Telemedicine in the ICU: Where Do We Go from Here?

An intensive care unit–telemedicine intervention lowered overall mortality, shortened length of stay, and increased adherence to best clinical practices.

Remote monitoring of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) by trained healthcare personnel has been promoted as a promising technology that will improve patient outcomes; however, a recent large multicenter trial failed to demonstrate mortality benefit (JW Hosp Med Jan 11 2010).

Researchers performed an unblinded prospective study of a tele-ICU intervention at a large academic medical center in Massachusetts from 2005 to 2007. Approximately 6300 adults were admitted to any of seven ICUs (3 medical, 3 surgical, and 1 mixed cardiovascular). The off-site tele-ICU team, which included an intensivist, acted in complement with local clinicians to enforce daily goals, to review adherence to evidence-based practices, to respond to bedside alarms, …

Reviewing Author

Neil H. Winawer, MD, SFHM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Neil H. Winawer, MD, SFHM

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose