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New framework launched for rehabilitation in post-ICU care

30 June 2020

The Intensive Care Society (ICS), with support from UCLPartners, has launched a framework for assessing early rehabilitation needs following treatment in intensive care for COVID-19.

Up to half of intensive care patients experience physical, psychological and cognitive compromise, collectively known as Post-Intensive Care Syndrome or PICS. Some will recover quickly, while others will follow a slower trajectory requiring ongoing support.

UCLPartners provided academic input to help to compile and produce the framework for the use of the new Post ICU Presentation Screen (PICUP) tool, and the rehabilitation prescription, in post ICU care.

The framework was produced with input from a national group of more than 30 intensive care and rehabilitation professionals convened by the Intensive Care Society in April 2020 to generate discussion and make practical recommendations to implement early post-intensive care assessment and support.

ICS President, Dr Suntharalingam said “The Society is proud to have been part of this very broad collaborative which brings together insights from critical care, rehabilitation medicine and beyond for the benefit of recovering critically ill patients across the whole NHS, enabling local solutions for local problems. Whilst some ICU’s have well-established rehabilitation and follow-up teams, we are aware that others are still developing and the PICUPS and Rehabilitation Prescription tools are intended to be accessible, effective, time-efficient and will identify where further resources are required.”

UCLPartners Managing Director Professor Mike Roberts said: “The large numbers of COVID-19 patients requiring intensive care means we now need enhanced rehabilitation services to better equip clinicians to manage the challenge of patients with multi-system impairment discharged from ICU. We are delighted to have worked with the Intensive Care Society on this important new framework for rehabilitation to help address this issue.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic UCLPartners has also supported the ICS to capture and disseminate learning from regular facilitated virtual knowledge sharing sessions between UK and internationals clinicians with considerable experience of ICU management of COVID-19 infected patients.