An interventional study of Driving Assessment in Post Intensive Care Syndrome, sponsored by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Completed at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-01.
Sponsored by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
Spending time on intensive care can affect people in many different ways. Ability to move, walk, concentrate and remember events can all be affected. People may find their mood is altered and anxiety, stress and reduced confidence are common. These symptoms are frequently grouped together in a term called 'post intensive care syndrome'. Recovery often takes time and can be challenging.
Returning to driving is an important milestone and can enable individuals to return to important activities such as work and hobbies. As a complex task, driving requires individuals to do many things at once which initially can be demanding. Currently there is limited guidance about driving after a period of time on intensive care.
This study is being carried out to increase understanding of driving difficulties after a stay on intensive care and how successful and safe return to driving can be ensured. It is known that a stay on intensive care can have many effects on the body but currently the best advice to give to patients about returning to drive is unknown. The investigators would like to gather information on how many people do and do not return to driving and the reasons for this so people can be provided with more accurate information in the future. Additionally, it is important to find out if the driving assessment is practical and achievable for individuals who have had a stay on intensive care.
Recovery from critical illness is often prolonged and challenging due to a combination of acquired physical, psychological and cognitive impairments, which have been termed Post Intensive care syndrome (PICS). These impairments are common, slow to recover and have cumulative effects on patients' personal, social and financial wellbeing. An increasing awareness and recognition of PICS has prompted commitments to enhance multidisciplinary aftercare with the overall goal of improving patient-centred outcomes and health-related quality of life.
For many adult ICU survivors, resumption of driving is perceived as an important milestone in their recovery pathway. Driving is an advanced task reliant on complex physical and mental functioning. It also necessitates independence, self-confidence and motivation. As such clinicians may view the return to driving as an objective marker of recovery.
Furthermore, returning to drive accelerates resumption of "normal life", enablement of social interactions, hobbies, leisure activities, and most vitally, returning to work. This is not only because of its enabling effect on commuting to place of work. Approximately one million people in the UK are employed primarily as drivers, or are required to drive or operate motorised vehicles as part of their job. Thus driving after ICU is important for the UK economy as well as for patients' wellbeing and that of their loved ones. Reducing avoidable delay to driving ought therefore to be viewed as a low-cost high-impact intervention to enhance health-related quality of life.
45 studies on the registry are indexed under postintensive care syndrome; 27 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 40 is below the median of 90 across 23 interventional studies indexed under postintensive care syndrome.
Browse postintensive care syndrome studies →Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust is the lead sponsor of 284 studies on the registry; 79 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Exclusion Criteria:
Driving Assessment
Other: Driving Assessment
Participants will undergo a driving assessment approximately two months after returning home from hospital
Incidence of new driving impairments as determined by a DVLA approved driving assessment
DVLA approved driving assessment will be completed 2 months after discharge from hospital.
Time frame: 2 months
Patient-reported driving status
Patients will be asked at the recovery clinic appointments if they have returned to driving
Time frame: 3, 6 and 12 month time-ponts
To evaluate acceptability of the driving assessment
Acceptability will be determined by a non-validated questionnaire formulated for the study.
Time frame: 2, 3, 6 and 12 month time-points
To evaluate feasibility of the driving assessment
Feasibilty will be determined by a non-validated questionnaire formulated for the study
Time frame: 2, 3, 6 and 12 month time-points
Enablers of driving resumption
Determined by questionnaire and focus group. Number and type of enablers will be recorded.
Time frame: 2, 3, 6 and 12 month time-points
Barriers to driving resumption
Determined by questionnaire and focus group. Number and type of barriers will be recorded.
Time frame: 2, 3, 6 and 12 month time-points
Plan to share: No
This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
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Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust