Challenges Experienced by Family Caregivers of the Adult Intensive Care Unit Patients in Korea: An Integrative Review

Abstract

Consistent with global trends, population aging in South Korea is necessitating increasing admissions to intensive care units (ICU). This integrative review describes the challenges experienced by family caregivers of ICU patients in South Korea and evaluates relevant intervention studies. Using Whittemore and Knafl’s methods, we identify and synthesize findings from 20 (14 descriptive and 6 experimental design) articles and evaluate study quality. South Korean ICU family caregivers reported challenges such as feelings of powerlessness and vulnerability, difficulty in maintaining their own health and well-being, and mixed feelings regarding patients’ transition to the general ward. Intervention studies, which were based on quasi-experimental design, examined modified visiting hours, information provision strategies, nurse-led transitional care programs, and educational support. Findings highlight the current state of the science in this topic area in South Korea. Future studies should use more robust methods, such as longitudinal cohort studies and randomized controlled trials.