Testing a home based rehabilitation program for survivors of a critical illness: a randomised controlled trial

Funded Activity Summary

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a home-based, individually tailored physical rehabilitation program can improve the physical and psychological recovery for survivors of a critical illness. Surviving a critical illness results in physical de-conditioning and emotional sequelae. Many observational studies have demonstrated a delayed recovery, often beyond a six-month period. At present there is a lack of specific service provision for the recovering intensive care patient, and preliminary work by us indicates a need for an outreach follow-up service for ICU survivors that does not require individuals to attend an outpatient clinic. The 8-week program includes prescribed training of lower limb exercises, walking, and upper limb exercises, with the goal of improved physical strength and endurance at study end-point of 26 weeks. The standardised leg and arm exercises will be adjusted according to participant progress, using a specifically designed rehabilitation manual. Physical function, endurance and psychological well-being between the usual care and this program will be compared. Importantly, the project addresses outcomes that are clinically meaningful for the patients. It is designed to evaluate whether physical rehabilitation for people recovering from a critical illness improves physical and psychological recovery, which contribute to how people function and they feel. There appears to be little research in this area, so the innovative aspects of the study are an important consideration. The project addresses one of the National Research Priorities using an exercise-based rehabilitation program. It also provides an important innovation: successful implementation and positive findings from this home-based rehabilitation program will provide a model of care that existing primary care or community services can adopt so that all survivors of a critical illness will have the opportunity to improve their physical and psychological recovery.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2005

End Date: 01-01-2007

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $447,602.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Clinical Nursing: Tertiary (Rehabilitative)

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

burden of disease | critical illness | health status | home-based care | muscle weakness | physical activity | psychological assessment | quality of life | randomised controlled trial | rehabilitation

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