Effect of Structured Education for Family Members of Intensive Care Patients Undergoing Tracheostomy (TRACH-FAMILY)

July 27, 2026 updated by: Alkay Kara, Giresun University

The Effect of Structured Education Provided to Family Members of Patients Undergoing Tracheostomy in the Intensive Care Unit on Anxiety, Psychological Well-Being, and Satisfaction With Care: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Family members of patients undergoing tracheostomy in the intensive care unit frequently experience anxiety, uncertainty, and concerns regarding the patient's care. This randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the effect of structured education provided to family members of patients undergoing tracheostomy in the intensive care unit on state anxiety, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with care. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group. The intervention group will receive structured education before tracheostomy, whereas the control group will receive routine information. Outcomes will be assessed before tracheostomy, on the first day after tracheostomy, and one week after the procedure.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial is designed to evaluate the effect of structured education provided to family members of patients undergoing tracheostomy in the intensive care unit on state anxiety, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with care. The study is being conducted in the intensive care unit of Giresun Training and Research Hospital. A total of 84 eligible family members will be randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention or control group.

Participants in the intervention group will receive a structured face-to-face educational program developed by the research team before the tracheostomy procedure. The educational program includes information on the purpose of tracheostomy, the procedure, potential risks, intensive care management, communication with the patient, post-discharge care, and the role of family members in the care process. Participants in the control group will receive routine information provided according to the standard clinical practice of the hospital.

The primary outcomes are state anxiety, psychological well-being, and satisfaction with care. Trait anxiety will also be assessed at baseline. Outcome assessments will be performed before tracheostomy (baseline), on the first day after the procedure, and one week after tracheostomy. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of structured educational interventions for family members of critically ill patients and contribute to improving family-centered care in intensive care units.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

84

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Giresun
      • Giresun, Giresun, Turkey (Türkiye), 28200
        • Recruiting
        • Giresun Training and Research Hospital
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Family member or primary caregiver of a patient scheduled to undergo tracheostomy in one of the participating intensive care units.
  • Aged 18 years or older.
  • Able to read, understand, and communicate in Turkish.
  • Willing to participate in the study.
  • Provides written informed consent.
  • Actively involved in the patient's care and treatment process.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with a severe psychiatric disorder.
  • Severe hearing, visual, or cognitive impairment that prevents completion of the study questionnaires.
  • Communication problems that prevent participation in the data collection process.
  • Declines to participate in the study.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Structured Education Group
Participants in this group will receive a structured face-to-face educational program developed by the researchers before the patient undergoes tracheostomy. The education will include information about the purpose of tracheostomy, the procedure, post-tracheostomy care, communication with the patient, potential problems, and the role of family members in the care process.
Behavioral: Structured Education Program
The structured education will be delivered face-to-face to the family member before the patient undergoes tracheostomy. The program will cover the purpose and necessity of tracheostomy, the procedure, changes that may occur after tracheostomy, communication methods, basic care principles, potential complications, and the involvement of family members in the care process. Participants' questions will be addressed during the educational session.
Active Comparator: Routine Information Group
Participants in this group will receive routine verbal information provided by healthcare professionals as part of the standard clinical practices of the intensive care unit. The structured educational program developed by the researchers will not be provided to this group.
Other: Routine Information
Participants will receive routine verbal information provided by healthcare professionals according to the standard clinical practice of the intensive care unit. No structured educational program will be provided.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) Score
Time Frame: Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Anxiety will be assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). At baseline, both the State Anxiety and Trait Anxiety subscales will be administered. At 1 day and 1 week after tracheostomy, only the State Anxiety subscale will be administered. Each subscale ranges from 20 to 80, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety.
Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Psychological Well-Being Scale Score
Time Frame: Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Psychological well-being will be assessed using the 8-item Psychological Well-Being Scale. Each item is scored from 1 to 7, resulting in a total score ranging from 8 to 56. Higher scores indicate greater psychological well-being.
Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit-24 (FS-ICU-24) Score
Time Frame: Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy
Family satisfaction will be assessed using the 24-item Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit questionnaire (FS-ICU-24). The questionnaire evaluates satisfaction with care, information, and participation in decision-making. Each item is scored from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate greater family satisfaction with intensive care.
Baseline before tracheostomy, 1 day after tracheostomy, and 1 week after tracheostomy

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Giresun University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

May 18, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

May 18, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

May 18, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 27, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 27, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 30, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 27, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TRACH-FAMILY-2026-01
  • 15.04.2026/08 (Other Identifier: Medical Research Ethics Committee, Giresun University)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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