Does a full-time, 24-hour intensivist improve care and efficiency?

Associations of the staffing structure of intensive care units and high care units on in-hospital mortality among patients with sepsis: a cross-sectional study of Japanese nationwide claims data

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to analyse the associations of intensive care unit (ICU) and high care unit (HCU) organisational structure on in-hospital mortality among patients with sepsis in Japan's acute care hospitals.

DESIGN

Multicentre cross-sectional study.

SETTINGS

Patients with sepsis aged ≥18 years who received critical care in acute care hospitals throughout Japan between April 2018 and March 2019 were identified using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan (NDB).

INTERVENTIONS

None.

PARTICIPANTS

10 968 patients with sepsis were identified. ICUs were categorised into three groups: type 1 ICUs (fulfilling stringent staffing criteria such as experienced intensivists and high nurse-to-patient ratios), type 2 ICUs (less stringent criteria) and HCUs (least stringent criteria).

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

The study's primary outcome measure was in-hospital mortality. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to examine the impact of ICU/HCU groups on in-hospital mortality.

RESULTS

We analysed 2411 patients (178 hospitals) in the type 1 ICU group, 3653 patients (422 hospitals) in the type 2 ICU group and 4904 patients (521 hospitals) in the HCU group. When compared with the type 1 ICU group, the adjusted HRs for in-hospital mortality were 1.12 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.21) for the type 2 ICU group and 1.17 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.26) for the HCU group.

CONCLUSION

ICUs that fulfil more stringent staffing criteria were associated with lower in-hospital mortality among patients with sepsis than HCUs. Differences in organisational structure may have an association with outcomes in patients with sepsis, and this was observed by the NDB.

Reducing Maternal Mortality and Severe Maternal Morbidity: The Role of Critical Care

Throughout most of the 20th century, the risk of maternal mortality in high resource countries decreased dramatically; however, this trend recently has stalled in the United States and appears to have reversed. Equally alarming is that for every reported maternal death, there are numerous severe maternal morbidities or near misses. Shifting maternal demographics (eg, obesity, advanced maternal age, multifetal pregnancies), with attendant significant medical comorbidities (eg, hypertension, diabetes, cardiac disease) and the increase in cesarean deliveries significantly contribute to increased maternal morbidity and mortality. This chapter focuses on the role of critical care in reducing maternal mortality and morbidity.

Critical Care In Korea: Present and Future

Critical (or intensive) care medicine (CCM) is a branch of medicine concerned with the care of patients with potentially reversible life-threatening conditions. Numerous studies have demonstrated that adequate staffing is of crucial importance for patient outcome. Adequate staffing also showed favorable cost-effectiveness in terms of ICU stay, decreased use of resources, and lower re-admission rates. The current status of CCM of our country is not comparable to that of advanced countries. The global pandemic episodes in the past decade showed that our society is not well prepared for severe illnesses or mass casualty. To improve CCM in Korea, reimbursement of the government must be amended such that referral hospitals can hire sufficient number of qualified intensivists and nurses. For the government to address these urgent issues, public awareness of the role of CCM is also required.

A multifaceted feedback strategy alone does not improve the adherence to organizational guideline-based standards: a cluster randomized trial in intensive care

Background

Organizational data such as bed occupancy rate and nurse-to-patient ratio are related to clinical outcomes and to the efficient use of intensive care unit (ICU) resources. Standards for these performance indicators are provided in guidelines. We studied the effects of a multifaceted feedback strategy to improve the adherence to these standards.

Methods

In a cluster randomized controlled study design the intervention ICUs received extensive monthly feedback reports, they received outreach visits and initiated a quality improvement team. The control ICUs received limited quarterly feedback reports only. We collected primary data prospectively within the setting of a Dutch national ICU registry over a 14-month study period. The target indicators were bed occupancy rate (aiming at 80 % or below) and nurse-to-patient ratio (aiming at 0.5 or higher). Data were collected per 8-h nursing shift. Logistic regression analysis was performed. For both study end points, the odds ratios (OR) for improvements at follow-up versus at baseline were calculated separately for control and intervention ICUs.

