The ICU Humanization Program: contributions from the psychologist team

Introduction

The great scientific and technological breakthrough in the field of experimental sciences applied to medicine and health sciences is being responsible for the process of dehumanization. To understand the process and bring back a humanistic view to education seems to be necessary to rehumanizing medicine.

Objective

The aim of this work was to discuss the contribution a psychologist might provide to an Humanization Program and to present the models that are being used as a reference to the clinical work at an ICU in a private hospital in São Paulo.

Materials and method

A qualitative analysis of psychological assistance was performed, based on the standard psychological routines.

Results

The analysis of the psychological model has been divided in four ways: health psychology applied to medical setting, focused mostly in the patients and the psychological clinical assistance given to them; consultation-liaison, focused in the situation in which the health care team demands psychological help; humanizing assistance, the objective was to help in the identification of difficulties faced by patients and their family members in coping with the ICU stay; and educational assistance, focused in health care team, had the objective to help them with the relationship with the patients and identify dysfunctional aspects of the professional himself.

Conclusion

It has become imperative to incorporate humanitarian aspects into the benefits brought by many years of technological progress and development of the intensive care units. Following this proposal, the clinical work of the ICU psychologist might contribute to the recovery patient's personal values and to improve the team relationship with the patients and families.