“I See You Photovoice: Recovering After Hospitalization for a Critical Illness” is a pilot research project initiated in 2022 by co-lead researcher Fuchsia Howard and patient partner Anita David, co-investigators Leanne Currie and Gregory Haljan, and research manager Kelsey Lynch.
This research grew out of a larger study investigating the drivers of unplanned hospital readmission following a critical illness and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admission in British Columbia, Canada. We recognized there were aspects of critical illness recovery that could be difficult to articulate and identified the utility of visual storytelling to garner unique insights. We adopted the arts-based methodology of Photovoice to understand the experiences of individuals who survived a critical illness and recovered at home.
During the winter of 2023, five individuals created photos and came together during five virtual sessions. Facilitated by Anita David, individuals described and discussed as a group their experiences of critical illness and recovery at home as represented through their photos. Photographs and group discussions were prompted by questions about recovery, including going from hospital to home, organizing life and adapting to changes, mental and emotional health, and how critical illness shaped life.
To see the photographs and individual commentary describing the visual representations of their experiences, visit our exhibition page.
The study was generously funded by a Scholar Award to Fuchsia Howard from Michael Smith Health Research BC. The insights gained from this pilot study will shape the development of subsequent research aiming to understand and design health solutions that promote critical illness recovery.
This pilot study is funded by the following partners:
