Surviving a critical illness or injury, and navigating the long road to recovery, can be an intense and complex experience for patients and their families. A first-of-its-kind in BC pilot project at University Hospital of Northern BC (UHNBC), led by Dr. Gary Misselbrook, is aiming to improve this experience for patients who have spent time in the hospital’s critical care unit.
The Critical Care Recovery Program (CCRP) is offered through the Northern Medical Clinic at UHNBC. The CCRP is a partnership with Northern Health (NH), the Shared Care Committee, and the Division of Family Practice in Prince George. Further collaborations with First Nations Health Authority and Indigenous health care providers will help improve access for remote and rural communities.
The CCRP team includes a critical care physician, critical care nurses, and a clinical counsellor/social worker. The aim of the CCRP is to learn about what patients experience once admitted to the critical care unit at UHNBC, to identify opportunities to better support survivors of severe critical illness.
The CCRP follows up with patients after they’re discharged from the UHNBC critical care unit, addressing the impacts of critical illness with both in-person and virtual options to improve access for rural patients. Relatives and caregivers are welcome to attend appointments to discuss post-discharge experiences. Feedback has helped narrow the focus of this project to empower patients about their care, improve communication with providers, patients, and caregivers, and enhance team-based care.
"Patients experiencing a critical illness have a long road to recovery and often leave hospital with complex physical and psychological problems,” said Dr. Gary Misselbrook, the Critical Care physician leading this pilot project. “We will provide patients and their families with a clear plan and detailed follow up to enable patients to not only survive their critical illness, but to return to the best possible quality of life."
By providing support to patients and caregivers throughout their critical care journey and return to their home communities, we hope to:
- Reduce readmission rates to the ICU during the same hospital admission,
- See minimal readmissions to emergency departments,
- Work with local family physicians to support patients in their home communities, and
- Improve patient satisfaction, education, and quality of life measures.
The CCRP team continues to seek patient partners/caregiver partners to be involved in further developing the program. They wish to extend a thank you to those who have already shared their experiences.
If you would like to share your critical care journey, please contact the team at CCRP@northernhealth.ca. Physicians and health care providers are also encouraged to reach out to share their thoughts.
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