Purpose of the Book

The intention of this book is to provide information to assist families with the care of their family member and to foster good communication with medical personnel.

The book is based on a book, developed in part by actual ICU families and the author, as part of a doctoral research study to measure the level of satisfaction with care and communication between family members and the medical personnel who serve them.

Results of the study suggested that family satisfaction with care and communication improved because of the information contained in the book.

It is hoped that this book will contain valuable information for family members and will provide a resource to answer questions regarding the care of ICU patients with TBI or stroke.

It is also hoped that this book will assist families in communicating more effectively with medical staff in order to ultimately benefit the care of the patient and improve patient outcomes.