Results

We analyzed data on 67,237 nursing shifts. The bed occupancy rate did not improve in the intervention group compared to baseline (adjusted OR 0.88; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.62–1.27) or compared to control group (OR 0.67; 95 % CI 0.39–1.15). The nurse-to-patient ratio did not improve (OR 0.72; 95 % CI 0.41–1.26 compared to baseline and OR 0.65; 95 % CI 0.35–1.19 compared to control group).

Conclusions

A multifaceted feedback intervention did not improve the adherence to guideline-based standards on the organizational issues bed occupancy rate and nurse-to-patient ratio in the ICU. The reasons may be a limited confidence in data quality, the lack of practical tools for improvement, and the relatively short follow-up.

Trial registration

ISRCTN: ISRCTN50542146

Are all ICUs the same?

The ability to compare intensive care units (ICUs) and determine whether they provide the same level of care with regard to efficacy, efficiency, and quality is a cornerstone of understanding critical care and improving the quality of that care. Without collecting high-quality data, adjusted for severity of illness and analyzed in a comparative fashion, it would not be possible to describe best practices objectively, to identify which ICUs are doing a good job or to learn from those units that are. This review article discusses how and why ICUs are compared. Particular attention is focused on the severity of illness scores, standardized mortality, and comparative reporting. A data collecting network, Virtual Pediatric Systems, limited liability corporation (VPS, LLC), designed for the purposes of determining where differences in critical care can be identified and the value that this adds in improving quality is discussed. Finally, results from this large data sharing collaborative describing the practice of pediatric critical care are included for the purpose of pediatric intensive care units practice benchmarks.

Physician staffing models and patient safety in the ICU

Despite the manpower shortage to care for the critically ill, the number of ICU beds has been rising for the last 2 decades. The ICU intensivist physician staffing model is still in flux in this country. Despite a challenge by a recent single publication, numerous studies have shown that high-intensity intensivist staffing improves patient outcome in the ICU. However, 73% of the ICUs in this country provide low-intensity or no intensive care coverage. Although it may not be possible to implement 24 h/d intensivist coverage of all ICUs at this time, we believe it is the best model for achieving good patient outcome. The mere presence of intensivists in the ICU is unlikely to improve patient outcome unless it is associated with the creation of an organizational environment ideal for the implementation of evidence-based practice. In this commentary, we will discuss the available evidence behind the current models and express our opinions about current and future ICU intensivist staffing.

Best practice models for acute and critical care: today and into the future

The purpose of this article is to describe selected best practices in acute and critical care. The evidence base for these models is steadily building. Attributes of past, present, and emerging models are discussed in the context of important considerations such as stress, capacity, and infection. The author offers suggestions for using what we know to advance models of care in the information age that has only just begun.

Association between critical care physician management and patient mortality in the intensive care unit

BACKGROUND

Critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) are thought to gain an added survival benefit from management by critical care physicians, but evidence of this benefit is scant.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between hospital mortality in critically ill patients and management by critical care physicians.

DESIGN

Retrospective analysis of a large, prospectively collected database of critically ill patients.

SETTING

123 ICUs in 100 U.S. hospitals.

PATIENTS

101,832 critically ill adults.

MEASUREMENTS

Through use of a random-effects logistic regression, investigators compared hospital mortality between patients cared for entirely by critical care physicians and patients cared for entirely by non-critical care physicians. An expanded Simplified Acute Physiology Score was used to adjust for severity of illness, and a propensity score was used to adjust for differences in the probability of selective referral of patients to critical care physicians.

RESULTS

Patients who received critical care management (CCM) were generally sicker, received more procedures, and had higher hospital mortality rates than those who did not receive CCM. After adjustment for severity of illness and propensity score, hospital mortality rates were higher for patients who received CCM than for those who did not. The difference in adjusted hospital mortality rates was less for patients who were sicker and who were predicted by propensity score to receive CCM.

LIMITATION

Residual confounders for illness severity and selection biases for CCM might exist that were inadequately assessed or recognized.

CONCLUSION

In a large sample of ICU patients in the United States, the odds of hospital mortality were higher for patients managed by critical care physicians than those who were not. Additional studies are needed to further evaluate these results and clarify the mechanisms by which they might occur.

