TO:MOVE – ICU

In Denmark, approximately 30,000 patients are annually treated in intensive care units with major physical and mental health challenges as a result, as well as reduced quality of life and difficulties in resuming everyday and working life.

Early mobilisation, already during hospitalisation, has shown a positive effect on the patients’ ability to function as well as their muscle strength, and has shown fewer health limitations six months after discharge from the hospital. Despite this, only 8-16% of patients treated with ventilators are mobilised early. This is in part due to a complex practice where several health professionals have to collaborate and coordinate an overall effort, and where the patient’s and the relatives’ resources and motivation have an influence on whether early mobilisation is established.

Patients admitted to the intensive care unit are more alert today, as as little sleeping medicine as possible is recommended for critically ill patients. This means that it is possible and necessary to involve patients more in care and treatment measures.

AIM

The project is primarily a qualitative study based on participatory design, which engages patients, relatives and the interprofessional partners (nurses, physiotherapists and doctors) in finding solutions to the problems and needs they experience in connection with early mobilisation.

The aim of the project is to optimise early and active mobilisation in ventilator-treated patients admitted to the intensive care unit. This must be done through the development of a support tool that facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration and involves patients and relatives. The support tool is expected to support the coordination and continuity of early active mobilisation in intensive care and to support empowerment among health professionals and patients.

The project calls for the establishment of a coherent effort for rehabilitation across hospital departments and sectors for critically ill patients in their return to everyday life. This is lacking today, but can strengthen patients’ ability to actively participate in their rehabilitation process.

PARTNERS

The project is based at the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at Odense University Hospital (OUH) in Svendborg. It is carried out in collaboration with ITA1 and ITA2 from the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, the Department of Rehabilitation at OUH, the Intensive Care Unit at Aarhus University Hospital as well as the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark.

The project is a PhD project by Lene Lehmkuhl. Visit Lene’s profile at LinkedIn.

EXTERNAL FUNDING

The project is financed by the University of Southern Denmark and the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care at Odense University Hospital, Svendborg.