Transfer from an intensive care environment to an inpatient acute care unit is described in adult literature as a stressful and vulnerable period for patients and families. Less is known about how paediatric patients and their parents or caregivers experience this transition. This study sought to describe parent/caregiver perceptions of their child's transfer from a paediatric general or cardiac paediatric intensive care unit to an acute care unit in a United States hospital setting.
The investigation used a descriptive electronic survey design. Parents and caregivers reported their perceptions of the quality of care received in both paediatric intensive care and subsequent acute care settings, and relayed their experiences of the transfer process itself. Responses were analyzed using non-parametric statistics, including sign tests and Spearman's rank correlations, reflecting the ordinal nature of the survey measures.
A total of 87 parents/caregivers completed the electronic survey. The report provides aggregate results for the cohort; specific demographic breakdowns or further participant characteristics were not detailed in the abstract.
Across all response domains assessed in the survey, respondents reported significantly more positive perceptions of the quality of care their child received in the intensive care environment compared with the subsequent acute care experience. This difference was statistically significant (z = -0.3921, p < 0.001).
The difference favoring intensive care persisted among the subgroup of caregivers who had prior paediatric intensive care admissions: within that subgroup the difference remained significant (z = -2.1971, p = 0.028). The abstract does not provide subgroup sample sizes or detailed domain scores beyond these test statistics.
Caregivers who reported receiving adequate preparation and information regarding the transfer between units were more likely to report more positive perceptions of overall care quality. This association was strong and statistically significant (Spearman r(82) = 0.817, p < 0.001). The finding highlights a robust correlation between perceived preparedness and satisfaction with care quality across the transition.
The authors conclude that transfer from the paediatric intensive care unit to an acute care unit is a challenging event for paediatric patients and their families. The data indicate that caregivers rate paediatric intensive care more positively than subsequent acute care across evaluated domains, and that prior ICU experience does not eliminate this effect.
Importantly, the study identifies communication and transfer preparation as modifiable factors. When families receive intentional, effective information and preparation about transfer, they report higher overall satisfaction and perceive their needs as better met. The authors suggest that these aspects of care can empower caregivers as their child's condition improves and the care setting changes.
From this study’s findings, the following practice-oriented points are supported by the reported data:
Structured, timely communication about the transfer process and what to expect on the acute care unit should be prioritized for families undergoing paediatric ICU-to-ward transitions.
Collaborative transfer planning between intensive care and acute care teams may help close the perceived gap in care quality reported by caregivers.
Interventions that enhance caregiver preparedness and provide clear, actionable information about the receiving unit are likely to improve perceived overall care quality, given the strong correlation observed.
Because the study used a survey design, institutions should consider both measurement of caregiver perceptions around transitions and implementation of targeted communication and education strategies, then re-evaluate caregiver-reported outcomes.
The abstract provides summary results and statistical associations but does not report detailed demographic characteristics, the survey instrument contents, response rates, or the distribution of scores by specific domains beyond the cited tests. Those details were not reported in the abstract and would require review of the full text for comprehensive assessment.