Creating the ICU of the Future: Patient-centred design to optimise recovery.

Oystein Tronstad, Dylan Flaws, Sue Patterson, Robert Holdsworth & John F. Fraser. Critical Care Journal. DOI 10.1186/s13054-023-04685-2

Intensive Care survival continues to improve, and the number of ICU services is increasing globally. However, there is a growing awareness of the detrimental impact of the ICU environment on patients, families, and staff. Excessive noise and suboptimal lighting especially have been shown to adversely impact physical and mental recovery during and after an ICU admission. Current ICU designs have not kept up with advances in medical technology and models of care, and there is no current ‘gold-standard’ ICU design. Improvements in ICU designs are needed to optimise care delivery and patient outcomes.