DIGNIFY study version 1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
DelIrium non-pharmacoloGical interveNtions for critically Ill patients: a FeasibilitY study (DIGNIFY)
IRAS ID
243189
Contact name
Bronagh Blackwood
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen's University Belfast
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Delirium can be described as a change in awareness and understanding which develops over a short period of time. Patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have a high risk of developing delirium due to the severity of their illness. In the ICU, delirium is associated with high risk of death and long-term damage to brain function but thus far the level of research attention directed at the subject has not matched this high morbidity and mortality burden.
Traditionally, many delirium studies have focused on drug treatments but developing a group of non-drug interventions could be more beneficial in simultaneously trying to prevent and treat delirium.
We developed a bundle of non-drug interventions, informed by a complete review of the current literature on non-drug interventions for delirium in ICU, a delirium expert consensus meeting and focus group interviews with ICU staff, ICU survivors and their families.
The focus groups allowed us to explore feasibility and acceptability of educating staff and patients families, reducing sedation medications, physical rehabilitation and interventions that promote sleep, brain function and orientation.
The findings from the literature review, expert panel and focus groups will determine the definition of the intervention, which we are now testing in this 6-month feasibility study in a single centre ICU in Belfast.
REC name
HSC REC A
REC reference
18/NI/0053
Date of REC Opinion
9 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion