Interventions for adult survivors discharged from the intensive care unit: a scoping review

Objectives To comprehensively map the available evidence on interventions implemented for adult survivors following discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU).Design A scoping review was conducted following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley.Data sources A systematic sear...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jinping Liu, Lin Han, Rongrong Zhao, Yuxia Ma, Tong Wu, Fanghong Yan, Guoli Zhang, Guotian Peng, Ruiyi Sun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-08-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/8/e096634.full
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Summary:Objectives To comprehensively map the available evidence on interventions implemented for adult survivors following discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU).Design A scoping review was conducted following the methodological framework proposed by Arksey and O’Malley.Data sources A systematic search was done across Embase, Medline, Scopus, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, Wanfang Data, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, ClinicalTrials.gov, the Chinese Clinical Trial Register, the China Master’s Theses Full-text Database and the China Doctoral Dissertation Full-text Database. Literature published between January 2000 and May 2025 was included.Eligibility criteria Studies published in English or the Chinese language on postdischarge interventions for adult ICU survivors were assessed.Data extraction and synthesis Two researchers independently screened the literature and extracted relevant data.Results 39 studies were included, reporting 14 intervention components. Common strategies included ICU experience review, physical therapy and clinical assessment. Social, peer support and survivor participation interventions were less common. Most interventions were delivered within 1 week to 6 months postdischarge, via hospital visits or phone, with nearly half using multiple formats. Digital tools such as WeChat, telehealth and virtual reality (VR) were used in some studies; 15 studies involved caregivers, and 27 were nurse-led with multidisciplinary input. Interventions primarily targeted psychological well-being, quality of life and physical function, while social recovery and healthcare utilisation were less often addressed.Conclusion Current interventions are insufficiently addressing social, peer support and self-engagement needs. Future strategies should emphasise patient-centred, long-term care, with improved outcome measures and use of ICU-specific health-related quality of life tools. Integrating digital technologies could enhance access and continuity, supporting more sustainable post-ICU care.
ISSN:2044-6055