Technologies

Unmet Need
Patients with respiratory failures are increasingly undergoing mechanical ventilation ("MV"). MV drains hospital resources, prolongs hospital stays, and has cost U.S. hospitals more than $16 billion.
As MV renders most patients non-verbal, it is crucial to be able to assess their quality of life and well-being while they are in a vulnerable state.
Technology Overview
The inventors have developed and validated a new quality of life ("QQL") questionnaire for mechanically ventilated ICU patients that considers changing modality and the length of hospitalization.
This new questionnaire was developed and assessed using informal and formal interviews as well consulation with an expert panel. In addition, the questionaire was psychometrically assessed to confirm validity, reliability, and consider responsiveness to treatment changes, factoring patient cooperation, reduction in anxiety, improvements in feelings of self-worth and autonomy, and enhancement in the participation in the patients therapeutics and healthcare decision making.
The resulting improvement in patient mindset has been shown to be an efficient methodology to reduce patient stay in the hospital, which in turn will help offset or reduce the increasing number of patients being mechanically ventilated.