Keywords
Post-ICU syndrome
Psychological well-being
Family support
Submitted : 2025-03-31
Accepted : 2025-04-15
Published : 2025-04-30
Abstract
This article reviews the concept of ICU diary and the related contents of post-ICU syndrome, focuses on the current application status of ICU diary in post-ICU syndrome, problems faced, and suggestions for improvement, aiming to provide a reference basis for improving the physical and mental health of ICU patients and their families.
References
Marshall JC, Bosco L, Adhikari NK, et al., 2017, What Is an Intensive Care Unit? A Report of the Task Force of the World Federation of Societies of Intensive and Critical Care Medicine. J Crit Care, 37: 270–276.
Cagino LM, Seagly KS, Mcsparron JI, 2022, Survivorship After Critical Illness and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome. Clin Chest Med, 43(3): 551–561.
Wunsch H, Guerra C, Barnato AE, et al., 2010, Three-Year Outcomes for Medicare Beneficiaries Who Survive Intensive Care. JAMA, 303(9): 849–856.
Van Zanten ARH, De Waele E, Wischmeyer PE, 2019, Nutrition Therapy and Critical Illness: Practical Guidance for the ICU, Post-ICU, and Long-Term Convalescence Phases. Crit Care, 23(1): 368.
Sutton L, Bell E, Every-Palmer S, et al., 2022, Survivorship of Patients After Long Intensive Care Stay With Exploration and Experience in a New Zealand Cohort (SPLIT ENZ): Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Res Protoc, 11(3): e35936.
Myhren H, Ekeberg O, Stokland O, 2010, Health-Related Quality of Life and Return to Work After Critical Illness in General Intensive Care Unit Patients: A 1-Year Follow-Up Study. Crit Care Med, 38(7): 1554–1561.
Jones C, Griffiths RD, Humphris G, et al., 2001, Memory, Delusions, and the Development of Acute Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-Related Symptoms After Intensive Care. Crit Care Med, 29(3): 573–580.
Davydow DS, Gifford JM, Desai SV, et al., 2008, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in General Intensive Care Unit Survivors: A Systematic Review. Gen Hosp Psychiatry, 30(5): 421–434.
Jones C, Skirrow P, Griffiths RD, et al., 2004, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder-Related Symptoms in Relatives of Patients Following Intensive Care. Intensive Care Med, 30(3): 456–460.
Bosco V, Froio A, Mercuri C, et al., 2023, The Impact of an Intensive Care Diary on the Psychological Well-Being of Patients and Their Family Members: Longitudinal Study Protocol. Healthcare (Basel), 11(18).
Sayde GE, Stefanescu A, Conrad E, et al., 2020, Implementing an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Diary Program at a Large Academic Medical Center: Results from a Randomized Control Trial Evaluating Psychological Morbidity Associated with Critical Illness. Gen Hosp Psychiatry, 66: 96–102.
Garrouste-orgeas M, Flahault C, Fasse L, et al., 2017, The ICU-Diary Study: Prospective, Multicenter Comparative Study of the Impact of an ICU Diary on the Wellbeing of Patients and Families in French ICUs. Trials, 18(1): 542.
Agard AS, Egerod I, Tonnesen E, et al., 2015, From Spouse to Caregiver and Back: A Grounded Theory Study of Post-Intensive Care Unit Spousal Caregiving. J Adv Nurs, 71(8): 1892–1903.
Needham DM, Davidson J, Cohen H, et al., 2012, Improving Long-Term Outcomes After Discharge from Intensive Care Unit: Report from a Stakeholders' Conference. Crit Care Med, 40(2): 502–509.
Inoue S, Hatakeyama J, Kondo Y, et al., 2019, Post-Intensive Care Syndrome: Its Pathophysiology, Prevention, and Future Directions. Acute Med Surg, 6(3): 233–246.
