Precision ICU Care: Evaluating an AI-Driven Nursing Decision Support System for Delirium Prevention

Efficacy of an Intelligent Computational Nursing Decision Support System in Precision Critical Care for Delirium Prevention: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Delirium affects up to 83% of mechanically ventilated patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), often leading to longer hospital stays and long-term memory or cognitive problems. While standard care protocols (such as the ABCDEF bundle) exist, they are often difficult to implement fully due to their complexity and the heavy workload on nursing staff.

To address these challenges, this study introduces a 'Precision Nursing' approach by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR). We will implement an AI-driven system to assist nurses in making personalized care decisions more efficiently. Additionally, interactive VR technology will be used to stimulate patients' cognitive function and encourage early mobility. Our goal is to reduce the clinical burden on healthcare providers while significantly improving recovery outcomes for ICU patients.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Sleep Quality; Delirium in the Intensive Care Unit
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: MLP-based Clinical Decision Support System (MLP-CDSS); Behavioral: VR-based Cognitive Intervention; Behavioral: VR-assisted Early Mobility Exercise

Detailed Description

Delirium affects up to 83% of ventilated ICU patients, necessitating precise non-pharmacological interventions like the SCAN-D program, which aims to improve outcomes by integrating smart computing and virtual reality into nursing decisions. This three-year, assessor-blinded, parallel randomized controlled trial will enroll 188 patients, assigning them to either usual care or the SCAN-D group, where the latter receives personalized strategies based on machine learning risk weights, including family-supervised immersive VR exercise and cognitive training. Throughout their stay, patients will be monitored via shift-based assessments (ICDSC/RASS) and nightly sleep tracking using actigraphy combined with one-lead EEG, while long-term cognitive function and quality of life (EQ-5D-3L) will be evaluated at three and six months post-discharge. The primary outcomes are the incidence of delirium and delirium-free days within the first 28 days of ICU admission, measured using the ICU Delirium Screening Checklist. Secondary outcomes include sleep quality and quantity, functional status during the ICU stay, ICU length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation, total hospital length of stay, ICU mortality rate, Sedative and Analgesic Loading, 90-day Mortality Post-discharge, cognitive function, and quality of life. Finally, the collected data will be analyzed using SPSS 22.0 through independent t-tests, Chi-square tests, and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) to determine the program's efficacy in reducing delirium incidence and enhancing overall patient recovery.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 188
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Hsiao-Yean Chiu, Professor; Phone Number: 6329 886-2-27361661; Email: hychiu0315@tmu.edu.tw

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Taipei, Taiwan, 110
    • Taipei Medical University, Taipei, 110
    • Contact: Hisao-Yean Chiu, Professor; Phone Number: 6329 886-2-27361661; Email: hychiu0315@tmu.edu.tw

