Starting up and implementing:
Post-ICU for hospitals.
When an ICU patient is released from the hospital, it means that they have recovered (sufficiently) from their illness. However, the road to recovery can be a long one: 70% of ICU patients arrive home with symptoms that have a negative impact on their quality of life. A digital journal created during the time they spent in the ICU provides support, relief and confidence after the event. ICU journals are a scientifically proven intervention that reduce feelings of anxiety and symptoms of depression.
Along with the patient and their family members, healthcare staff can also help to write the journal. They note important information and events in the ICU, which means that everyone who has access to the journal can follow what happened step by step. This increases the involvement of healthcare staff in sharing information with the patient and the members of their family. This means that healthcare staff are hugely significant both during and after the stay in an ICU for the patient’s quality of life and recovery.
I am a healthcare professionalin a hospital that uses Post-ICU.
Connected hospitals carry out an implementation process with support from our implementation partners. Once all the steps are completed, there is an (online) presentation to the ICU healthcare staff which explains how they can inform patients and family members about Post-ICU and how they themselves can join in writing in the journals.
On admission to the ICU, healthcare staff hand over the envelope to the patient or their advocate. This includes all the information, the journal code and the consent form for setting up a journal. After that, family members, friends and healthcare staff are all invited to join in writing in the journal. If all these people join in and keep writing, then the picture of the time in ICU is more complete.
The Post-ICU journal is accessible on smartphones, tablets and computers. Healthcare staff can simply use a web connection on the office page of the bedside monitor. The interaction and functionality are identical on all the different devices. Post-ICU meets European privacy and security requirements, and the data is stored securely.
Find out more about privacy and security.Would you like to work with Post-ICU, as a hospital? Or do you have some questions?
Please get in touch.These hospitals in the Netherlands and USA are already using the Post-ICU journal.
Please call Jurriaan van Rijswijk, director at Games for Health, at +31681150578 or send an email to our helpdesk on hospital@post-icu.com.
What is the situation with online privacy and security for the journal?
No patient can be logged in until your safety officer, privacy officer, legal counsel and procurement have all signed the necessary documentation. Privacy and security are always prime concerns. We sign processor contracts with hospitals once a PIA has been completed. A number of hospitals have already been through this process, with support during the implementation by supplying template contracts. You may also like to contact Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) at other hospitals. Take a look at our privacy & security page for more information.
What options are available to log in to the journal from your own working environment?
The simplest way to create a link is to have a web link on the office page for the ICU staff. This means that staff can connect and log into the Post-ICU journal. The first time they will need to create an account to do so. If the hospital policy allows login details to be saved, then the healthcare staff do not need to login very often. We presently support the most up-to-date versions of Safari, Firefox and Internet Explorer 11. We prefer Chrome.
How do healthcare staff know whether they are allowed to write in a patient’s journal?
The patient advocate or the patient themselves need to agree to this. That is why you need the personal journal code which is in the envelope. The healthcare staff will then always start writing for a patient, who at the time is probably not conscious. If the patient decides later that they do not want to read the messages, then he or she can switch it off. So writing something always brings added value, and gives the patient the option later on whether they want to accept it or not.
Is it possible to also use the Post-ICU journal outside the ICU?
It is possible, but at present we are focusing on ICU patients because the consequences of Post Intensive Care Syndrome have such a major impact on their lives.
Can the journal also be used for non-Corona patients?
The Post-ICU journal was already being developed before the coronavirus started spreading. The coronavirus did make its development move into the fast lane. This journal is not only suitable for corona patients, but obviously they stand to gain the most benefit from it at present. Above all, because most corona patients are kept in a deep sleep for a number of weeks and therefore have missing memories. With the coronavirus gradually coming under control, hospitals are already showing interest in providing the Post-ICU journal to ICU patients.
Can the journal be printed out?
The overview of messages can be printed out using your web browser. Sadly, we cannot guarantee that the layout will be totally correct. Further options will be added in future to support printing.