title: Improving long-term outcomes after discharge from intensive care unit: report from a stakeholders' conference.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Millions of patients are discharged from intensive care units annually. These intensive care survivors and their families frequently report a wide range of impairments in their health status which may last for months and years after hospital discharge.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To report on a 2-day Society of Critical Care Medicine conference aimed at improving the long-term outcomes after critical illness for patients and their families.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-one invited stakeholders participated in the conference. Stakeholders represented key professional organizations and groups, predominantly from North America, which are involved in the care of intensive care survivors after hospital discharge.
  
  
  METHODS
  Invited experts and Society of Critical Care Medicine members presented a summary of existing data regarding the potential long-term physical, cognitive and mental health problems after intensive care and the results from studies of postintensive care unit interventions to address these problems. Stakeholders provided reactions, perspectives, concerns and strategies aimed at improving care and mitigating these long-term health problems.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three major themes emerged from the conference regarding: (1) raising awareness and education, (2) understanding and addressing barriers to practice, and (3) identifying research gaps and resources. Postintensive care syndrome was agreed upon as the recommended term to describe new or worsening problems in physical, cognitive, or mental health status arising after a critical illness and persisting beyond acute care hospitalization. The term could be applied to either a survivor or family member.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Improving care for intensive care survivors and their families requires collaboration between practitioners and researchers in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. Strategies were developed to address the major themes arising from the conference to improve outcomes for survivors and families.
authors.affiliation: OACIS Group, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA. Dale.needham@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: Dale M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Needham
authors.forename: Judy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: Ramona O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weinert
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wunsch
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zawistowski
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bemis-Dougherty
authors.forename: Susan C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Berney
authors.forename: O Joseph
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Bienvenu
authors.forename: Susan L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Brady
authors.forename: Martin B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Brodsky
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Denehy
authors.forename: Doug
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Carl
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Flatley
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Harabin
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Louis
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Meltzer
authors.forename: Sean R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Muldoon
authors.forename: Jeffrey B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Perme
authors.forename: Marla
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scruth
authors.forename: Gayle R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Spill
authors.forename: C Porter
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Storey
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Render
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Votto
authors.forename: Maurene A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Harvey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011379:Prognosis; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014481:United States