Study of Staff Training to Improve ICU Care and Reduce Post-Intensive Care Syndrome in Adults

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether a structured training program for intensive care unit ICU staff can reduce health problems known as post-intensive care syndrome PICS in adults after they leave the hospital. PICS includes new or worsened physical, thinking, or emotional difficulties following serious illness, which can affect daily life, independence, memory, mood, and overall quality of life. This multicenter study compares patients treated before and after ICU staff training, focusing on whether the training reduces PICS three months after hospital discharge. The study also compares standard training on the ABCDEF care bundle with an expanded A-Z bundle that includes additional care elements like nutrition, sleep, infection prevention, safety, and psychological support. The study involves a cluster-randomized design where entire ICUs are assigned to receive training on either the standard ABCDEF bundle or the expanded A-Z bundle. The training program for ICU staff includes a month-long online course with educational materials, checklists, pocket guides, and visual reminders, plus face-to-face sessions to reinforce learning. After training, ICUs continue usual care while researchers track how often the trained care practices are followed during patients ICU stays, up to 21 days or until discharge or death. Follow-up visits for patients occur at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after hospital discharge. Participants are adults who stay in the ICU for at least 48 hours and leave the hospital alive. They will undergo tests and questionnaires on physical health, memory, mood, and quality of life during follow-up visits. Data collection includes ICU care details and patient outcomes, monitored using electronic forms with quality checks. The main outcome measured is the number of participants who develop PICS three months after discharge. Secondary outcomes include adherence to care bundles, incidence of delirium, and quality of life assessments at various timepoints. The study runs until 2028 and maintains ethical and data protection standards throughout.

"PROTECT-ICU: Impact of an Educational Intervention