Structured approaches to recovery after critical illness and ICU

Survivors of critical illness face prolonged physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments that demand coordinated, evidence-informed rehabilitation. Rehabilitation Following Critical Illness provides clinicians with a structured framework for managing the complex recovery trajectory from intensive care through to community reintegration. Written by researchers at Birmingham City University, this volume addresses the multidisciplinary challenges inherent in post-ICU rehabilitation planning and delivery across care settings.

The book examines physical reconditioning, cognitive rehabilitation, and psychological recovery strategies tailored to critical illness survivors. It explores the role of multidisciplinary teams in coordinating care transitions, managing post-intensive care syndrome, and supporting long-term functional outcomes. Practical guidance on assessment protocols, goal setting, and patient-centred rehabilitation pathways equips practitioners to deliver structured, individualised recovery programs.

Readers will also find:

• Strategies for identifying and addressing post-intensive care syndrome across physical, cognitive, and mental health domains throughout recovery
• Guidance on coordinating multidisciplinary rehabilitation teams to ensure continuity of care from ICU discharge through community reintegration
• Frameworks for patient-centred goal setting that account for individual functional baselines and realistic recovery expectations after critical illness
• Discussion of family and caregiver involvement in rehabilitation planning, addressing the psychosocial impact of critical illness on support networks
• Evidence-based protocols for managing common complications including deconditioning, respiratory weakness, and post-traumatic stress following ICU stays

Rehabilitation Following Critical Illness serves intensivists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, nurses, and other allied health professionals involved in post-ICU recovery. It also supports clinical educators and advanced students seeking structured guidance on delivering coordinated rehabilitation to this growing and complex patient population.

Chris Carter is an Associate Professor at Birmingham City University. He is currently the Pathway Leader for the MSc Adult Critical Care and module leader for post-qualifying module on the Prevention, Recognition & Management of Sepsis. Chris’s career spans the NHS, UK Defence Medical Services and Higher Education.

Joy Notter is Professor of Community Health Care at Birmingham City University, and Professor Honoris Causa, Hanoi Medical University, Viet Nam. She is a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, Past President and Fellow of the European Association for Cancer Education and a Fellow of the American Association of Cancer Education.