The needs of patients with post–intensive care syndrome: A prospective, observational study

The needs of critical illness survivors and how best to address these are unclear. The objective of this study was to identify critical illness survivors who had developed post–intensive care syndrome and to explore their use of community healthcare resources, the socioeconomic impact of their illness, and their self-reported unmet healthcare needs. Patients from two intensive care units (ICUs) in Western Australia who were mechanically ventilated for 5 days or more and/or had a prolonged ICU admission were included in this prospective, observational study. Questionnaires were used to assess participants' baseline health and function before admission, which were then repeated at 1 and 3 months after ICU discharge. Fifty participants were enrolled. Mean Functional Activities Questionnaire scores increased from 1.8 out of 30 at baseline (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0–3.5) to 8.9 at 1 month after ICU discharge (95% CI: 6.5–11.4; P =