ACTIVE-ICU (v1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An ethnographiC mulTi-sIte study of intensiVe carE unit rehabilitatIon CUlture (ACTIVE-ICU)
IRAS ID
256734
Contact name
Clare L Wade
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Northumbria University
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 10 months, 1 days
Research summary
Early physical activity and physical rehabilitation are advocated in the critical care unit for patients recovering from critical illness. Research over the last 10 years has highlighted the improvements in short term outcomes for patients, in addition to the safety and feasibility of early physical rehabilitation. Despite this, there are still many factors associated with implementation of early physical rehabilitation into routine critical care and practice. One such factor that has been consistently identified is unit culture, yet there is little understanding of how or why the culture of a critical care unit impacts on implementation of early rehabilitation.
The aim of this study is to investigate culture in NHS critical care units, with a particular focus on the implementation and promotion of early rehabilitation and physical activity. This will provide a detailed understanding of the barriers and facilitators in relation to providing a positive rehabilitation culture in the critical care unit.
The study will use principles of ethnography; a research approach which places value on understanding issues in the natural context in which they occur. This will involve direct participant observations of culture and behaviours in relation to implementation and promotion of early rehabilitation and physical activity, interviews with critical care clinical staff and documentary analysis of key multidisciplinary communications. The patient and relative perspective will be explored using focus group. The study is funded by Northumbria Univeristy, and forms part of the researcher's doctoral research studies.
REC name
North East - York Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
20/NE/0029
Date of REC Opinion
15 Jan 2020
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion