The impact of follow-up visits and diaries on patient outcome after discharge from intensive care: A descriptive and explorative study.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the possible effects of intensive care follow-up visits and diaries on patients physical and psychosocial problems at 2, 6, and 12 months after unit discharge as well as the patient' experiences of follow-up visits and diaries.

METHODS: A descriptive and explorative cohort design. Patients (n = 441) with a length of ICU stay for ≥24 hours, who responded to the 3-set 4P questionnaire were included. Patients were divided into groups depending on when they responded to the questionnaire and if had or had not a follow-up visit or a diary.

RESULTS: Patients found the follow-up visit and the diary valuable and helpful during the recovery. In the univariate general linear model analyses, the follow-up group reported more problems in Mood and Memory. Longer length of stay was a predictor for unfavourable scoring in the domains Change in Appearance and Memory and for favourable scoring in the domain Social Life. The diary group reported more problems in Change in Appearance, Mood, and Memory and fewer problems in Social Life.

CONCLUSION: No strong effects of follow-up or diary on patient outcomes were seen. However, because the patients experienced that the interventions had helped them during recovery, further exploration of the matter is needed in the process of testing these interventions.