Emotions of the family of the acute patient in the emergency department: A Scoping Review Emociones del familiar del paciente agudo en el servicio de urgencias: Un Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction: Family members of patients admitted to the emergency department are sometimes excluded from the care process of their relatives, which elicits various emotional responses in the family. Objective: To describe the evidence related to the emotions of family members of patients in the Emergency Department. Materials and Methods: A descriptive scoping review was conducted, searching with the Decs and Mesh terms "Family," "Emotions," "Emergency Service." These terms were used in databases such as PubMed, EBSCO, Embase, BVS, and Web of Science to describe the existing literature regarding the emotions of family members of patients in the Emergency Department. The publication period was limited to 2013 - 2023. Results: Seventeen articles were obtained, identifying three thematic axes in the literature: Importance of family members in the Emergency Department, family members' responses transcending emotions, and family members' needs. It was found that family members' responses transcend emotions in the Emergency Department. Conclusions: The importance of family presence in emergencies is highlighted, influencing the quality of care. Limitations of specific research and adapted tools are identified.