ICU Staff Attitudes Toward Family PresenceRUIMIZNCT07887009
Attitudes, Experience and Adaptation to Family Presence in the ICU
A study testing questionnaire in people with ICU Staff Attitudes Toward Family Presence and ICU Staff Experience of Family Presence, run by Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
Trial summary
The goal of the study is to verify how healthcare professionals in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) experience the presence of family members before and after a more flexible visiting policy is introduced. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- ICU Staff Attitudes Toward Family Presence, ICU Staff Experience of Family Presence, Adaptation to Extended Family Presence in the ICU
- What is being tested?
- questionnaire
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 80 participants
- Where
- 1 siteBelgium
- Study dates
- 29 Sep 2026to 30 Dec 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- healthcare professionals working in the adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
- direct involvement in patient care
Who cannot join
- healthcare professionals in training
- healthcare professionals working in pediatric intensive care members of the research team
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
Official title: Family Presence in the Intensive Care Unit: Impact of an Expanded Visiting Policy on Healthcare Professionals' Attitudes and Experiences During the Transition to a New Unit With Individual Patient Rooms
The goal of the study is to verify how healthcare professionals in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) experience the presence of family members before and after a more flexible visiting policy is introduced. The main question is :
Does attitude and perception of the ICU staff regarding family presence in the ICU change after a period during which a more flexible visitation policy was implemented in daily care?
Read more
Additional exploratory primary question Is sensitivity to stress related to the initial attitudes and perceptions of ICU- staff regarding family presence in the ICU, and to the way these attitudes and perceptions change after a period of implementation and adjustment to the more flexible visitation policy?
The study consists of two main measurements: Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire before the change in visiting policy and again several months after the new policy has been introduced.
The study also looks at which factors may make family presence feel more supportive or more demanding for healthcare professionals. Therefor some participants may also complete a short questionnaire about their experiences during work shifts.
The visiting policy itself is part of routine ICU care and is not decided by the study.
- Conditions
- ICU Staff Attitudes Toward Family Presence, ICU Staff Experience of Family Presence, Adaptation to Extended Family Presence in the ICU, Association Between Stress Sensitivity and Attitudes Toward Family Presence
- Being tested
- questionnaire
- Keywords
- Intensive Care Unit, ICU staff, family presence, visiting policy, staff attitudes, staff experience, adaptation, family-centered care, BAVIQ, stress sensitivity, IPIP-NEO
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
questionnaireOther
the study focusses specifically on staff attitudes, experiences and adaptation over time, and on factors that may influence whether family presence is experienced as supportive or demanding.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| questionnaire on attitudes and validation of family participation on ICU | Other | questionnaire Receives: Other: questionnaire |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Changes from baseline in healthcare providers'attitudes and perceptions regarding family presence in the adult ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
The change in healthcare providers' attitudes and perceptions is measured using the BAVIQ score prior to the introduction of the more flexible visitation policy (baseline) and six months after implementation (Follow-up) . The primary out is the change in the BAVIQ score between the baseline measurements and Follow-up.
No predifined threshold is used; scores are analysed as continuous measures.
Time points:
T0 = baseline time point, before implementation of the extended visiting policy.
T1 = implementation time point, during the early implementation period of the extended visiting policy.
T2 = follow-up time point, approximately 6 months after implementation of the extended visiting policy.
Measured: Baseline (T0) assessed once before implementation of the extended visiting policy. Follow- up (T2) assessed once approximately 6 months after implementation of the extended visiting policy.
association between individual vulnerability to stress and overload and attitudes and perceptions regarding family presence.
The susceptibility to individual vulnerability to stress and overload is measured using the IPIP-NEO facet scales for Anxiety and Vulnerability at baseline. The outcome measures are the IPIP-NEO Anxiety and Vulnerability facet scores, their association with the BAVIQ score at baseline, and their association with the change in the BAVIQ score between baseline and follow up.
Time points:
T0 = baseline time point, before implementation of the extended visiting policy.
T1 = implementation time point, during the early implementation period of the extended visiting policy.
T2 = follow-up time point, approximately 6 months after implementation of the extended visiting policy.
Measured: Baseline (T0) assessed once before implementation of the extended visiting policy.
Secondary outcomes (1)
factors that may influence the ICU staff 's experience of family presence during care
This is measured using a shift questionnaire assessed after indiviual work shifts.
Rated on a 0-10 scale :
- percieved family presence during the shift
- amount of direct contact with the family members
- perceived burden related to family presence
- perceived support or positive contribution of family presence.
Open-ended comments on factors influencing burden or support.
Time points:
T1 = implementation time point, during the early implementation period of the extended visiting policy (less then six months).