Wei XX, Zhang XW, Peng JY, et al., 2016, Research Status of Post-ICU Syndrome Abroad. Chinese Journal of Nursing, 51(01): 84–89.
Elliott D, Davidson JE, Harvey MA, et al., 2014, Exploring the Scope of Post-Intensive Care Syndrome Therapy and Care: Engagement of Non-Critical Care Providers and Survivors in a Second Stakeholders Meeting. Crit Care Med, 42(12): 2518–2526.
Backman CG, Walther SM, 2001, Use of a Personal Diary Written on the ICU During Critical Illness. Intensive Care Med, 27(2): 426–429.
Munoz-Rey MP, Delgado-Hito P, Juve-Udina ME, et al., 2024, The Diary in the Intensive Care Unit: Concept Analysis. Enferm Intensiva (Engl Ed), 35(3): 178–187.
Bckman CG, Walther SM, 1999, Critical Periods at the Intensive Care Units Are Documented in Diaries. Lakartidningen, 96(5): 468–470.
Curtis JR, Treece PD, Nielsen EL, et al., 2016, Randomized Trial of Communication Facilitators to Reduce Family Distress and Intensity of End-of-Life Care. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 193(2): 154–162.
Glimelius Petersson C, Ringdal M, Apelqvist G, et al., 2018, Diaries and Memories Following an ICU Stay: A 2-Month Follow-Up Study. Nurs Crit Care, 23(6): 299–307.
Aitken LM, Castillo MI, Ullman A, et al., 2016, What Is the Relationship Between Elements of ICU Treatment and Memories After Discharge in Adult ICU Survivors?. Aust Crit Care, 29(1): 5–14, 15.
Geense WW, van den Boogaard M, van der Hoeven JG, et al., 2019, Nonpharmacologic Interventions to Prevent or Mitigate Adverse Long-Term Outcomes Among ICU Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Crit Care Med, 47(11): 1607–1618.
Jones C, 2021, Over 20 Years of ICU Diary Research 1999–2020. Intensive Crit Care Nurs, 64: 102961.
Bosco V, Mercuri C, Giordano V, et al., 2024, Enhancing ICU Care with Nurse-Written Diaries. Nurs Crit Care, 29(6): 1355–1362.
Johansson M, Wåhlin I, Magnusson L, et al., 2019, Nursing Staff's Experiences of Intensive Care Unit Diaries: A Qualitative Study. Nurs Crit Care, 24(6): 407–413.
Haakma T, Tieben R, Sleven B, et al., 2022, Experiences of Nurses with an Innovative Digital Diary Intervention in the Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Exploration. Intensive Crit Care Nurs, 70: 103197.
Hart JL, Turnbull AE, Oppenheim IM, et al., 2020, Family-Centered Care During the COVID-19 Era. J Pain Symptom Manage, 60(2): e93–e97.
Li L, Pan X, Tong Q, et al., 2024, Application of ICU Electronic Diary Platform Based on Co-Design Concept in Chinese Critically Ill Patients: A Mixed Methods Study Protocol. BMJ Open, 14(10): e84924.
Van Mol MMC, Tummers N, Leerentveld C, et al., 2024, The Usability of a Digital Diary from the Perspectives of Intensive Care Patients' Relatives: A Pilot Study. Nurs Crit Care, 29(6): 1280–1289.
Rilinger J, Krotzsch K, Bemtgen X, et al., 2021, Long-Term Survival and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Veno-Venous Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Support. Crit Care, 25(1): 410.
Villa M, Morale V, Valverde B, et al., 2025, Exploring the Impact of ICU Diary on ICU Survivors' Emotions and Feelings: A Qualitative Study. Dimens Crit Care Nurs, 44(1): 20–27.
Iannuzzi L, Villa S, Vimercati S, et al., 2021, Use of Intensive Care Unit Diary as an Integrated Tool in an Italian General Intensive Care Unit: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study. Dimens Crit Care Nurs, 40(4): 248–256.
