Long-term health-related quality of life, healthcare utilisation and back-to-work activities in Intensive Care Unit survivors: prospective confirmatory study from the Frisian Aftercare Cohort

More substantial information on recovery after Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission is urgently needed. In a previous retrospective study, the proportion of non-recovery patients was 44%. The aim of this prospective follow-up study was to evaluate changes Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in the first year after ICU-admission. Long-stay adult ICU-patients (≥ 48 hours) were included. HRQoL was evaluated with the Dutch translation of the RAND-36 item Health Survey (RAND-36) at baseline via proxy measurement, and at three, six, and twelve months after ICU admission. Subsequently, the relation between  physical functioning, healthcare utilisation, and work activities was explored.