Measured: T1: implementation period: assessed during a 2-week data collection period during the early implementation period of the extended visiting policy
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Oct 2026
- Study start29 Sep 2026
- Primary completion30 Nov 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Dec 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (6)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for ICU Staff Attitudes Toward Family PresenceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Universitair Ziekenhuis BrusselThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Model description
- prospective pre/ post study with repeated measures
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07887009
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 26223RUIMIZ
- Acronym
- RUIMIZ
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 5 Oct 2026
- Last updated
- 21 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: a formal request needs to be sent by mail to the PI + juridischedienst@uzbrussel.be The legal department of UZ Brussel needs to be involved in drafting the Data Sharing Agreement. Additionally, specifications on the data granularity, timing of sharing, restricted availability, proposed transfer-medium, will be defined upfront.
Publications
Ning J, Cope V. Open visiting in adult intensive care units - A structured literature review. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2020 Feb;56:102763. doi: 10.1016/j.iccn.2019.102763. Epub 2019 Oct 23.
PubMed 31668437Duque PA, Quintero Duque S. Open-Door ICU Model and Humanized Care: A Systematic Review. Nurs Rep. 2025 Nov 18;15(11):406. doi: 10.3390/nursrep15110406.
PubMed 41295830de la Cueva-Ariza L, Delgado-Hito P, Lluch-Canut MT, Momblan MAM, Benito-Aracil L, Via-Clavero G, Cabellos CC, Romero-Garcia M. Improving Family-Centred Care in Intensive Care Units: Participatory Action Research to Design and Implement Changes in Nursing Care. Nurs Crit Care. 2026 May;31(3):e70512. doi: 10.1111/nicc.70512.
PubMed 42132067Chen K, Zhang C, Wu Y, Yue W, Zhang X, Han L, Zhang Z. Attitudes of healthcare providers and patients/families toward a family-centered visitation and care program: a qualitative study. Front Med (Lausanne). 2026 Apr 2;12:1655210. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1655210. eCollection 2025.
PubMed 42007199Candal RE, Kalakoti P, Briones B, Sugar JG, Lairmore TC, White RK, Samra NS. Healthcare Provider's Preferences on Open Versus Restricted Visiting Hours in Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Cureus. 2024 Sep 21;16(9):e69871. doi: 10.7759/cureus.69871. eCollection 2024 Sep.
PubMed 39435240Berti D, Ferdinande P, Moons P. Beliefs and attitudes of intensive care nurses toward visits and open visiting policy. Intensive Care Med. 2007 Jun;33(6):1060-5. doi: 10.1007/s00134-007-0599-x. Epub 2007 Mar 24.
PubMed 17384930
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Family Presence in the Intensive Care Unit: Impact of an Expanded Visiting Policy on Healthcare Professionals' Attitudes and Experiences During the Transition to a New Unit With Individual Patient Rooms
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07887009
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- RUIMIZ / 26223RUIMIZ
- Conditions
- ICU Staff Attitudes Toward Family Presence, ICU Staff Experience of Family Presence, Adaptation to Extended Family Presence in the ICU, Association Between Stress Sensitivity and Attitudes Toward Family Presence
- Keywords
- Intensive Care Unit, ICU staff, family presence, visiting policy, staff attitudes, staff experience, adaptation, family-centered care
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 80 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Universitair Ziekenhuis BrusselUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 29 Sep 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Nov 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 21 Oct 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of the study is to verify how healthcare professionals in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) experience the presence of family members before and after a more flexible visiting policy is introduced. The main question is :
Does attitude and perception of the ICU staff regarding family presence in the ICU change after a period during which a more flexible visitation policy was implemented in daily care?
Additional exploratory primary question Is sensitivity to stress related to the initial attitudes and perceptions of ICU- staff regarding family presence in the ICU, and to the way these attitudes and perceptions change after a period of implementation and adjustment to the more flexible visitation policy?
The study consists of two main measurements: Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire before the change in visiting policy and again several months after the new policy has been introduced.
The study also looks at which factors may make family presence feel more supportive or more demanding for healthcare professionals. Therefor some participants may also complete a short questionnaire about their experiences during work shifts.
The visiting policy itself is part of routine ICU care and is not decided by the study.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
- Model description
- prospective pre/ post study with repeated measures
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| questionnaire on attitudes and validation of family participation on ICU | Other | Other: questionnairequestionnaire |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- healthcare professionals working in the adult Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
- direct involvement in patient care
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- healthcare professionals in training
- healthcare professionals working in pediatric intensive care members of the research team
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| questionnairethe study focusses specifically on staff attitudes, experiences and adaptation over time, and on factors that may influence whether family presence is experienced as supportive or demanding. | Other | questionnaire on attitudes and validation of family participation on ICU |
Primary outcome
Changes from baseline in healthcare providers'attitudes and perceptions regarding family presence in the adult ICU (Intensive Care Unit)
Time frame: Baseline (T0) assessed once before implementation of the extended visiting policy. Follow- up (T2) assessed once approximately 6 months after implementation of the extended visiting policy.
