BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) serves as a temporary life support for critically ill patients, and with its advancing clinical application, survival rates have significantly improved. However, research focus is shifting from saving lives to improving survivors' quality of life. Currently, most studies concentrate on short-term outcomes such as in-hospital mortality, while long-term psychosocial adaptation after discharge remains understudied. Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation patients often face psychological distress during Intensive Care Unit stays and multiple challenges after discharge, which can profoundly affect their long-term quality of life and social reintegration. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct an in-depth study on the psychosocial adaptation of ECMO survivors and its influencing factors. AIM: To assess the long-term psychosocial adaptation status of survivors after Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and to identify its key influencing factors. STUDY DESIGN: A multicentre cross-sectional study. This study utilized a convenience sampling method to recruit 205 patients discharged after Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation treatment from three tertiary hospitals, China. Data were collected using the Self-Report Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, general information questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the Social Support Rating Scale. RESULTS: A total of 205 ECMO patients were included in this multicentre study. The psychosocial adaptation score of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation patients was 48.40 ± 22.43. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age, income, residence, education level and time since discharge were significant influencing factors for psychosocial adaptation in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: The psychosocial adaptation of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation patients was found to be at a moderate level, indicating a need for further improvement. Healthcare professionals should implement targeted interventions to enhance their psychosocial adaptation and promote better disease outcomes. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: For clinical nurses, these findings highlight the need to systematically assess not only patients' physical function but also their psychological resilience and ability to utilise social support during follow-up. Targeted interventions focusing on resilience-building and actively coaching patients on how to effectively seek and accept support should be integrated into post-ECMO care plans to improve long-term psychosocial adaptation. For patients and families, this underscores the importance of developing skills to actively engage with support networks and resources throughout the recovery journey.
Han et al. (Tue,) studied this question.