Needs Communicative Digital Technology Program for Intubated Patients with Critical Illnesses: A Quasi-Experimental Study

Abstract

        Patients with critical illnesses and on intubation cannot express their needs through verbal language. Thus, nurses and other healthcare professionals might not meet their needs, resulting in frustration and more stress for nurses and patients. This situation may interfere with patients’ recovery. In this quasi-experiment study, we developed and tested the effectiveness of the Needs Communicative Digital Technology Program. Sixty participants who were critically ill and intubated were recruited from an intensive care unit of a secondary care hospital in a province close to Bangkok, Thailand. They were alternately assigned weekly to the experimental (n = 30) and control groups (n = 30). The experimental group received the program for 48 hours, including the usual care in the intensive care unit. The control group received only usual care in the intensive care unit. Questionnaires for data collection were a demographic data form, the Met Needs Questionnaire, and theEffectiveness of Communication Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a chi-squared test, a Fisher exact test, a t-test, and ANCOVA.        Findings revealed that after 48 hours of program implementation, the experimental group had significantly higher mean scores on met needs and effective communication than before starting the program and higher than that of the control group. Thus, it can be concluded that this program effectively met the needs of intubated people with critical illnesses with advanced technology and communication strategies that can be used easily, conveniently, and quickly. Nurses can use this program in practice and further evaluate its effectiveness before widespread use in the country.