Call for partners: Improving quality of life of post-ICU patients

Millions of patients worldwide are admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) every year. Due to advances in critical care medicine, the number of patients surviving their critical illness is increasing. However, in recent decades, it has become more clear how devastating and long-lasting the consequences of critical illness can be for ICU survivors and their families. Physical, cognitive, and mental health symptoms may persist for months to even years after hospital discharge, severely affecting quality of life. Currently, awareness and recognition of these symptoms, also known as post-intensive care syndrome (PICS), is limited among patients, families and noncritical care practitioners. This impedes early diagnosis and results in incomplete or late referral to the appropriate care, hampering early intervention. Moreover, evidence for effective intervention strategies to prevent or reduce PICS is limited.

The consortium

The Promise2Care consortium will join forces to improve quality of life and societal reintegration for post-ICU patients. To achieve this objective the research will be focused on the following aspects:

1. Gaining better insights into PICS
2. Translating these newest insights into potential practical solutions
3. Disseminating the results to relevant stakeholders in the entire knowledge chain

Results will narrow the current knowledge gaps regarding diagnosis, risk factors and underlying mechanisms of PICS pathologies. In addition, a tailored multimodal intervention strategy for the prevention and treatment of PICS based on combined best practice interventions will be developed at the start of the project. This will be followed by the development of an adapted treatment based on results obtained and aimed to improve physical, cognitive and/or mental performance compared to the treatment developed in the first phase. Eventually, this research will increase awareness of PICS in society and, most importantly, help ICU patients to return to the highest possible quality of life.

Invitation to collaborate

The above described proposal will be submitted for funding to the NWA-ORC initiative, a Dutch governmental program.

The budget for this six year proposal is estimated to be approximately 5 M€. Granted projects receive 90% subsidy funding. The other 10% is contributed by partners of which up to half may be in-kind (5% of total). Aim is to have five partners, each contributing at least 8.5 k€ annually cash and 8 k€ annually in-kind (or if preferred also in-cash). In return for in-cash and in-kind contributions to the project, partners can propose desired topics and direction to the research activities. Small companies (MKB, start-ups, etc.) can contribute less.

As co-funding partners, we invite food/ingredient companies, pharmaceutical companies, technology suppliers, governmental institutes, societal parties as well as other organizations that support the health of post-ICU patients and the related socio-economic consequences. We would like to focus on the interest of the various parties and the various roles in the project. This will become a joint effort of all parties involved.

Interested? Please contact us: