A protocol for exploring patients' and support peoples' experiences after prolonged critical illness

Area of Science:

• Critical care medicine
• Patient recovery and survivorship
• Qualitative health research

Background:

• Improved survival rates in critical care have led to an increase in patients with prolonged intensive care unit (ICU) stays.
• These patients and their support persons experience substantial physical, mental, cognitive, and social health impairments.
• Limited research exists on the long-term experiences of prolonged ICU stay survivors and their support networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the experiences of prolonged critical illness survivors (invasively mechanically ventilated in ICU for ≥8 days) and their support persons.
• To explore these experiences longitudinally during the first 12 months post-hospital discharge in New Zealand.

Main Methods:

• Multi-centre narrative inquiry study involving 6-8 prolonged critical illness survivors and 6-8 support persons.
• Interviews conducted at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months post-hospital discharge.
• Data analysis integrating Clandinin and Connelly's narrative inquiry framework and Fairclough's framework.

Main Results:

• The study investigates the phenomenon of post-prolonged critical illness experiences.
• Longitudinal exploration across the first year post-hospital discharge.

Conclusions:

• This protocol offers a methodological framework for understanding the lived experiences of prolonged critical illness survivors and their support persons.
• Findings will enhance understanding of the ICU survivorship journey and inform support strategies for post-ICU recovery.
• Barriers and enablers to survivorship at multiple health service levels will be identified.