McIlroy PA, King RS, Garrouste-Orgeas M, et al., 2019, The Effect of ICU Diaries on Psychological Outcomes and Quality of Life of Survivors of Critical Illness and Their Relatives: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Crit Care Med, 47(2): 273–279.
Negro A, Villa G, Zangrillo A, et al., 2022, Diaries in Intensive Care Units: An Italian Qualitative Study. Nurs Crit Care, 27(1): 36–44.
Haines KJ, Denehy L, Skinner EH, et al., 2015, Psychosocial Outcomes in Informal Caregivers of the Critically Ill: A Systematic Review. Crit Care Med, 43(5): 1112–1120.
Jones C, Backman C, Capuzzo M, et al., 2010, Intensive Care Diaries Reduce New Onset Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Critical Illness: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Crit Care, 14(5): R168.
Gazzato A, Squizzato T, Imbriaco G, et al., 2022, The Effect of Intensive Care Unit Diaries on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, and Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Dimens Crit Care Nurs, 41(5): 256–263.
Xia B, Yu J, Wu X, 2022, Illness Uncertainty and Its Associated Factors in Coronary Heart Disease Patients with Heart Stent Implantation: A Cross-Sectional Study. Ann Palliat Med, 11(7): 2410–2421.
Guan T, Santacroce SJ, Chen D, et al., 2020, Illness Uncertainty, Coping, and Quality of Life Among Patients with Prostate Cancer. Psychooncology, 29(6): 1019–1025.
Tripathy S, Acharya SP, Sahoo AK, et al., 2020, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Diaries and the Experiences of Patients' Families: A Grounded Theory Approach in a Lower Middle-Income Country (LMIC). J Patient Rep Outcomes, 4(1): 63.
Ewens B, Chapman R, Tulloch A, et al., 2014, ICU Survivors' Utilisation of Diaries Post Discharge: A Qualitative Descriptive Study. Aust Crit Care, 27(1): 28–35.
Mickelson RS, Piras SE, Brown L, et al., 2021, The Use and Usefulness of ICU Diaries to Support Family Members of Critically Ill Patients. J Crit Care, 61: 168–176.
Liu YT, Li YM, Ceng Y, et al., 2020, A Qualitative Study of Healthcare Professionals' Perceptions and Attitudes Toward ICU Diaries. Nursing Journal of Chinese People's Liberation Army, 2020(5): 49–52.
Johansson M, Hanson E, Runeson I, et al., 2015, Family Members' Experiences of Keeping a Diary During a Sick Relative's Stay in the Intensive Care Unit: A Hermeneutic Interview Study. Intensive Crit Care Nurs, 31(4): 241–249.
Gawronski O, Sansone V, Cancani F, et al., 2023, Implementation of Paediatric Intensive Care Unit Diaries: Feasibility and Opinions of Parents and Healthcare Providers. Aust Crit Care, 36(3): 370–377.
Brandao Barreto B, Luz M, do Amaral Lopes SA V, et al., 2021, Exploring Family Members' and Health Care Professionals' Perceptions on ICU Diaries: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Data Synthesis. Intensive Care Med, 47(7): 737–749.
Perier A, Revah-Levy A, Bruel C, et al., 2013, Phenomenologic Analysis of Healthcare Worker Perceptions of Intensive Care Unit Diaries. Crit Care, 17(1): R13.
Torres L, Nelson F, West G, 2020, Original Research: Exploring the Effects of a Nurse-Initiated Diary Intervention on Post-Critical Care Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Am J Nurs, 120(5): 24–33.
Nydahl P, Backman CG, Bereuther J, et al., 2014, How Much Time Do Nurses Need to Write an ICU Diary?. Nurs Crit Care, 19(5): 222–227.
Scruth EA, Oveisi N, Liu V, 2017, Innovation and Technology: Electronic Intensive Care Unit Diaries. AACN Adv Crit Care, 28(2): 191–199.