Caregivers support their loved one throughout the journey of illness. Inspite of the benefits of telehealth the role of caregivers is prime. They know all the medications and repeat the same thing over and over again to doctors to make sure no piece of information slips off. They ensure each bit is conveyed to the doctors. In the ICU where the cost of errors is high, information given by caregivers is vital.
In the case of chronic illnesses like cancer, there are multi-faceted problems, which require complex solutions. These illnesses are ill-defined thus, are prone to diagnostic errors across the continuum of care. Incorrect diagnosis leads to life-threatening results.
World Health Organization says that the caregiver is key to communication. Patient and family are the only constant. Thus, they play a crucial role in ensuring the continuity of care. Clinicians are concerned about family interference and adult critical care is hesitant to support family presence.
Caregivers can share valuable information about patient’s history, symptoms, challenges, routines, etc, inside and outside clinic settings. They have a treasure of information, which may be critical towards the treatment plan in the ICU. It can make a difference between life and death.