Intensive Care - a guide for patients and relatives
ICUsteps are pleased to announce that the second edition of "Intensive Care - a guide for patients and relatives" was published in July 2009. Since this 32 page information booklet was first published in 2008, orders have been received from around 30% of intensive care units across the country.
The booklet has been updated to incorporate feedback from healthcare professionals and the 2009 NICE guideline on Critical Illness Rehabilitation. Produced by ICUsteps from the patient perspective in consultation with critical care professionals, the second edition continues to be endorsed of the Department of Health and retains the Plain English Campaign's 'Crystal Mark'.
The long-term ramifications of critical illness are well documented and recognised among critical care staff but this understanding does not always spread beyond the ICU. We believe that patients should be provided with comprehensive information to help them in their psychological and physical recovery. Having been through the uncertainty and distress that can come with being critically ill, we know how important it is to have this information and the relief that can come from knowing what to expect or that what you're experiencing is normal for someone in your position.
Although some hospitals have developed information leaflets this information isn't universally available or provided with the depth of information that patients and relatives need. For this reason, ICUsteps has produced a booklet covering all the stages of critical illness, from admission through to rehabilitation.
Due to overwhelming demand the initial print run of 30,000 booklets paid for thanks to sponsorship from The ‘Lee Spark’ NF Foundation, have been exhausted.
Rather than wait for further funding to become available, leaving patients and relatives without the information they so desperately need in the meantime, ICUsteps decided to fund printing of a further 20,000 booklets.
Booklets from the reprint are now available. Although we need to pass on the cost of printing to recover our cost, boxes of 250 booklets are available for just £60 delivered. That works out at less than 25p per booklet. Hospitals can place an order for booklets through our website.
ICU staff who would like to use the booklet on their unit can do so by completing the online order form to give us your unit's details and let us know how many copies you estimate needing per year.
Recovery from critical illness is a long and difficult process but it shouldn't be made any harder than it has to be. The booklet "Intensive care - a guide for patients and relatives" is an inexpensive way of making that process a little easier.
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