Perceptions of intensive care unit health care professionals in Brazil regarding postintensive care syndrome: a survey study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the perceptions of intensive care unit health care professionals in Brazil regarding postintensive care syndrome and the importance attributed to it by individuals and institutions. METHODS: A web-based survey was conducted among intensive care unit professionals across all five Brazilian geopolitical regions. The questionnaire was used to collect demographic and professional data and to explore participants' perceptions of postintensive care syndrome, including a focus on patient/family-centered outcomes and long-term intensive care unit consequences. RESULTS: A total of 1,527 intensive care unit professionals responded, 61.3% of whom were women. The responses represented 12 professional categories, including physicians (51.1%), physiotherapists (16.9%), nurses (12.7%), and psychologists (5.8%). Among the participants, 50.4% had training or certification in critical care, and 59.9% had more than five years of experience. However, 24% had never heard of postintensive care syndrome. Awareness was significantly higher among those with specialized training (85.2% versus 66.6%; p < 0.001). Only 26.4% reported that their institutions had protocols for postintensive care syndrome assessment before hospital discharge. A significant difference emerged between individual and institutional priorities regarding patient/family-centered outcomes and postintensive care unit care (p < 0.001). In 60% of the cases, intensive care unit teams were not involved in patients' hospital discharge. CONCLUSION: Despite moderate awareness of postintensive care syndrome among intensive care unit professionals, there is a considerable gap between staff and the institutional prioritization of postintensive care unit care in Brazil. This highlights the need to increase awareness and develop structured postintensive care unit care protocols, ensuring improved long-term outcomes for intensive care unit patients and their families.