Tele-ICU Programs

TeleICU is an innovation that seeks to improve access to quality critical care and mitigate the intensivist shortage. With extensive, albeit variable, scientific literature supporting teleICU’s ability to enhance patient safety and to improve standardization of care, hospitals of all sizes have come to adopt teleICU. Although many factors from technology advances to greater cultural acceptance have contributed to growth in adoption, the top driver remains the need to access critical care specialists and care teams that are in short supply. This chapter reviews the current state of teleICU, the various models, scope, limitations, and drivers for implementation of teleICU.