Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center, part of the Sanford Health System, has partnered with Advanced ICU Care, a provider of tele-ICU services, in Aberdeen, S.D., to monitor patients by adding intensivists and critical care specialists 24 hours a day, seven days a week, “providing an extra layer of care that enhances patient care and safety.”
“We have seen first-hand the impact that telemedicine has had on reducing ICU mortality and improving patient care and safety in the intensive care unit,” Mary Jo Gorman, M.D., M.B.A., CEO, Advanced ICU Care, said in a statement.
Telemedicine is relatively new to ICUs, but is widely accepted by staff. A recent survey found that 44 percent of the nurses studied reported that they regularly integrated suggestions made by the remote staff into their own care plans, and contrary to resenting these suggestions, as one might think, when asked about the impact, 82 percent expressed their confidence in the telemedicine staff's recommendations. Even more promising, 72 percent thought that the “availability of the telemedicine component increased a patient's chance for survival,” Kurt Ullman noted.
Putting in place a telemedicine system resulted in fewer hospital and ICU deaths mortality, lower rates of preventable complications and shorter hospital and intensive care unit lengths of stay, according to data from another clinical practice study.
Last year, Kristina Fiore noted that analysis of the use of telemedicine reduced ICU mortality by 20 percent and brought the average length of stay in the ICU down by 1.26 days, as reported by Lance Brendan Young, PhD, of the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and colleagues in the March 28 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
The program at Sanford Aberdeen Medical Center continuously monitors patient vital signs, medications, labs and clinical status, ensuring that problems are identified and intervention provided before they become urgent. In addition, two-way video access in each patient’s room enables face-to-face consultations between the bedside and Advanced ICU Care team.
ICUs have always been known for caring for the sickest patients but just as in life, mistakes and accidents happen. Hospitals know this extra component of security can only improve care – care that, admittedly, is already good, but can always be made better.
Edited by
Brooke Neuman
