Secondary outcomes
cardiac fears, pain
Fourteen participants provided complete data for at least 90% of survey assessments (87.5%; 95% CI 61.7%, 98.5%). Of the 11 participants randomized to the diary intervention, 7 reported that they wrote in the diary at least twice a week up until the end of hospital care (63.6%; 95% CI 30.8%, 89.1%). For the 10 diary intervention participants who completed the study, this was 70.0% (95% CI 34.8%, 93.3%). The number of days per week participants reported writing in their diaries during hospital care ranged from 0 to 7 days (At 30 days after the end of hospital care, of the 10 participants remaining in the diary intervention, 7 were classified as agreeing that the ICU diary intervention was appropriate for reducing cardiac fears about their loved one’s heart (70.0%; 95% CI 34.8%, 93.3%; Feedback regarding the diary intervention was overwhelmingly positive. Nine participants stated that they liked the diary or that it helped them to process things, express themselves, or feel less alone (90%). Participants advised others who might complete an ICU diary to use it as an outlet to express themselves and reflect on their experiences or shared that it helped them to “escape” or to help to free themselves from the pain they are feeling. In terms of challenges, one participant stated that it was hard to write when the health of their loved one was uncertain, another struggled to find time to write, and a third shared that it was difficult to focus on the diary once the patient had returned home. Of note, no participants suggested any changes to the diary protocol.