eFICUS

Digital health applications have the potential to enhance interaction between families and healthcare professionals, as well as to provide information and self-management support for families. However, such offerings for families in intensive care settings remain rare.

The aim of this project is to develop, refine, and test a digital health application called eFICUS for families whose relatives are being treated in an intensive care unit. The application will be evaluated in 3–4 ICUs with regard to usability, acceptance, and benefit (FICUS = Family Support Intervention in Intensive Care Units).

In terms of content, the project builds on the effective, family-focused FICUS® intervention. It will be developed and tested using a user-centered, participatory approach, in close collaboration with family members, patients, and healthcare professionals. The process will follow an iterative cycle and make use of PRECIOUS,  a cloud-based software platform for digital health applications. eFICUS is intended to meaningfully support and complement family care in ICUs by:

• improving relatives’ understanding of the illness, treatment, and ICU environment.
• supporting interaction and communication between families and ICU staff.
• empowering families in self-management to cope with difficult emotions, high levels of stress, and potential long-term effects on their health and family functioning.

The overall goal is to ensure and optimize an evidence-based, “blended” model of care for families across the lifespan in intensive care settings and during the subsequent recovery phase, in a resource-efficient manner.

Prof. Dr. Rahel Naef

Prof. Dr. Tobias Kowatsch

Simone Sutter

Prof. Dr. Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken

Aleksandra Szewc

Noel Kampus

eFICUS - DIZH

and the Peter Bockhoff Stiftung