The ICU Guide for Families: Understanding Intensive Care and How You Can Support Your Loved One

This book is for ICU patients' families, suddenly immersed in an alien and intimidating world. It clearly explains intensive care ranging from the details of the equipment and environment, to decisions about end-of-life care, focusing on how the reader can become an effective advocate for their loved one.

Lara Goitein, MD, is a physician specializing in pulmonary and critical care medicine, and has practiced in ICUs for twelve years, including at the Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston, MA), Intermountain Healthcare (St. George, Utah), University of Washington Medical Center and Harborview Medical Center (Seattle, WA), Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (Redmond, WA), Presbyterian Hospital (Albuquerque, NM), and most recently at Christus St. Vincent Regional Health System (Santa Fe, New Mexico). In this capacity she has cared for thousands of patients and supported their families through their ICU stays. During the last five years, Dr. Goitein designed and implemented a novel hospital quality program. She is one of sixteen members of JAMA Internal Medicine's editorial board and serves as a frequent reviewer and guest editor for that journal. She has been published frequently in leading medical journals as well as mainstream media outlets.