Improved intensive care unit of the future

Intensive care unit of the future Charité launches pilot project for improved intensive care unit

26/10/2013

The Berlin University Hospital Charité is launching a pilot project to help patients stay in the intensive care unit. Two redesigned intensive care rooms have been set up so that technical devices take a back seat and alarm sounds are muted.

Surveillance technology is hidden
The Virchow-Klinikum of the Berlin Charité is starting a project to drive away the hectic-nervous atmosphere as much as possible from everyday life in the intensive care unit. For this purpose, two intensive care rooms have been completely redesigned, for example by concealing the medical surveillance technology with its many cables behind a smart wooden wall. The establishment of the two rooms is a research project that aims to help physicians determine whether patients in a more humane environment are measurably better and thus can accelerate healing processes. The Medical Director of the Charité, Ulrich Frei, explains: „The perspective has changed, the needs of the patient and his experience are the focus instead of the technology.“

Delivered to intensive care units
Charité, politics and industry put into the new mini-intensive care about one million euros. Patients should be stimulated physically and mentally and they should be spared anxiety and stress attacks as possible. Claudia Spies, director of the Charité Clinic for Anaesthesiology in Berlin-Wedding, explains: „We want to get away from feeling helplessly being delivered to intensive care units.“ The doctor further explains: „But we have to prove that fear, pain or consciousness can really be influenced by feel-good factors.“ This research has so far been unique worldwide. If the evidence proves, it could be a breakthrough for refurbishing or building new clinics, because if such hospital rooms were built in series, they might not be that much more expensive.

From the starry sky to the sunrise
In the two rooms, for the next 18 months, a 2.5 x 7 meter light ceiling above the patient bed is to imitate the day and night rhythm. For example, a starry sky can be seen at night and then, after an imitated sunrise, there is daylight. In addition, thanks to the LED technology, it is also possible to project trees with rustling leaves. Furthermore, SMS messages can be displayed and used as a game console. Günter Hohensee and his team from Philips have invested around 2,000 man-hours in the new technology. He explains: „This is the total prototype, many new patents.“

Higher risk of dying in deep sleep
The Charité doctor Alawi Lütz explains that the whole thing is not a gimmick, but rather a possible aid for life-sustaining measures. „We know that patients in artificial deep sleep die more often.“ Therefore, it would be better to bring patients back to consciousness as quickly as possible after heavy surgery. This also, because brain damage can be prevented. However, physicians often face the problem that they need to administer sedatives to patients when they are stressed by the whole atmosphere of an intensive care unit. Another problem is that the awake patients lack mental stimulation.

Measurable improvements
The information that can be measured in the Charité pilot project is, on the one hand, future lay time and the associated potential costs. On the other hand, a change in sleep and painkiller consumption on the ward can be detected. In addition, it should be observed whether there are less negative long-term consequences such as lack of concentration after heavy surgery. „Thirty percent of patients still have cognitive damage at discharge“, Director Spies.

Higher satisfaction with the nursing staff
In the first tests, the clinic has also discovered another positive effect: Thus, a higher satisfaction in the nursing staff and with the relatives can be determined. Both sides had suggested since the mid-1990s to improve the negative atmosphere in intensive care units. The new intensive care unit, set up in close cooperation with psychologists, sleep researchers, architects and media designers, is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economics. (Ad)