Best Practices for Tele-ICUs: NEHI Brief

 NEHI, a national nonprofit health policy institute published a brief in November, which outlines best practices for tele-ICUs. While the technology used in the tele-ICUs surveyed in the United States is similar, practices vary. The NEHI argues that these emerging new patterns of use have the potential to make tele-ICU coverage more scalable and accessible to more hospitals and more beds.

The brief identifies six critical best practices, including: collecting pre-coverage outcomes prior to tele-ICU initiation; rotation of clinical staff between the monitoring centre and the physical ICU; extending coverage outwith the ICU via wired beds and mobile carts. “The use of tele-ICU care is entering a second phase of adoption,” said NEHI president Wendy Everett. “And as more tele-ICUs are implemented, the need for best practices to guide this expansion is critical.”

Reference

Bartolini E, King N (2013) Emerging best practices for tele-ICU care nationally. NEHI Issue Brief. Available at: http://www.nehi.net/publications/82/emerging_best_practices_for_teleicu_care_nationally