Thanks to recent donations into our Intensive Care Unit Charitable Fund, we have been able to fund patient diaries. ICU patient diaries serve as a simple yet valuable resource in supporting patients to process their critical illness experience.
Patients who have been in intensive care may be sedated for a period of time whilst receiving mechanical ventilation. Upon leaving ICU, patients frequently report experiencing memory lapses from their illness, recalling nightmares, hallucinations, or feeling that people were trying to hurt them.
A recent innovation to help fill this memory gap and help patients to understand what has happened is an ICU diary. This diary is written for ICU patients by healthcare staff, particularly nurses, and the patients family members and friends. Additionally, photographs capturing pivotal moments in the patients progress may be included in the diary upon its return to the patient.
Written in simple language, the diary aims to feature daily updates on the patient's condition. Families are also encourage to contribute entries about events at home that the patient may miss. The diary is typically addressed directly to the patient.
The diary is provided to the patient upon discharge from ICU, becoming their personal possession to take home. They can read it at their leisure to understand their ICU experience, if desired.
Studies indicate that patients and their families often find a diary beneficial as it helps patients to understand their time in intensive care. Research also suggests that the use of an ICU diary decreases the likelihood of patients and their families developing depression, anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Without your help, we wouldn't be able to make an amazing difference to patients, colleagues, visitors, and their family members.
