This study aimed at verifying how health professionals proceed the communication with the patient's relatives at the ICU. Data collection was carried out in a private hospital with 37 health professionals and was obtained by means of semi-structured interviews. Analysis of the content showed two major categories: aspects that make communication difficult with the family and the aspects that make communication easier with the family. Aspects that make the interaction difficult were more significant in relation to the others: information was not always well understood by the family, patient's severity, dynamics of the unit, professional's lack of knowledge about the patient's clinical evolution, some difficulties regarding the way of the professional to be and the inadequate physical space.
Communication; Professional-family realtions; Intensive care