The “Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Future” project is a Queensland-led, international, patient-centred, multi-disciplinary and intersectoral project. Using co-design to incorporate the patient’s needs, the project team has redesigned and rebuilt two ICU bedspaces at the The Prince Charles Hospital (TPCH).
There are many factors in the ICU that are not modifiable but the environment stood out for this team as one of the things that can be modified to improve the patients' experience and recovery. Innovative changes to technology and a modified environmental design were some of the changes that made the existing ICU bedspace fit for purpose.
Environment aspects addressed in this project included lighting solutions, noise reduction and solutions to reduce social isolation and improve patient engagement.
The bedspaces have now been rebuilt and patients are being admitted to them. All this was done to reshape the ICU experience, so patients thrive, not just survive.
The ICU of the Future project is expected to significantly improve the patient and family experience, shorten patient length of stay, reduce the incidence of delirium, reduce common post-ICU neurocognitive sequelae, including depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment, PTSD, decrease hospital costs, increase ICU bed availability, and help patients return to work and have a better quality of life. By creating a quieter and improved workspace, we also anticipate that the project will improve the ability for staff to perform clinical duties, increase work satisfaction, and reduce burnout and turnover, leading to retention of senior staff and attracting the best and brightest new staff.