The overall objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of conducting a future large-scale, randomized controlled trial (RCT) to test whether Reiki is superior to sham Reiki and usual care when delivered to critically ill older adults who require mechanical ventilation (MV). Our three-arm, pilot RCT will include 45 subjects and their LARs (45) recruited from the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center (OSU-WMC) intensive care units (ICUs) who are randomly allocated 1:1:1 to: 1) Reiki, 2) sham Reiki, or 3) usual care for 5 days or until the subject is discharged from the hospital or expires. The Investigators will perform interviews with the subjects' LARs upon study enrollment to determine the subjects preadmission physical, functional, and cognitive health status. Each subject will be assessed for pain, anxiety, and agitation and have their vital signs taken daily for 5 days using valid and reliable tools. Medical records will be used to record demographic and clinical characteristics. The Investigators will survey each subject and their LAR regarding their experiences with the Reiki, sham Reiki or usual care sessions. Reiki and sham Reiki will be administered for 5 consecutive days even if the subject is transferred to the floor from the ICU. Usual care will also involve a 5-day period. Study Arms. Reiki. Three professional Reiki therapists trained at Level 2 (intermediate) and with a minimum of 2 years of Reiki practice will administer the Reiki intervention. Sham Reiki. Three actors will administer sham Reiki. Usual Care. Subjects assigned to usual care will not receive Reiki or sham Reiki. The usual care group will undergo the same in-person symptom assessments and electronic health record (EHR) reviews as the Reiki and sham Reiki groups. Reiki therapy is not part of usual care in the participating ICUs. The knowledge gained from this study will contribute to a better understanding of how/if a nonpharmacologic intervention can reduce the symptoms experienced by critically ill older adults.
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Establish the timing of subject recruitment
Timeframe: Days 1, 2, or 3
Establish level of protocol adherence by participants
Timeframe: Days 1-5
Evaluate and refine the study protocol
Timeframe: Days 1-5
Enrollment population
Timeframe: Days 1, 2, or 3
Establish level of protocol adherence by Interventionists
Timeframe: Days 1-5
Facilitators/Barriers to successful Reiki Intervention implementation
Timeframe: Days 1-5