Effect of intensive care unit organizational model and structure on outcomes in patients with acute lung injury

RATIONALE

Prior studies supported an association between intensive care unit (ICU) organizational model or staffing patterns and outcome in critically ill patients.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the association of closed versus open models with patient mortality across adult ICUs in King County (WA).

METHODS

Cohort study of patients with acute lung injury (ALI).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

ICU structure, organization, and patient care practices were assessed using self-administered mail questionnaires completed by the medical director and nurse manager. We defined closed ICUs as units that required patient transfer to or mandatory patient comanagement by an intensivist and open ICUs as those relying on other organizational models. Outcomes were obtained from the King County Lung Injury Project, a population-based cohort of patients with ALI. The main endpoint was hospital mortality. Of 24 eligible ICUs, 13 ICUs were designated closed and 11 open. Complete survey data were available for 23 (96%) ICUs. Higher physician and nurse availability was reported in closed versus open ICUs. A total of 684 of 1,075 (63%) of patients with ALI were cared for in closed ICUs. After adjusting for potential confounders, patients with ALI cared for in closed ICUs had reduced hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.53, 0.89; P = 0.004). Consultation by a pulmonologist in open ICUs was not associated with improved mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.74, 1.20; P = 0.62). These findings were robust for varying assumptions about the study population definition.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with ALI cared for in a closed-model ICU have reduced mortality. These data support recommendations to implement structured intensive care in the United States.

Sedation and weaning from mechanical ventilation: effects of process optimization outside a clinical trial

PURPOSE

We studied the effects of reorganization and changes in the care process, including use of protocols for sedation and weaning from mechanical ventilation, on the use of sedative and analgesic drugs and on length of respiratory support and stay in the intensive care unit (ICU).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three cohorts of 100 mechanically ventilated ICU patients, admitted in 1999 (baseline), 2000 (implementation I, after a change in ICU organization and in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches), and 2001 (implementation II, after introduction of protocols for weaning from mechanical ventilation and sedation), were studied retrospectively.

RESULTS

Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II), diagnostic groups, and number of organ failures were similar in all groups. Data are reported as median (interquartile range). Time on mechanical ventilation decreased from 18 (7-41) (baseline) to 12 (7-27) hours (implementation II) (P = .046), an effect which was entirely attributable to noninvasive ventilation, and length of ICU stay decreased in survivors from 37 (21-71) to 25 (19-63) hours (P = .049). The amount of morphine (P = .001) and midazolam (P = .050) decreased, whereas the amount of propofol (P = .052) and fentanyl increased (P = .001). Total Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28 (TISS-28) per patient decreased from 137 (99-272) to 113 (87-256) points (P = .009). Intensive care unit mortality was 19% (baseline), 8% (implementation I), and 7% (implementation II) (P = .020).

CONCLUSIONS

Changes in organizational and care processes were associated with an altered pattern of sedative and analgesic drug prescription, a decrease in length of (noninvasive) respiratory support and length of stay in survivors, and decreases in resource use as measured by TISS-28 and mortality.

Intensive care unit telemedicine: review and consensus recommendations

Intensive care unit telemedicine involves nurses and physicians located at a remote command center providing care to patients in multiple, scattered intensive care units via computer and telecommunication technology. The command center is equipped with a workstation that has multiple monitors displaying real-time patient vital signs, a complete electronic medical record, a clinical decision support tool, a high-resolution radiographic image viewer, and teleconferencing for every patient and intensive care unit room. In addition to communication functions, the video system can be used to view parameters on ventilator screens, infusion pumps, and other bedside equipment, as well as to visually assess patient conditions. The intensivist can conduct virtual rounds, communicate with on-site caregivers, and be alerted to important patient conditions automatically via software-monitored parameters. This article reviews the technology's background, status, significance, clinical literature, financial effect, implementation issues, and future developments. Recommendations from a University HealthSystem Consortium task force are also presented.

