About the study

The Intensive Care Outcome Network study (ICON) is a long-term study of patients who have spent at least 24 hours on an intensive care unit (ICU) at one of the hospitals taking part in the study (see List of Participating Units).  Patients who agree to take part in the study are asked to fill in a set of questionnaires at 3 months, 12 months and two years after being discharged from the intensive care unit (ICU).  The questionnaires ask about the patient’s health immediately before admission to ICU and their current health state.

Aims of the study:

1                    To measure the health-related quality of life and psychological health of survivors of ICU treatment at 3, 12 and 24 months after discharge from ICU.

2                    To determine the number of patients at risk of developing depression, anxiety or stress-related disorders following treatment on an ICU.

3                    To determine differences in health states for patients based on their diagnoses.

4                    To determine the risk of death of patients based on their diagnoses compared with the risk for all patients.

Purpose of the study:

Patients taking part in the ICON study will be helping future ICU patients.  Previous studies have indicated that many survivors of ICU treatment experience both physical and psychological problems for a long time after discharge from the ICU. 

The ICON study will provide data which will allow health professionals to identify the factors that affect a patient’s recovery from illness.  Identifying these factors will help to develop effective treatments which might improve the long-term quality of life of patients who will have been treated on an ICU.