OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to gain an increased understanding of the intensive care unit diary and how it affects patients' recovery after intensive care.

METHODOLOGY/DESIGN: The study had a qualitative design and was conducted by two focus group interviews in October 2021 and was analysed with thematic analysis.

SETTING: Ventilator treated intensive care patients with a length of stay ≥ 72 hours who had received a written diary were included. The study was conducted at two university hospitals in the south of Sweden.

FINDINGS: The intensive care unit diary can be an important complement to the medical record and notes taken by family members by enhancing understanding of critical illness. The patients experience several prominent feelings from reading the diary such as guilt, fear, and anxiety as well as feelings of being cared for. The design and content of the diary can be important used as a tool in patients' recovery after intensive care.

CONCLUSION: Understanding their critical illness and the time in intensive care seems important to former intensive care patients. In this respect, the intensive care unit diary on its own does not provide significant information and thus need to be complemented by information from the medical record and notes taken by family members. Therefore, the diary can be used as a complement that might increase patients' sense of coherence and facilitate recovery after intensive care.