The change in healthcare providers' attitudes and perceptions is measured using the BAVIQ score prior to the introduction of the more flexible visitation policy (baseline) and six months after implementation (Follow-up) . The primary out is the change in the BAVIQ score between the baseline measurements and Follow-up. No predifined threshold is used; scores are analysed as continuous measures. Time points: T0 = baseline time point, before implementation of the extended visiting policy. T1 = implementation time point, during the early implementation period of the extended visiting policy. T2 = follow-up time point, approximately 6 months after implementation of the extended visiting policy.
association between individual vulnerability to stress and overload and attitudes and perceptions regarding family presence.
Time frame: Baseline (T0) assessed once before implementation of the extended visiting policy.
The susceptibility to individual vulnerability to stress and overload is measured using the IPIP-NEO facet scales for Anxiety and Vulnerability at baseline. The outcome measures are the IPIP-NEO Anxiety and Vulnerability facet scores, their association with the BAVIQ score at baseline, and their association with the change in the BAVIQ score between baseline and follow up. Time points: T0 = baseline time point, before implementation of the extended visiting policy. T1 = implementation time point, during the early implementation period of the extended visiting policy. T2 = follow-up time point, approximately 6 months after implementation of the extended visiting policy.
1 secondary outcome
factors that may influence the ICU staff 's experience of family presence during care
Time frame: T1: implementation period: assessed during a 2-week data collection period during the early implementation period of the extended visiting policy
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Oct 2026.
- Background: PubMed 31668437Ning J, Cope V. Open visiting in adult intensive care units - A structured literature review. Intensive Crit Care Nurs. 2020 Feb;56:102763. doi: 10.1016/j.iccn.2019.102763. Epub 2019 Oct 23.
- Background: PubMed 41295830Duque PA, Quintero Duque S. Open-Door ICU Model and Humanized Care: A Systematic Review. Nurs Rep. 2025 Nov 18;15(11):406. doi: 10.3390/nursrep15110406.
- Background: PubMed 42132067de la Cueva-Ariza L, Delgado-Hito P, Lluch-Canut MT, Momblan MAM, Benito-Aracil L, Via-Clavero G, Cabellos CC, Romero-Garcia M. Improving Family-Centred Care in Intensive Care Units: Participatory Action Research to Design and Implement Changes in Nursing Care. Nurs Crit Care. 2026 May;31(3):e70512. doi: 10.1111/nicc.70512.
- Background: PubMed 42007199Chen K, Zhang C, Wu Y, Yue W, Zhang X, Han L, Zhang Z. Attitudes of healthcare providers and patients/families toward a family-centered visitation and care program: a qualitative study. Front Med (Lausanne). 2026 Apr 2;12:1655210. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1655210. eCollection 2025.
- Background: PubMed 39435240Candal RE, Kalakoti P, Briones B, Sugar JG, Lairmore TC, White RK, Samra NS. Healthcare Provider's Preferences on Open Versus Restricted Visiting Hours in Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Cureus. 2024 Sep 21;16(9):e69871. doi: 10.7759/cureus.69871. eCollection 2024 Sep.
- Background: PubMed 17384930Berti D, Ferdinande P, Moons P. Beliefs and attitudes of intensive care nurses toward visits and open visiting policy. Intensive Care Med. 2007 Jun;33(6):1060-5. doi: 10.1007/s00134-007-0599-x. Epub 2007 Mar 24.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. a formal request needs to be sent by mail to the PI + juridischedienst@uzbrussel.be The legal department of UZ Brussel needs to be involved in drafting the Data Sharing Agreement. Additionally, specifications on the data granularity, timing of sharing, restricted availability, proposed transfer-medium, will be defined upfront.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing questionnaire in people with ICU Staff Attitudes Toward Family Presence and ICU Staff Experience of Family Presence, run by Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel at 1 site in Belgium.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Oct 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Belgium. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Changes from baseline in healthcare providers'attitudes and perceptions regarding family presence in the adult ICU (Intensive Care Unit) (time frame: Baseline (T0) assessed once before implementation of the extended visiting policy. Follow- up (T2) assessed once approximately 6 months after implementation of the extended visiting policy.). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07887009, which also lists 6 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Oct 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.