Does time of transfer from critical care to the general wards affect anxiety? A pragmatic prospective cohort study

SummaryObjectivesTo examine prospectively the impact of transfer time on patient anxiety.DesignA pragmatic prospective cohort study.Setting14 bed adult intensive care unit (ICU) in a National Health Service teaching hospital trust in the United Kingdom.MethodsCritically ill patients staying on the ICU for at least 24 hours and clinically ready for transfer to the general ward completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale questionnaire (Zigmond and Snaith, 1983) at: pre-transfer – on the critical care (when they were clinically ready for transfer to the general ward), post-transfer – on the general ward.ResultsThe post-transfer median (range) score for anxiety was 6 (4–10) for day time and higher at 12.5 (9–16) for night time; this was found to be statistically significant U = 80, p = 0.011, r = 0.37 and the post-transfer incidence of anxiety cases was 22% (8/36) for day time and higher at 64% (7/11) for night time; this was found to be statistically significant U = 91, p = 0.007, r = 0.39.ConclusionThis study suggests that transfers at night time are more anxiety provoking for patients than transfers in the day time.