Communication Gaps Can Inflate ICU Costs

Improved communication among all involved can reduce hospital intensive care unit bills, researchers say.

An intensive communications plan agreed upon by families and healthcare providers — being tested at Case Western Reserve University’s Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing — can help reduce cost and length of stay in the ICU through a relatively simple intervention, the researchers say.

The need for healthcare teams and families to be on the same page is critical, says lead investigator Barbara J. Daly, associate professor of nursing at Case.

Because of the complexity of both the medical and social situations of patients and long stays in hospital ICUs, the research team says gaps in communication, misunderstandings and a lack of consensus between families and healthcare providers about goals of care are frequent.

This leads to escalating costs, adding to the stress of difficult situations. On occasion, strained relationships can develop between families and the healthcare team.