Table 3 Elements of support per time period (absolute numbers and rounded percentages)
|  | Pre-COVID-19 (n = 95) | First COVID-19 wave (n = 130) | Second COVID-19 wave (n = 104) | Total (n = 329) | p-value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
WHO | |||||
 Received support from a support team | 0b | 94 (72.3) | 0c | 94 (28.6) |  < 0.001 |
 Support received from..g | |||||
  Attending ICU nurse | 93 (97.9) | 114 (87.7) | 100 (96.2) | 307 (93.3) | 0.004 |
  Attending ICU physician | 86 (90.5) | 85 (65.4) | 87 (83.7) | 258 (78.4) |  < 0.001 |
  Non-ICU healthcare professional | N/A | 71 (54.6) | 9 (8.7) | 80 (34.2) |  < 0.001 |
  Psychosocial caregiver | 29 (30.5) | 31 (23.8) | 25 (24.0) | 85 (25.8) | 0.477 |
  Othera | 1 (1.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (0.3) | 0.289 |
WHEN | |||||
 Frequency of contact |  |  |  |  | 0.050 |
  Less than 1 time per day | 7 (7.4) | 3 (2.3) | 5 (4.8) | 15 (4.6) |  |
  1 time per day | 32 (34.0) | 55 (42.3) | 33 (31.7) | 120 (36.6) |  |
   > 1 time per day | 41 (43.6) | 66 (50.8) | 53 (51.0) | 160 (48.8) |  |
  Other | 14 (14.9) | 6 (4.6) | 13 (12.5) | 33 (10.1) |  |
 Fixed timeslot for contact | 5 (5.3) | 80 (62.0) | 19 (18.3) | 104 (31.7) |  < 0.001 |
HOW | |||||
 Method of contactg |  |  |  |  |  |
  Healthcare professional called relative | N/A | 99 (78.6) | 34 (32.7) | 133 (57.5)d |  < 0.001 |
  Relative called healthcare professional | N/A | 64 (50.8) | 68 (65.4) | 132 (57.4)d | 0.032 |
  Othera | N/A | 3 (2.4) | 2 (1.9) | 5 (2.2)d | 1.000 |
WHAT | |||||
 Relative received information (e.g. leaflets) about..g |  |  |  |  |  |
  Working method ICU | 73 (80.2) | 89 (70.1) | 69 (67.0) | 231 (72.0) | 0.106 |
  Visitation policy | 90 (96.8) | 89 (73.6) | 96 (92.3) | 275 (86.5) |  < 0.001 |
  Isolation measures | N/A | 79 (62.7) | 82 (79.6) | 161 (70.3) | 0.006 |
  Patient’s disease | 88 (95.7) | 67 (52.3) | 53 (52.0) | 208 (64.6) |  < 0.001 |
  Available support | 42 (47.7) | 65 (51.2) | 34 (33.3) | 141 (44.3) | 0.017 |
 Topics discussed in conversations with healthcare professionalsg | |||||
  General COVID-19 information | 0b | 26 (20.2) | 17 (16.5) | 43 (18.5)d | 0.501 |
  General ICU information | 26 (27.4) | 31 (24.0) | 26 (25.2) | 83 (25.4) | 0.863 |
  Changes in medical situation | 94 (98.9) | 125 (96.9) | 101 (98.1) | 320 (97.9) | 0.642 |
  Physical examination and results | 74 (77.9) | 101 (78.3) | 70 (68.0) | 245 (74.9) | 0.146 |
  Treatment | 82 (86.3) | 112 (86.8) | 82 (79.6) | 276 (84.4) | 0.280 |
  Complications | 52 (54.7) | 93 (72.1) | 51 (49.5) | 196 (59.9) | 0.001 |
  Stopping treatment | 37 (38.9) | 42 (32.6) | 32 (31.1) | 111 (33.9) | 0.478 |
  PICS(-F) | 10 (10.5) | 11 (8.5) | 5 (4.9) | 26 (8.0) | 0.332 |
  Worries about the patient | 47 (49.5) | 76 (58.9) | 51 (49.5) | 174 (53.2) | 0.251 |
  Worries about own wellbeing and of relatives and how to inform them | 11 (11.6) | 52 (40.3) | 15 (14.6) | 78 (23.9) |  < 0.001 |
  Othera | 0 (0) | 5 (3.9) | 1 (1.0) | 6 (1.8) | 0.113 |
 Video calling between patient and relative possible | 30 (32.3) | 110 (86.6) | 71 (71.0) | 211 (65.9) |  < 0.001 |
 Being offered emotional support | 60 (63.2) | 91 (74.0) | 70 (68.8) | 221 (69.1) | 0.239 |
VISITIATION POLICY | |||||
 Visitors allowed | 95 (100)b | 15 (11.5) | 103 (99.0) | 213 (64.7) |  < 0.001 |
 Allowed to say goodbye in persona,e | 25 (100)b | 37 (94.9) | 24 (96.0) | 86 (96.6) | 0.785 |
 Saying goodbye in a private roomf | 17 (89.5) | 19 (54.3) | 17 (73.9) | 53 (68.8) | 0.024 |