Introduction: Interview with Barbara J. Daly, RN, PhD, FAAN, Gertrude Perkins Oliva Professor of Oncology Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, and Director, Clinical Ethics, University Hospitals Case Medical Center. Interviewed by Clareen Wiencek.

摘要

A dvances in disease management and health care technology have greatly impacted health care providers' ability to rescue critically ill patients who just a few years ago would not have survived. A consequence of these advances is the emergence of a population that may survive the immediate critical illness crisis, only to face challenges because of complications, prolonged dependence on technology, and need for extensive medical and nursing care. This population has become known as the chronically critically ill (CCI). Barbara Daly is a pioneer in the investigation of the systems of care and outcomes in the chronically critically ill. Since the Special Care Unit project in 1989, Dr Daly and her research associate, Dr Sara Douglas, have studied this patient population and their caregivers. Dr Daly has led the only research team to conduct 3 intervention studies in the CCI. These have included the Special Care Unit Study (1989-1994), the Disease Management Study (2001-2005), and the Intensive Communication Intervention Study (2005-2008). The Disease Management Study evaluated the effect of a postdischarge, 8-week disease management intervention by advanced practice nurses on readmission and other outcomes in the CCI and their caregivers. The effect of an intensive communication structure in the intensive care unit (ICU) phase of care on CCI patient resource use and family decision-maker satisfaction was tested in the Communication Study. Dr Daly has published and lectured extensively on topics related to the care of the CCI. As an introduction to Advanced Critical Care's symposium on "Caring for the Chronically Critically Ill," Clareen Wiencek, Symposium Editor, interviewed Dr Daly about this unique population.