‘Intensive care unit survivorship’ – a constructivist grounded theory of surviving critical illness

摘要: Aims and objectives To theorise intensive care unit survivorship after a critical illness based on longitudinal qualitative data. Background Increasingly, patients survive episodes of illness. However, the short- long-term impact includes physical, psychological, social economic challenges long hospital discharge. An appreciation is emerging that needs to extend beyond enable reclaim their lives postdischarge with term ‘survivorship’ being increasingly used in this context. What constitutes has, date, not been theoretically explored. Design Longitudinal constructivist grounded theory. Interviews (n = 46) 17 participants were conducted at four time points: (1) before discharge from hospital, (2) six weeks postdischarge, (3) months (4) 12 months across two adult setting. Method Individual face-to-face interviews. Data analysis followed principles Charmaz's ‘Intensive survivorship’ emerged as core category was theorised using concepts such status passages, liminality temporality understand various transitions made postcritical illness. Findings Intensive describes unscheduled passage falling critically ill taken threshold life journey Surviving goes recovery; surviving means ‘moving on’ ‘Moving incorporates redefinition self any lingering legacies control one's again. Relevance clinical practice For healthcare professionals policymakers, it important realise recovery transitioning through happen within an individual's frame, schedule imposed by system. Currently, there are no pathways or policies place for survivors would support families survivorship.