What is the study about?
Critical care units provide highly specialised care to individuals of all ages who have life threatening conditions and the World Health Assembly (2023) passed a resolution on integrated emergency, critical, and operative care for universal health coverage.
In Malawi, critical care services and the specialist workforce have been increasing, with greater access and improved outcomes from critical care highlighting a hidden epidemic arising from unmet rehabilitation needs. Therefore, there is now an urgent need to focus on understanding the needs of individuals who survive their critical illness.
Who is involved?
This partnership research project will be conducted with:
- Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi
- Royal College of Nursing, UK
Why is this study important?
With no previous studies in Malawi looking at critical care rehabilitation, this study is a first in the field and will bring together an international team of critical care nurses and nurse researchers from the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in Malawi, Royal College of Nursing and Birmingham City University from the UK.
The project will capacity strengthen nurse researchers in both Malawi and the UK, with findings used to raise awareness at policy level and inform healthcare workers on the needs of critical care survivors.
What will it involve?
This research study will employ a participatory co-operative enquiry approach using Ubuntu an African traditional philosophy to guide the study. It will involve a series of focus groups with healthcare professionals working in critical care and high dependency units.
How will the results be disseminated?
Findings will be disseminated through an international webinar, blogs, academic peer reviewed publications and conference presentations. To increase awareness of the findings a research infographic detailing the key findings of the study, will be developed for clinical areas.
For more information:
For more information about this research study please contact: CIHP@bcu.ac.uk
To find out more about the WHO’s Integrated emergency, critical and operative care strategy: https://www.who.int/teams/integrated-health-services/clinical-services-and-systems/emergency--critical-and-operative-care