ICU · Ethics and quality

ICU diaries: patient recall, recovery, and post-intensive care syndrome

Also known as ICU diaries · Patient diaries · Intensive care diaries · ICU recall · Recovery diaries · Patient-centred ICU care

ICU diaries are written records (by staff and family) of the patient's ICU stay, given to the patient after discharge to help fill memory gaps (delirium amnesia), process the experience, and aid psychological recovery. Patients typically have NO or FRAGMENTED recall of ICU (delirium, sedation) — and what they DO remember is often frightening (hallucinations, delusions). ICU diaries REDUCE PTSD (some studies — BACKUP trial), improve quality of life, and help patients/families make sense of the experience. Diary content: daily entries in plain language (what happened, why interventions were done, visits from family, milestones — extubation, sitting out, first words). Started in Scandinavia (1990s), adopted across Europe and increasingly in ANZ. S…