Table 4.

Key themes

Theme	Description
A world in chaos	Recognising that a family member is having a medical emergency is a stressful and chaotic time for family members and bystanders
Emotional extremes	Family members and bystanders experience emotional extremes during an emergency medical event
Communication is key	Communication from emergency ambulance personnel is crucial in determining family members overall experience
Family as partners	Family members desire to have a meaningful presence during resuscitations and be involved in shared decision-making with ambulance personnel
Fear of being left alone without answers	The needs of family members and bystanders do not end when EMS leave. Low rates of support post-event are currently provided