An Innovative Technological Tool to Combat Post Intensive Care Syndrome
It is estimated that approximately half of hospitalized patients will suffer cognitive, psychological, and physical consequences after being discharged from the ICU. This event is known as Post Intensive Care Syndrome and can persist for up to five years after the onset of symptoms.
Isolation from the family environment, the psychological impact related to admission, and certain medical procedures, among other factors, can increase feelings of loneliness, frustration, and fear. These difficulties not only affect the patient but also their family, resulting in high social, medical, and economic costs.
To address these issues, the Parc Taulí Research and Innovation Institute (I3PT) has developed an innovative e-health neuropsychological therapy based on non-immersive virtual reality techniques specifically designed for critically ill patients and the ICU environment.
The therapy, which incorporates gamification, aims to improve patients’ quality of life during their ICU stay and reduce the incidence of cognitive and psychological problems after discharge. A clinical study will be carried out to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of this technological tool when used alongside standard medical treatment in the ICU.
Guillermo Navarra, principal investigator of the project, emphasized the goal of evaluating the impact of the intervention on the patient’s medical condition to ensure its safety. The project, co-led by the I3PT translational research group on critically ill patients, involves various researchers and the Network Biomedical Research Center for Respiratory Diseases and Mental Health of the Carlos III Health Institute.
Thanks to a grant from La Maratón 3CAT for mental health research, the research project will be conducted in collaboration with the University Institute for Research in Health Sciences of the UIB, the Son Llàtzer University Hospital in Palma, and the company Eodyne Systems SL. The clinical trial is scheduled to begin in spring 2024 and will last for two years. This innovative therapy holds promise for improving the psychological and cognitive well-being of critically ill patients and may pave the way for new preventative strategies in the future.