Although RESPECT and DIGNITY are intuitive concepts, little formal work has addressed their systematic application in ICU. So, Samuel Brown an a multidisciplinary group of relevant experts have done a review of the literature and collaborative discussions focused on the practice of Respect in ICU. The article has been recently published in American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care.

Findings include:

  1. Dignity and Respect are interrelated.
  2. ICU patients and families are vulnerable to disrespect.
  3. Violations of Respect and Dignity appear to be common in the ICU and overlap sustantially with dehumanization.
  4. Disrespect may be associated with both primary and secondary harms.
  5. Systemic barriers complicate understanding and the realiable practice of Respect in the ICU.

Proposal include:

  1. Initiating and/or expanding a field of research on the practice of Respect in the ICU.
  2. Treating “failures of respect” as analogous to patient safety events and using existing quality and safety mechanism for improvement.
  3. Identifying both benefits and potential unintended consequences of efforts to improve the practice of Respect.

Contemporary critical care will need to come to terms with Respect and Dignity. Respect honors the inherent dignity of the human being. The time has come to consider, with care and rigor, the practice of respect.

We full agree from Proyecto HU-CI , and we add to this need.

Congratulations to the authors!!