The Competency-Based Training in Intensive Care Medicine in Europe (CoBaTrICE) Italian collaborative : national results from the Picker survey

Background. The aim of the Competency-Based Training in Intensive Care medicine in Europe (CoBaTrICE) project is to create an internationally acceptable competency-based training program for specialists in intensive care medicine. The CoBaTrICE project has performed a survey, in collaboration with the Picket institute, United Kingdom, to identify desirable characteristics of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) specialists, as expressed by patients and their relatives. Methods. A questionnaire was developed to assess 21 elements of professional competence. Each element was assigned to one of four categories of a Likert scale: 1=essential; 2=very important; 3=not too important; 4=does not matter. The results were dichotomized into essential (score: 1) and not essential (scores: 2-4) categories. Further, the elements were related to three key concepts: "medical skills and competencies", "communication with patients", and "communication with relatives". Questionnaire statements grouped by theme were also ranked for each item using a number: 1=highest rank; 21=lowest rank. Free text responses were also invited. Results. Ten Italian ICUs were enrolled in the study. There were 249 questionnaires completed (18% total return rate). Conclusion. Priority in Italy was given to medical skills and competence. Involvement of patients and relatives in decision-making processes were among the items considered least important. Italian families preferred a paternalist approach to the end of life decision-making process