ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Families are often not present at the bedside during their child's pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission. Family presence is important for participation in family-centered care (FCC), promoted by the American Academy of Pediatrics to improve health outcomes. It is unknown if demographic characteristics are associated with family presence during peak illness severity, the first 72 hours of admission. We describe associations between demographic characteristics and family presence during peak illness severity. METHOD(S): We performed a retrospective observational study of PICU admissions > 72 hours from July 2012-June 2021 at a single tertiary care children's hospital to determine associations with our primary outcome of bedside family presence percentage in the first 72 hours of admission. Predictor variables included patient and family demographic characteristics obtained from the electronic medical record. We completed descriptive bivariate analyses of the predictor variables and family presence percentage (Spearman Rho for continuous variables and Kruskal Wallis for categorical variables). RESULT(S): 3006 unique patients were included. Family members were present a mean of 81% and a median of 97% of the first 72 hours. Family presence percentage was weakly positively correlated with age (rs=0.108, p< 0.001) and weakly negatively correlated with length of stay (rs=-0.253, p< 0.001) and PELOD-2 score (rs=-0.217, p< 0.001). Decreased median family presence percentage was associated with Black race (81.1 v 97.2-98.1 all other races, p=< 0.001), non-Hispanic ethnicity (95.8 v 97.2 Hispanic ethnicity, p< 0.001), public insurance (94.8 v private 98.4, p< 0.001), and admissions after COVID (94.2 v 96.6 pre- COVID, p< 0.001). Increased family presence percentage was associated with Spanish speaking families (97.9 v 96.2 English, p = 0.01). Family presence percentage was not associated with distance from hospital, complex care conditions, or siblings. CONCLUSION(S): Family presence percentage during peak illness severity is associated with patient demographic characteristics. Families of racially and ethnically diverse patients and with public insurance may benefit from interventions to increase their ability to be present at the bedside.