According to the American Psychiatric Association, delirium is a cerebral dysfunction characterized by acute and fluctuating disturbances in attention, awareness, and cognition over a short period of time (Slooter et al., 2020; American Psychiatric Association and Association, 2013). Delirium frequently occurs among critically ill patients in intensive care units (ICUs), with an incidence of 27%–31.4 % (Wu et al., 2022; Jayaswal et al., 2019, Krewulak et al., 2018, Rahimi-Bashar et al., 2021). Mounting evidence supports a link between ICU delirium and detrimental patient outcomes, including increased mortality 0–30 days after hospital discharge and extended hospital stays (Li et al., 2022; Fiest et al., 2021). Furthermore, previous studies have indicated that ICU delirium is associated with cognitive dysfunction, functional disability, and decreased quality of life (Mart et al., 2021; Bulic et al., 2020; Brummel et al., 2014; Nassar et al., 2023; van der Heijden et al., 2023), thereby additionally burdening patients, their families, and the health care system worldwide. Therefore, determining how to effectively prevent ICU delirium has been a focus of clinical attention.

When exposed to complex sensory environments, ICU patients may experience both sensory overload (excessive monotonous and repetitive sensory inputs) and sensory deprivation due to temporary social isolation (Hewitt, 2002, Howell, 1999, Nannapaneni et al., 2013). This imbalance in sensory input can significantly increase the chances of patients experiencing altered sensory perception, cognitive impairment, hallucinations, and psychological distress (Easton and MacKenzie, 1988, Howell, 1999, Leach, 2016, Naef et al., 2022).

Sensory stimulation refers to the inputs received through one or more of the senses, including visual, auditory, tactile, gustatory, and olfactory stimulation (Liang et al., 2023); it plays a crucial role in reducing hallucinations and confusion in patients, making it an essential intervention for preventing ICU delirium (Devlin et al., 2018). Auditory stimulation is a type of sensory stimulation that involves receiving inputs through the auditory system; it has shown great potential as a method of sensory intervention in ICU environments because of its practicality and safety (Head et al., 2022; Byun et al., 2018; Cevik and Namik, 2018;). Current studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of auditory stimulation in preventing delirium, particularly when using familiar voices such as family voices (Munro et al., 2017; Adineh et al., 2023; Elcokany and Ahmed, 2019, Mand, 2022;57:596-.).

However, there are still significant challenges in providing auditory stimulation for emergently admitted ICU patients. Unlike patients with planned admissions who can express their needs and preferences for auditory stimulation in advance, patients with unplanned admissions often face difficulty in expressing their needs. For example, an elderly person was transferred to the emergency intensive care unit following a sudden car accident and subsequently fell into a coma due to severe trauma. Consequently, it was the responsibility of his family members to choose the auditory stimulation content. However, the lack of clear guidelines on the content of auditory stimulation scripts often leads to hesitation and concern among patient families when implementing auditory stimulation.

Research on the preferences and needs for ICU delirium prevention in patients receiving auditory stimulation is currently limited. Understanding the preferences and needs of individuals is crucial for the development of effective auditory stimulation interventions. Therefore, our objective was to explore the auditory stimulation preference of patients and families for delirium prevention in ICUs. This information will assist in the development of delirium-preventive auditory stimulation scripts specifically designed for emergently admitted ICU patients.