Eye-Tracking Technology in Intensive Care Units

Article: Intensive care patients speak with their eyes
Source: Ruhr University Bochum (Germany)
Published: January 18, 2022

Communication by means of an eye-tracking system

Being voiceless can be a frustrating experience for patients in intensive care units, with hospital staff often needing to use alternative methods of nonverbal communication. However, eye-blinking, lip-reading, head nodding, or the use of pen and paper or alphabet boards are often insufficient. Inspired by the use of modern communication technologies for patients with advanced neuromuscular diseases, researchers in Germany are exploring eye-tracking systems to overcome similar communication barriers for critically ill intensive care patients, such as those who are ventilated or tetraplegic. The present study included 75 patients with an endotracheal tube or tracheostomy tube and a history of mechanical ventilation at a surgical intensive care unit, and employed a commercially available eye-tracking system and positioned in the patient’s line of sight. This mounted mobile system consists of near-infrared-emitting light sources that reflect off of the person's eyes and are captured by cameras, which is then relayed to image processing software that calculates the direction of the person's gaze. The system is individually calibrated to each user, and after a short training period, users can express some of their thoughts based on scales and scores shown on the monitor. Such technology revealed that the participants generally experienced poor quality of life, and poor state of health, though many considered themselves cognitively capable. The researchers emphasize that their technology can enable critically ill, non-verbal and movement-impaired people to communicate their self-assessment and feelings to others. Such technology can help to improve the interaction between patients and their hospital caregivers until they gain the ability to communicate independently.

My rating of this study: ⭐⭐🌸

Ull C, Hamsen U, Weckwerth C, et al. "The use of predefined scales and scores with eye-tracking devices for symptom identification in critically ill non-verbal patients." Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery.  14 December 2021. https://doi.org/10.1097/TA.0000000000003494