[Instruments for the assessment of the needs of family members of patients in intensive care units: a systematic review].

The hospitalisation of a family member in an intensive care unit is a stressful event for the rest of the family members. During hospitalisation, the family suffers situations of fear, uncertainty and tiredness, and focuses on the medical evolution of their ill member. In this context, support and attention from health care professionals through the assessment of the needs of the family are crucial. There are different instruments for the assessment of a family's needs. This systematic review aims to identify these questionnaires and to critically analyse their characteristics, so as to offer professionals valid and reliable questionnaires that they can use when caring for families in critical units.