Smart Health-Enhanced Early Mobilisation in Intensive Care Units

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Rehabilitation Engineering
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Prolonged Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stays lead to Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) and ICU-Acquired Weakness (ICU-AW), diminishing long-term quality of life.
• Early Mobilization (EM) is a key intervention to mitigate PICS/ICU-AW and reduce intensive care treatment duration.
• Current EM programs face resource limitations (human and technical) impacting widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze the existing literature on technology applications in Early Mobilization (EM) within Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
• To identify barriers to effective EM implementation and explore how technology can address them.
• To propose a smart health-enhanced scenario for optimizing EM practices.

Main Methods:

• Comprehensive literature review of studies on technology-assisted Early Mobilization (EM).
• Analysis of information and communication technologies (ICTs), including sensors, robotics, and information systems, in the context of EM.
• Conceptualization of a smart health framework for enhanced EM delivery.

Main Results:

• Existing literature demonstrates the benefits of EM in preventing post-operative complications and adverse events.
• Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) show potential in reducing costs and improving the efficiency and practice of EM.
• Technology can overcome several barriers hindering the optimal application of EM programs.

Conclusions:

• Technology integration is crucial for overcoming resource limitations and barriers in implementing Early Mobilization (EM) programs.
• Smart health solutions, leveraging ICTs, can enhance the effectiveness and accessibility of EM in critical care settings.
• Further development and implementation of technology-driven EM strategies are recommended to improve patient outcomes and reduce long-term morbidity.