Abstract Rationale Visitors to the intensive care unit (ICU) provide emotional support and serve as advocates for critically ill patients. However, the obstacles visitors face while trying to visit are unclear. Our study aims to identify barriers to ICU visitation. We hypothesized that logistical factors such as cost, transportation availability, and/or competing obligations (e.g., work, childcare) were key barriers. Methods Between February and April 2025, surveys were administered to the primary contacts of patients admitted to the medical ICU (MICU) at a tertiary academic hospital. Respondents became eligible when the corresponding patient was listed for transfer from the MICU. We collected respondent demographics, relationship to the patient, and limited information regarding the MICU admission. Respondents were asked about their ability to visit, length/timing of visits, and the impact of transportation access and cost, commute time, scheduling conflicts, and competing obligations. Following structured questions, open-ended comments were invited. All data were entered into the REDCap data management system. Analysis included descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of comments. Results We surveyed 85 individuals (61% female). Respondents were 63% White, 19% Black/African American, 12% Hispanic/Latino. 47% of respondents were the patient’s child; 25% were a spouse/domestic partner. 90% of respondents visited the patient at least once during their admission (mean MICU length of stay: 4.6 days). Of those who visited, 71% visited every day of the patient’s MICU stay, and 49% stayed 3 hours per visit. There was no time-of-day preference for visitation. 94% had access to private vehicles for self-transportation, while the remaining preferred others to drive or were able to walk. Qualitative responses yielded a consistent desire for longer visiting hours, including overnight visitation. Comments regarding the ease of parking were mixed, with some citing that they were unaware of or unable to locate the reduced-rate parking area for visitors. One out-of-town visitor was unaware of a hospital hotel resource with special pricing for visitors to offset lodging costs. For the respondents who did not visit, the reasons for this decision were attributed to the status of their relationship with the patient or discomfort with the MICU environment. Conclusion MICU visitors did not perceive significant logistical challenges to visiting. However, since visitors play a crucial role for their loved ones, finding ways to further enhance their experiences should be a priority. Here, we have identified communication about hospital resources and expansion of visiting hours as opportunities for improving the ICU visitor experience. This abstract is funded by: None
Sun et al. (Fri,) studied this question.