eDIS-ICU study moves to the next stage

The Critical Care Research Group has developed a new digital tool (eDIS-ICU) designed to efficiently screen for ICU Delirium, a common complication of ICU admission. The screening tool, the first designed specifically for use in ICU, can be easily used on a mobile phone or tablet, making it simpler to administer and less intrusive for patients.

This project now moves to the next stage with the eDIS-ICU study reaching two major milestones. eDIS-ICU has now recruited five international sites in three countries to help validate the tool. And now all five sites in Japan, Estonia and Australia have started recruiting participants having enrolled over 50 patients to date.

Thank you to North Estonia Medical Centre (Estonia), and Japan’s Kawasaki Medical School Hospital, Saga University Hospital, and Okayama Saiseikai General Hospital for partnering with Metro North Health’s Critical Care Research Group on this international collaborative project.

ICU of the Future project team including (L-R) Project Manager Oystein Tronstad; Metro North Health’s Associate Professor Dylan Flaws, and the project team including Tami Photinos, Executive Director, The Prince Charles Hospital; Michael Hornby OAM, CEO, The Common Good; and Professor John Fraser, Founder and Director, Critical Care Research Group (far right). The project group is pictured in the ICU of the Future prototype bed space at Metro North Health’s The Prince Charles Hospital.

Read more about eDIC-ICU and ICU Delirium here

• What is ICU Delirium?

  ICU Delirium is a type of acute brain failure. It is a common, yet misunderstood, complication of ICU admission and difficult to diagnose.

• Why is ICU Delirium difficult to diagnose?

  Delirium can be difficult to measure accurately and detect in the intensive care setting. The symptoms of delirium are variable, fluctuate over time, and can mimic other conditions such as psychosis or depression. Assessment, specifically in the ICU, is further complicated by use of patient sedation, limited mobility, reduced ability to communicate, and discontinuity in clinical care, which inhibits the observation of change in mental state, which is central to delirium diagnosis. This makes delirium difficult to identify and diagnose, and it is therefore not uncommon for cases of delirium to be missed. These shortfalls in recognition of delirium contribute to poor outcomes for ICU patients. Continue reading.

• How does eDIS-ICU differ from other Delirium screening tools?

  Existing ICU Delirium screening tools require specialist expertise and training to operate and can be time-consuming to administer. Consequently, many patients suffer unnecessarily due to undiagnosed or misdiagnosed delirium.

  eDIS-ICU is the first digital screening tool specifically designed for use in the ICU. It can be used on a mobile phone or tablet making it easier to administer and less intrusive for patients.

• What is happening during this phase of the eDIS-ICU study?

  This pilot study is comparing the eDIS-ICU against the reference standard expert assessment using DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) criteria and the most commonly used current screening tool, Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU).

  We are working with hospitals in three countries to validate the new tool.

• What countries are involved in the eDIS-ICU study?

  The eDIS-ICU study, part of CCRG’s The ICU of the Future project, is an international research project working with hospitals in Australia, Japan and Estonia.

• How can I engage with the project?

  The ICU of the Future is managed by The Critical Care Research Group, backed by The Common Good, an initiative of The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation. You can help power life changing medical research by supporting The Common Good.