ICU Journey: Humanising the patient experience of Intensive Care

Intensive Care Units (ICU) are spaces designed to look after patients with life threatening conditions; they provide life-support, extensive therapies and continuous monitoring aiming to preserve life and return patients to good health. The clinical intensity and invasiveness of this highly medicalised and technology-dependent environment can be intimidating and threatening for patients. This paper details the development of a technology to mitigate against this. Working in partnership with four hospitals in England, the multidisciplinary design team co-developed a tablet-based application - called Senso - aiming to reduce the psychological effects of Intensive Care by enabling clinicians, carers and patients to personalise some aspects of their environment. During the first phase, the team performed primary research in four hospitals in England, developing an understanding of the problem from the point of view of different stakeholders including patients, relatives and clinicians. Further analysis through co-design workshops distilled three design issues: positive sensory disruption, orientation, and information and space utilisation. Through co-design workshops involving a ICU Patient Support Network Group, the team prototyped and tested ideas. After two cycles of iteration, requirements for a minimum viable product were outlined. The outcome is a digital application that provides a personalised sensory experience for the patient named Senso. After onboarding, Senso generates a moodboard from the selected images and videos. This not only provides a familiar view for the patient but can also help staff to engage personally with the patient. A daily schedule helps relatives understand the patient’s day-to-day activities and progress. Senso provides patients with a daily routine, supporting them through their journey from leaving the operating theatre through to the point of discharge from ICU. The hypothesis is that by providing structure to the patient’s day help in orientation and engagement. Initial testing indicates that Senso has potential to improve outcomes.