Effect of CICARE communication nursing model combined with motivational psychological intervention in patients with post-intensive care unit syndrome

BACKGROUND: Post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) is a term used to describe a constellation of new or worsened dysfunctions in the physical, cognitive, or mental health status of critically ill patients after their discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU). These dysfunctions persist beyond the acute phase of illness and have a significant impact on both the patient and their family. Connect, Introduce, Communicate, Ask, Respond, Exit (CICARE) communication advocates that patients should be respected and accepted when receiving medical services. Clinicians should attach importance to the communication mode of feelings, including connection, introduction, communication, ask, response, and exit 6 steps. AIM: To assess the impact of CICARE communication on the reduction of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in patients transitioning from the ICU to other care settings. METHODS: This prospective, randomized, controlled study was performed between October 2021 and March 2023. Intensive Care Unit Memory Tool was used to evaluate patients’ ICU memory. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was employed to determine the presence of anxiety or depression symptoms. Impact of Event Scale-Revised was utilized to assess the presence of PTSD. All data were processed and analyzed using R language software version 4.1.0. The measurement data were expressed as mean ± SD, and the t test was used. The count data were analyzed by the χ(2) test and expressed as [n (%)]. RESULTS: In total, 248 subjects were included in this study. Among them, 206 were successfully followed up for three months after transfer from the ICU, and 42 cases were lost to follow-up. There was no significant difference in the composition of ICU memory between the two groups. The application of the CICARE communication nursing model combined with the motivational psychological intervention nursing model, as well as the adoption of only the motivational psychological intervention nursing model, demonstrated favorable effects on PICS. Both groups of patients showed a reduction in anxiety scores, depression scores, and PTSD scores following the implementation of these two nursing models. However, it is noteworthy that the experimental group exhibited greater improvements compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that CICARE communication nursing mode may have good influence on relieving PICS.