Taking care of inpatients’ relatives

A qualitative and multi-site study on the pragmatics of the Visitors’ Book in Intensive Care Units

Bibliographic Data

ID24033780
AuthorsL Caronia (0000-0002-8912-0599, University of Bologna, corresponding author), Federica Ranzani (0000-0003-3705-6596, University of Bologna), Giulia Benericetti (0009-0008-6615-4391, University of Bologna), Arturo Chieregato (0000-0001-6690-8597, Ospedale Maggiore)
Year2026
Pages100847
Publication date2026-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSSM - Qualitative Research in Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2667-3215 • E-ISSN: 2667-3215
PublisherElsevier BV (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1016/j.ssmqr.2026.100847
OpenAlexW7202122578
LanguageEN
References cited89

Hospitalization in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) is widely acknowledged as a traumatic experience not only for patients but also for their family members. While prior research has analyzed narrative-based practices to address patients’ traumatic experiences in the ICU (e.g., the patient ICU diary), little attention has been paid to how narrative tools are used to support the needs of inpatients’ relatives. To fill this gap, this article aims to analyze the uses and functions of the Visitors’ Book (VB), i.e., a textual artifact implemented in three Italian ICUs where inpatients’ relatives can leave written traces to communicate and share their own ICU experience. The study adopts a qualitative, multi-site, and corpus-based design to gather naturally occurring texts written by inpatients’ relatives in the VB (N = 1077). It adopts thematic analysis to explore the pragmatics of the text, i.e., the most recurring discursive actions accomplished by inpatients’ relatives to cope with their experience in ICU. The primary finding of the study suggests that the VB is mainly used by inpatients’ relatives as a means to create, maintain, or reinforce a relationship with the staff of healthcare professionals. This finding corroborates the intended function of this artefact that was designed as a practical implementation of guidelines fostering a “patient and family -centered approach” to critical care. In the conclusion, implications for policy and practices are discussed.

Context (archaeology) · Intensive care · Intensive care unit · Pragmatics · Qualitative research · Family and Patient Care in Intensive Care Units · Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders · Palliative Care and End-of-Life Issues

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Open DOIOpen Access