Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41832558›Full record

ArticlePilot and feasibility studies2026

The feasibility and acceptability of conducting a randomised controlled trial evaluating a healthcare professional-supported, self-management intervention for people suffering from fatigue after critical illness.

Yijun Yu, Sophie Eleanor Brown, Akshay Shah, Wladyslawa Czuber-Dochan, Suzanne Bench, Clare Martin, Georgia Cook, David McWilliams, Emma Hedley, Najib Rahman and 2 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Pilot and feasibility studies, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Yijun YuOxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxInAHR), Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
Sophie Eleanor BrownOxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxInAHR), Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
Akshay ShahNuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Wladyslawa Czuber-DochanFlorence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery and Palliative Care, King's College London, London, UK.
Suzanne BenchCollege of Healthcare Science, London South Bank University, London, UK.
Clare MartinSchool of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
Georgia CookOxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxInAHR), Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK.
David McWilliamsCentre for Care Excellence, Coventry University, Coventry, UK.
Emma HedleyOxford Respiratory Trials Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Najib RahmanOxford Respiratory Trials Unit, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Rebecca LangleyPatient co-applicant, Oxford, UK.
Louise StaytOxford Institute of Applied Health Research (OxInAHR), Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK. lstayt@brookes.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7362-7224

Funding

Research for Patient Benefit Programme NIHR206382.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFatigue is a common problem that significantly affects intensive care unit (ICU) survivors' physical, psychological, and social functioning. ICU survivors often experience a loss of self-worth and identity, struggle to return to their normal roles, and face ongoing challenges with cognitive and emotional recovery. Despite its profound impact, there are limited rehabilitation interventions targeting this population. This research aims to evaluate the acceptability of implementing the Fatigue After CriTical illness (FACT) self-management intervention into usual care for patients experiencing fatigue after critical illness and the feasibility of the intervention for a future clinical trial.

methodsThis is a multicentre, open-label, feasibility randomised controlled trial (RCT) with an embedded qualitative evaluation, conducted across. Seventy participants recruited from three United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) Trusts will be randomised either to the FACT self-management intervention following hospital discharge, which focuses on fatigue management, goal setting, and personal action planning, in addition to usual care, or to a control group receiving usual care alone. The intervention will be accessible for six months and will include a 30-min phone or video call with an ICU follow-up healthcare professional (HCP) in the third month. HCPs will attend an online training session and follow a protocol to guide patients in goal setting. Outcome assessments will occur at baseline, three months, and six months post-randomisation to evaluate feasibility and acceptability. Semi-structured interviews with patients and HCPs will explore their experiences and acceptability outcomes at 6 months. DISCUSSION: This study aims to provide insights into the feasibility and acceptability of the FACT intervention, with the goal of improving fatigue management among survivors of critical illness. Preliminary findings will inform the design of a larger-scale RCT to evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing recovery from critical illness in patients who are experiencing fatigue.

trial registrationStudy ID: ISRCTN1381359 . Date registered: 01/04/2025.

Indexed as

Critical illnessFatigueFeasibilityIntensive care unitSelf-management

Identifiers

PMID41832558
PMCPMC13101231

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.