New York- The ATS is pleased to announce that Heidi Lindroth, PhD, BS, AAS, of the Mayo Clinic has been awarded the 2021 Nursing Award for her project, “Harnessing the power of technology to transform delirium severity measurement in the ICU.”
Up to 80 percent of mechanically-ventilated adults in the intensive care unit will experience delirium, an acute and fluctuating disruption of consciousness and cognition. Severe delirium accelerates the rate of death and global cognitive decline. Though reducing delirium severity holds great promise in decreasing future adverse outcomes, delirium severity is seldom measured in the ICU, which creates a significant gap in care.
Dr. Lindroth seeks to develop the base models for a future automated digital marker (ADM) for delirium severity in ICU patients. Like a continuous display of heart rate in the ICU, this ADM would provide immediate and actionable feedback to clinicians on the status of delirium severity and support decision-making in choosing a patient-specific, individualized intervention (i.e., reorientation, music, early mobility).
“Improving patient care and treatment outcomes are among the most important goals for the ATS,” said Kamran Atabai, MD, chair of the ATS Scientific Grant Review Committee. “Dr. Lindroth’s work to monitor a critical element of the patient experience promises data that will expand our ability to care for patients, and ultimately to increase our understanding of the patient’s ICU experience.”
Overtime, the use of the ADM will provide ICU health care teams with a valuable tool in visualizing the effectiveness of interventions to reduce delirium severity and improve patient health outcomes overall.
Visit the ATS Research Program website to learn more.
