, in my experience, there is always a doctor who will communicate with family members about a patient in the ICU. Some hospitals have hospitalists or intensivists who only work in the hospital caring for hospitalized patients. These doctors do not see patients in an office or have a private practice of their own. Other hospitals have doctors who are in private practice who care for the patients in the ICU. Sometimes, this may be difficult because they will have to balance caring for the hospital patient with caring for patients in their office.

I say all the above because the time available to communicate with a doctor caring for a patient in the ICU may not be convenient for a family or may not be at a set time of the day or the same time each day. Much will depend on the severity of the patient and the demands on the doctor. It's key that family members be flexible in working out the best time to communicate with their healthcare providers.

Likewise, because of time demands as well as a particular doctor's expertise, the doctor may not be the best person to provide support to families but instead this may be left to the ICU nurses, hospital counselors, chaplains or other members of the healthcare team. Providing ongoing information and support to families is key to dealing with a serious illness in a loved one.

There are many people who can provide support to family members who may have loved ones in the ICU. As the above answer indicated the physician may not be as accessible as other members of the hospital staff. Support can be obtained from mutliple sources when you have a loved one in the ICU. The nurse providing care for your family member is an excellent resource for information and support. The nurse can also help coordinate any additional support you may need through utilization of the Social Worker and Chaplain. If you need to speak to the physician specifically the nurse can also help coordinate that meeting to ensure that your questions and concerns are addressed.