Digital Postintensive Care Support: A Comparative Survey Study Among Survivors Across Four European Countries

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Digital Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Intensive care unit (ICU) survivors require specialized recovery programs.
• Digital innovations offer accessible solutions for post-ICU care.
• User perspectives on digital interventions in post-ICU support are underexplored across diverse healthcare systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and compare perspectives on digital interventions for post-ICU support among ICU survivors in four European countries.
• To identify key factors influencing the adoption of digital health technologies in post-ICU recovery.

Main Methods:

• A quantitative, cross-sectional study design was employed.
• An investigator-developed questionnaire assessed perspectives on digital interventions.
• Data were collected from 106 ICU survivors across Croatia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Main Results:

• The majority of participants were female (63.0%) and aged 46-55 years (36.8%).
• Three primary factors emerged: perception of digital health content, accessibility, and openness to technology.
• No significant differences in perspectives were found across countries or demographic groups.

Conclusions:

• Digital health interventions show promise for effective and personalized post-ICU support.
• User perspectives are largely consistent across different European healthcare settings.
• Digital innovations can bridge gaps in accessible and high-quality specialized recovery programs for ICU survivors and their families.