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients aged 18 years
• High risk of developing delirium are defined as PRE-DELIRIC (PREdiction of DELIRium in ICu patients) with a score of ≥40%
• Sedation assessment form (Richmond Agitation-Sedation). Scale, RASS) is assessed as between +1 and -1
• Patient is clearly aware and able to communicate with Chinese and Taiwanese customers.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Those who have developed delirium before joining the study (assessed by the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) >4 points)
• Expected to stay in the ICU for less than 24 hours
• APACHE II score > 25 (meaning > 50% mortality)
• Delirium cannot be evaluated, such as those with severe acute brain injury, audio-visual impairment, speech problems, psychotic disorders, aphasia, or in the entire ICU During this period, patient remained comatose.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Smart Computing Assisted Nursing Decision in Delirium Prevention(SCAN-D) group; The algorithm will calculate variable weights and select features contributing to 80% of the risk. These variables will guide the implementation of personalized delirium prevention strategies, with making decision based on nurses' clinical expertise.	Device: MLP-based Clinical Decision Support System (MLP-CDSS); An AI-integrated system utilizing a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) model to predict delirium risk and guide targeted interventions. The system continuously analyzes real-time data from Electronic Health Records (EHR), including physiological parameters, medication history, and laboratory results.; Behavioral: VR-based Cognitive Intervention; A virtual reality intervention designed to provide cognitive stimulation and reduce sensory deprivation. Patients engage in interactive games (e.g., traditional-themed tasks such as goldfish scooping or lantern festivals) that require attention, memory, and spatial orientation. These sessions are conducted twice daily for total 30-40 minutes, 3-4 times a week.; Behavioral: VR-assisted Early Mobility Exercise; A VR-based physical activity program focused on promoting upper limb movement and range of motion. The virtual environment encourages patients to perform specific gestures or reaching tasks while in bed or a seated position, aiming to improve mobility and reduce the physical deconditioning common in ICU stays. These sessions are conducted twice daily for total 30-40 minutes, 3-4 times a week.
No Intervention: routine care control group; The control group will receive routine care, including delirium assessments and sleep environment management.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Incidence of ICU delirium	The proportion of participants who develop delirium during their ICU stay. Delirium is assessed using the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). The checklist evaluates 8 clinical signs, with each item scored 0 or 1. A total score of 4 or higher is defined as a "positive" delirium diagnosis.	From ICU admission to ICU discharge or maximum 28 days, assessed per shift
Delirium-Free Days	The number of days alive and free of delirium during ICU stay. Delirium status is assessed daily using the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC). A "delirium-free day" is defined as a calendar day on which the patient is alive and has an ICDSC score of less than 4	Through Day 28 after ICU admission.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Subjective Sleep Quality	Daily sleep quality as perceived by the participant, measured using the Richards-Campbell Sleep Questionnaire (RCSQ). The RCSQ is a 5-item visual analog scale that assesses: Sleep depth; Sleep latency (falling asleep); Number of awakenings; Time to return to sleep; Overall sleep quality. Each item is scored from 0 to 100 mm. The total score is the average of the five items. The total score ranges from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate better sleep quality.	Daily from enrollment until ICU discharge or up to a maximum of 28 days.
Objective Sleep Quality	Description: Objective sleep status will be evaluated by SOMNOwatch™, which can extract not only sleep related parameters but also calculate sleep stages using additional electroencephalography (EEG) sensors.	Continuous monitoring every night from enrollment until ICU discharge or up to a maximum of 28 days.
ICU Mortality	The number of participants who died during their stay in the Intensive Care Unit.	From ICU admission to ICU discharge (estimated up to 28 days)
90-day All-cause Mortality	The number of participants who died from any cause within 90 days following discharge from the hospital.	90 days after hospital discharge.
Cumulative Dose of Sedatives and Analgesics	The total cumulative dose of sedatives (e.g., Propofol, Midazolam) and analgesics (e.g., Fentanyl, Morphine) administered during the ICU stay. To allow comparison, doses will be converted to equivalents (e.g., Midazolam equivalents for sedatives and Morphine equivalents for analgesics).	Daily during the ICU stay, up to 28 days.
Hospital Length of Stay (LOS)	The total number of days from study enrollment to hospital discharge or death.	From study enrollment to hospital discharge (expected up to 3 month).
ICU-related Adverse Events	The frequency and type of adverse events occurring in the ICU, including but not limited to: unplanned extubation, falls, pressure ulcers, and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).	Throughout the ICU stay, up to 28 days
ICU Length of Stay (ICU LOS)	The total number of days the participant remains in the Intensive Care Unit, calculated from the date of ICU admission to the date of ICU discharge or death.	From ICU admission to ICU discharge (estimated up to 28 days).
Health-Related Quality of Life	The Euro Qol Five-Dimensional Five-Level Scale (EQ-5D-5L) is used to evaluate health-related QoL. The health status classification comprises five dimensions, each with five levels, calculated using specific values. The vertical analog scale assesses the patient's overall evaluation of their current health status, ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate greater QoL.	At 3 months and 6 months after hospital discharge.
Duration of Mechanical Ventilation	The total number of days during which the participant requires mechanical ventilation support while in the Intensive Care Unit. This includes both invasive (via endotracheal tube or tracheostomy) and non-invasive ventilation (NIV). The duration is calculated from the initiation of mechanical ventilation to successful weaning and extubation.	Throughout the ICU stay, from enrollment up to a maximum of 28 days.
Long-term Cognitive Function	Cognitive performance assessed via the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (TICS). The TICS is an 11-item screening instrument specifically designed for telephone administration to patients who cannot be assessed in person. The total score ranges from 0 to 41, where higher scores indicate better cognitive performance.	At 3 months and 6 months after hospital discharge.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Taipei Medical University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): June 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2028
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2028

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 1, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 8, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 8, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 1, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: intensive care unit; delirium; machine learning; sleep; Virtual Reality; Artificial Intelligence
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Mental Disorders; Confusion; Neurobehavioral Manifestations; Neurocognitive Disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders; Sleep Disorders, Intrinsic; Dyssomnias; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Delirium; Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
• Other Study ID Numbers: N202502041

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No