Supporting the Recovery Needs of Patients Following Intensive Care

Supporting the Recovery Needs of Patients Following Intensive Care

Recovery for intensive care survivors is limited by ongoing problems with walking, strength, fatigue, mental distress and cognitive morbidity known as 'Post Intensive Care Syndrome'. There has been increasing interest in ways that clinicians can support patients in their post ICU recovery.

The investigators are undertaking a co design approach to informing the design of a recovery pathway for patients who have been admitted to the intensive care to support them in their return to home, family and working responsibilities.

This project will aim to involve ~ 20 past ICU patient/family members and ~20 health professionals to participate in a co-design approach to examine the recovery needs and resources that are required to support patients after leaving hospital. Using an experience based co design methodology three 2-hour workshops will be run with the first workshop involving patients/family members, the second involving healthcare professionals to separately gain thoughts and perspectives, and then the final workshop which will be combined to identify and problem solve priority resources and solutions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Hospitalized adults, aged 18 years or over
• Admitted to the ICU requiring invasive mechanical ventilation for > 48 hours and remain in the ICU for a minimum of four days
• Living at home before the current admission (not in a facility and/or no fixed abode)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Non-English speaking (insufficient English language skills to read and understand questionnaires and patient information consent form)
• Pre-existing documented cognitive impairment
• Spinal cord injury or other primary neuromuscular disease
• New lower limb fracture with altered weight bearing status
• Expected survival < 3 months according to the treating medical team
• Active substance abuse or psychosis
• Lack of access to telephone / computer or inability to use these resources independently (which would impact on ability to complete the intervention)
• Pregnancy
• Suicidality
• Incarcerated
• Cardiac surgery within this ICU admission (as these patients routinely receive a standard outpatient rehabilitation through cardiac rehabilitation)
• Poor premorbid mobility defined as < 10 metres ambulation +/- gait aid independently