ICU Liberation: Does Enhanced Patient Mobilization Improve Outcomes?

The purpose of this study is to study implementation efficacy of an early mobilization program in a rural mixed surgical and medical ICU.

The aim of the study is to test whether a program of early mobilization training along with ongoing ABCEDF bundle implementation will change the following:

• early mobilization of ventilated patients in the ICU measured using accelerometer data as a primary measure along with other nurse reported data from the EMR
• ICU length of stay
• other clinical variable outlined in the design section

This study will have a pre- and post-implementation design. Baseline activity levels of eligible patients will be collected prospectively for approximately 3 months while staff is being trained and the details of the early mobilization program are being finalized. All eligible patients will wear an accelerometer while in the ICU. Length of ICU stay, total hospitalization, discharge disposition, and the occurrence of certain hospital-acquired complications will also be recorded as part of the baseline/current practice data. There will be a pause in data collection as the early mobilization program is incorporated into standard practice.

Data collection will resume approximately one month after the implementation of the program.

All eligible patients will wear an accelerometer to measure activity level while in the ICU. Length of ICU stay, total hospitalization, discharge disposition, and the occurrence of certain hospital-acquired complications will also be recorded. Other variables to be assessed include: ICU staffing costs, overall hospitalization costs, rate of patient falls, rate of staff injuries, level of exercise tolerance achieved by time of discharge.

Inclusion criteria

• - Patients in a rural mixed surgical and medical ICU requiring mechanical ventilation

Exclusion criteria

• age less than 18
• Pregnant patients
• Cardiac surgery patients
• "boarding" patients in the ICU
• Patients expected to be extubated in less than 24 total hours (e.g. combative trauma patient intubated in order to complete workup),
• Patients unable to walk prior to admission
• Patients without limbs
• Patients with an unstable spinal injury.