Comprehensive Driving Assessment to Enable Driving Resumption in Adults Recovering From Critical Illness: A Prospective Cohort Study

Q: What does this research mean for the field?

While approximately 79% of adult ICU survivors are capable of driving a standard vehicle 3 months after hospital discharge, less than half actually resume driving by this time, though comprehensive assessment and interventions can facilitate resumption for those with impairments. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

Chloe Apps; Kate Brooks; Gill Radcliffe; Kieran Mahon; Patricia Helen Morris; Gavin Saunders; Michelle Giles; Leah Homden; Jessica Gregory; Paula O'Shea; Melanie Gager; Liz Keating; Amy Grimadell-Jones; Lucy Pearson; Barney Sanderson; Andrew Slack; Helen Vollmer; Katie Susser; Manu Shankar‐Hari; Natalie Pattison; L Rose; Joel Meyer

doi:10.1097/ccm.0000000000007316

Key Points

To evaluate the driving capability of adult intensive care unit survivors two months following hospital discharge and assess driving resumption rates, influencing factors, and assessment acceptability over 12 months.
Prospective observational cohort study conducted across six UK hospitals evaluating 40 adult ICU survivors who received mechanical ventilation (≥72 hours) and/or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.
Thirty-three participants completed a certified driving assessment at a median of 12.5 weeks post-discharge, which included cognitive screening, physical evaluation, driving simulator testing, and on-road driving.
At assessment, 79% of participants (26/33) were deemed capable of driving a standard vehicle, yet only 45% (15/33) had actively resumed driving.
Impairments prevented standard driving in 21% of participants (7/33; physical: 57%, psychological: 29%, cognitive: 14%), but 57% of these individuals (4/7) successfully resumed driving after adaptations or retraining.
Cumulative driving resumption reached 62% (21/34) at 3 months, 82% (28/34) at 6 months, and 91% (30/33) at 12 months, with median driving confidence significantly increasing from 7 to 9 on a 10-point scale (p < 0.05).

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Implication

Observational cohort study reveals that structured assessments boost driving resumption in ICU survivors, highlighting that targeted interventions safely restore independence.

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Cite This Study

Apps et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa7b23b0926e14a848b0a22 https://doi.org/10.1097/ccm.0000000000007316

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Comprehensive Driving Assessment to Enable Driving Resumption in Adults Recovering From Critical Illness: A Prospective Cohort Study

Key Points

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Implication

Discussion

Cite This Study

Comprehensive Driving Assessment to Enable Driving Resumption in Adults Recovering From Critical Illness: A Prospective Cohort Study

Key Points

No abstract yet

Implication

Discussion

Cite This Study

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