Assessing oral comprehension with an eye tracking based innovative device in critically ill patients and healthy volunteers: a cohort study.

PURPOSE: Communication of caregivers and relatives to patients is a major difficulty in intensive care units (ICU). Patient's comprehension capabilities are variable over time and traditional comprehension tests cannot be implemented. Our purpose was to evaluate an oral comprehension test adapted for its automatic implementation using eye-tracking technology among ICU patients. METHODS: Prospective bi-centric cohort study was conducted on 60 healthy volunteers and 53 ICU patients. Subjects underwent an oral comprehension test using an eye-tracking device: Their results and characteristics were collected. The total duration of the test was 2 and a half minutes. RESULTS: While performing the test, 48 patients (92%) received invasive ventilation. Among healthy volunteers, the median rate of right answers was very high (93% [interquartile range 87, 100]), whereas it was lower (33% [20, 67]) for patients. For both groups, a significantly lower right answers rate was observed with advancing age (67% [27, 80] vs. 27% [20, 38] among patients and 93% [93, 100] vs. 87% [73, 93] among healthy volunteers, below and above 60 years of age, respectively) and in case of lack of a bachelor's degree (60% [38, 87] vs. 27% [20, 57] among patients and 93% [93, 100] vs. 87% [73, 93] among healthy volunteers). For patients, the higher the severity of disease was, the lower the rate of correct answers was. CONCLUSION: The eye-tracking-adapted comprehension test is easy and fast to use among ICU patients, and results seem coherent with various potential levels of comprehension as hypothesized in this study.

Eye tracking communication with intubated critically ill patients: a proof-of-concept multicenter pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Communication is essential to establish patient-caregivers relationship in the intensive care unit. Intubated patients are not able to speak because the tracheal tube prevents vocalization. Use of communication tools such as eye tracking device could improve communication with intubated patients. The objective of this feasibility pilot study was to demonstrate that an eye tracking device specifically developed for the intensive care could be used easily by awake intubated patient with a very short training time. METHODS: This prospective multicenter study was conducted in four intensive care units. We included awake adult intubated patients. The device used included an eye-tracking infrared detection and a communication interface specifically developed. RESULTS: A total of 151 patients were included: the median age of patients was 66 years (56-72) and 97 (64%) were male, 97 patients (64%) succeed totally (installation; calibration, succeed to select all three icons), 124 (82%) succeed to select at least one icon, and 111 (74%) succeed to point to at least two icons. The main reasons for failure to use the device were: difficulties to open or to keep the eyes open, difficulties to installing the device occurred, and patient fatigue. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the use of an eye tracking technology device specifically designed for the intensive care setting, with a short training is easy to use for intubated patient. Patients, relatives and caregivers showed high satisfaction.