Patient and family engagement in the ICU: Report from the task force of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine

- Many patient/family engagement initiatives are being implemented worldwide, however variation exists in how they are integrated in the ICU.
- Barriers to patient/family engagement in the ICU include but are not limited to: unit culture, staff resistance, and uncertainty about the benefits.
- Strategies for family engagement include daily communication, regular family meetings, and flexible family presence including on rounds.
- Further research and shared successes in translating research into practice remain necessary to standardize practice for family engagement in the ICU.