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Support for patients following critical illness

01 September 2014

The intensive care unit has been running patient focus groups for nearly ten years. Listening to patients’ experiences of critical care enables us to make changes to our service and develop specific information for patients and their families, particularly when they are discharged from the unit.

The intensive care unit has been running patient focus groups for nearly ten years.

Listening to patients’ experiences of critical care enables us to make changes to our service and develop specific information for patients and their families, particularly when they are discharged from the unit. Feedback from the focus group has resulted in two projects.

On the road to recovery following critical Illness

The first is an information booklet called On the road to recovery following critical illness. This booklet was developed by a range of healthcare professionals, ex-patients and relatives.

The book is divided into three sections:

  • Section 1: Moving to the ward—what happens on the ward and how it might differ from ICU
  • Section 2: Physical and psychological changes after critical illness—outlines what they might be and why they occur
  • Section 3: Rehabilitation—looks at how you can get back on the road to recovery.

This booklet will be given to all patients on discharge from ICU from August.

VIC—Virtual Intensive Care professional

VIC (pictured left) is our Virtual Intensive Care professional—the name suggested by staff on the unit. VIC is an email address which will be given to all patients and relatives on discharge so that when they go to the ward or home they have an email address where they can ask any questions or highlight any concerns or suggestions.

Emails will be answered within 48 hours and we plan to keep a log of all emails so that if patients and relatives are highlighting the same issue we can address it.

These projects have been developed to ensure patients and their relatives feel reassured and safe following their critical illness.