Post-CICU Recovery Programs: Early Adopters and Care Models

Postintensive care syndrome (PICS) affects up to 80% of survivors of critical illness. The landscape of recovery programs tailored to cardiovascular intensive care unit (CICU) survivors remains poorly defined.

The objective of the study was to describe the prevalence, structure, and challenges of post-CICU recovery clinics in the United States and Canada.

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of health care professionals affiliated with adult CICUs via a questionnaire, developed by multidisciplinary stakeholders, assessing institutional characteristics, clinic operations, recovery practices, and barriers to implementation. Surveys were distributed via Research Electronic Data Capture between June and August 2025.

A total of 30 faculty representing 30 institutions completed the survey; 5 (16.7%) reported operating a formal post-CICU recovery clinic. Across both groups, most respondents estimated that at least one-quarter of CICU patients would benefit from multidisciplinary post-CICU follow-up. Among nonclinic sites, the most common barriers were lack of resources (76%), referral or scheduling logistics (72%), alternative non-PICS enabled follow-up models (60%), and lack of perceived benefit by leadership (48%). Sites with post-CICU recovery clinic employed multidisciplinary teams and emphasized medication reconciliation, global needs assessment, PICS screening, and structured care transitions. The referral criteria typically targeted high-risk phenotypes.

Early post-CICU recovery clinics remain uncommon but demonstrate similar care models centered on multidisciplinary survivorship assessment and targeted referral. This descriptive case series defines emerging programmatic elements and highlights barriers that must be addressed before broader dissemination and outcomes-focused trials can be pursued.