A national survey of intensive care follow-up clinics

Anaesthesia. 2006 Oct;61(10):950-5. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2044.2006.04792.x.

Abstract

Intensive care follow-up clinics allow extended review of survivors of critical illness. However, the current provision of intensive care follow-up clinics in the UK is unknown. We performed a survey of intensive care follow-up clinic practice in the UK. A questionnaire was sent to 298 intensive care units in the UK to determine the number of follow-up clinics and details of current follow-up practice. Responses were received from 266 intensive care units, an 89% response rate. Eighty units (30%) ran a follow-up clinic. Only 47 (59%) of these clinics were funded. Of those intensive care units without a follow-up clinic, 158 (88%) cited 'financial constraints' as the reason. Over half of the follow-up clinics (44 clinics, 55%) were nurse-led, and the majority (56 clinics, 77%) only routinely review patients treated on the intensive care unit for 3 or 4 days or longer. Nearly half of the follow-up clinics (39 clinics, 49%) have pre-negotiated access to at least one other out-patient service.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Critical Care / organization & administration*
  • Critical Illness / therapy
  • Financial Support
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Services Research / methods
  • Health Status Indicators
  • Humans
  • Intensive Care Units / organization & administration
  • Long-Term Care / economics
  • Long-Term Care / organization & administration*
  • Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / economics
  • Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / organization & administration*
  • Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / statistics & numerical data
  • Professional Practice / statistics & numerical data
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United Kingdom