How is telehealth changing the face of critical care delivery? 

TeleICU programs concentrate clinical resources in central monitoring centers and extend those resources to the bedside via technology, independent of the care center or hospital’s location. Using A/V conferencing and a real-time data stream of patient information from multiple interfaces, a physician or nurse working from a care center in Hamburg, for example, can rapidly care for a patient in Munich, day or night. This connectivity enables an already engaged intensivist or nurse to promptly intervene and consistently provide care aligned with best practices. It also decreases the burden on bedside staff and enables the central monitoring center to provide timely remote training.

Users are finding that teleICU not only serves a critical role in the effective regional management of ICUs, but positively impacts the healthcare system as a whole. Having a centralized remote patient monitoring center provides the ability to consolidate and standardize care, reduce transfers while maximizing bed utilization and support onsite staff. This reduces costs while enhancing revenues, patient flow and capacity management across the system.

Intensive care units are a critical component of healthcare in the United States. They treat roughly 6 million of the sickest and oldest patients each year.¹ Demand for critical care will grow as the population ages and the incidence of chronic disease increases, leading to ICU capacity constraints.

Because of the limited number of intensivists and the cost to attract and retain them, many hospitals find it difficult – or impossible – to staff their ICUs with intensivists 24-7. In fact, The Leapfrog Group found that only 47% of hospitals surveyed have the recommended intensivist coverage.²

There is also a considerable shortage of intensive care nurses, resulting in nurse burnout and staff shortages that increase the caregiver to patient ratio. With an estimated nursing shortage of 400,000 RNs in the US by 2027,³ and 13 million nurses globally by 2030,4 virtual care is an important adjunct to bedside nursing.

Today’s reality is sobering. In the United States:

By leveraging teleICU capabilities, hospitals can make optimal use of their existing critical care resources, instead of adding additional resources.

In fact, the whole concept of the teleICU was born of the need to maximize resources and to prepare for the increase in ICU usage. Numerous studies demonstrate both the clinical and financial benefits of teleICU, and the continuous stream of patient data captured by teleICU programs can enable health systems to take a more evidence-based approach to population health.

TeleICU can also increase staff satisfaction by enabling nurses an opportunity to continue using their skills and mentoring newer staff without the physical demands of bedside nursing.

A study in the journal CHEST took one of the broadest looks yet at the efficacy of the teleICU model, examining more than 51,000 patients across seven adult ICUs.¹² While teleICUs have previously been associated with improving mortality rates and length of stay, this study is the first to address the financial outcomes in depth.

The results show:

Arriving at the decision that a teleICU will add value and potentially reduce cost is easier than ever, yet the path to implementation can be challenging. In the past, teleICU solutions required significant upfront investment. But today, the model is attainable for all hospitals, regardless of size, operational and technical capacity and intensivist staffing resources. 

We offer the Philips eICU Outreach Program to connect smaller organizations with tele-health services managed by eICU programs at larger facilities. We help set up partnerships among facilities using a Philips eICU program, so a smaller organization can have its critical care beds monitored and realize the benefits of an eICU program with minimal investment. 

Through strategic partnerships, executive and clinical leaders can mobilize or complement their current capabilities to implement a teleICU and realize a financially sustainable option that can improve ICU outcomes. 

An industry leader in telehealth, Philips provides an eICU tele-health program that combines A/V technology, predictive analytics, data visualization and advanced reporting capabilities, enabling proactive care delivery. Philips has more than 20 years of proven success in the field and offers comprehensive guidance from experienced professionals to help assure positive results.