Ethical imperatives in staffing and managing a trauma intensive care unit

As U.S. trauma surgery evolves to embrace the concept and practice of acute care surgery, the organization and management structure of the intensive care unit must also grow to reflect new challenges and imperatives faced by trauma surgeons. Key issues to be explored in light of acute care surgery include the role of the traumatologist/intensivist in the intensive care unit, as opposed to the traumatologist without specific critical care training, and a potentially expanded role for nonsurgical intensivists as the critical care time available for trauma/intensivists wanes due to increased surgical and non-critical care patient volume. Each of these changes to the practice of trauma/surgical critical care and acute care surgery are evaluated in light of the primacy of appropriately trained intensivists in the critical care unit. The ethics of providing the best care possible is interrogated in light of different service models in both the university and community settings. The roles of residents, fellows, and midlevel practitioners in supporting the goal of the intensivist and the critical care team is similarly explored. A recommendation for an ethical organizational and management structure is presented.

Possibilities for cost containment in intensive care

An intensive care unit (ICU) is valuable but consumes a disproportionately high amount of health-care resources. Accordingly, cost containment has been deemed a mandatory task. A review of the literature from many countries was completed to determine the strategies for reducing the cost of care in the ICU. The results of this review show that cost reduction can be achieved by using a variety of the following strategies: (i) instituting a closed ICU, where all the patient care is directed by intensivists or full-time critical care trained physicians; (ii) the utilization of interdisciplinary approaches to the care of patients in the ICU; (iii) developing and implementing a program of television-guided remote intensivists; (iv) the use of an alerting and reminding system; and (v) increasing the number of intermediate care beds for patients who require only monitoring and intensive nursing. The conclusion reached is that many of these strategies provide evidence for hospital manager decisions regarding cost containment strategies for the delivery of health care in the ICU.

[The cost of sepsis]

In recent years great efforts in clinical sepsis research have led to a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology and new therapeutic approaches including drugs and supportive care. Despite this success, severe sepsis remains a serious health care problem. Each year approximately 75,000 patients in Germany and approximately 750,000 patients in the USA suffer from severe sepsis. The length of stay and the cost of laborious therapies lead to high intensive care unit (ICU) costs. Sepsis causes a significant national socioeconomic burden if indirect costs due to productivity loss are included and in Germany severe sepsis has been estimated to generate costs between 3.6 and 7.7 billion Euro annually. Thus, this complex and life-threatening disease has been identified as a high cost driver not only for the ICU, but also from the perspectives of hospitals and society. To improve the outcome of severe sepsis, innovative drugs and treatment strategies are urgently needed. Some drugs and strategies already offer promising results and will probably play a major role in the future. Even though their cost-effectiveness is likely, intensive care medicine has to carry a substantial economic burden. This article summarizes studies focusing on the evaluation of direct or indirect costs of sepsis and the cost-effectiveness of new therapies.

Impact of a neurointensivist on outcomes in patients with head trauma treated in a neurosciences intensive care unit

OBJECT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a newly appointed neurointensivist on outcomes in head-injured patients in the neurological/neurosurgical intensive care unit (NICU).

METHODS

The mortality rate, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition of all patients with head trauma who had been admitted to a 10-bed tertiary care university hospital NICU were compared between two 19-month periods, before and after the appointment of a neurointensivist. Data regarding these patients were collected using the hospital database and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC) database. Samples of medical records were reviewed for Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score documentation. The authors analyzed data pertaining to 328 patients before and 264 after the neurointensivist's appointment. The unadjusted mean in-hospital mortality rate increased 1.1% in the after period, but this increase was significantly lower compared with the UHC-based expected increase of 8.1% in the mortality rate during the same period (p < 0.0001). The unadjusted mean mortality rate in the NICU decreased from 13.4 to 12.9% (relative mortality rate reduction 4%) and the mean NICU LOS increased from 3.1 to 3.6 days (relative NICU LOS increase 16%), both nonsignificantly. A 51% reduction in the NICU-associated mortality rate (p = 0.01), a 12% shorter hospital LOS (p = 0.026), and 57% greater odds of being discharged to home or to rehabilitation (p = 0.009) were found in the after period in multivariate models after controlling for baseline differences between the two time periods. Better documentation of the GCS score by the NICU team was also found in the after period (from 60.4 to 82%, p = 0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

The institution of a neurointensivist-led team model had an independent, positive impact on patient outcomes, including a lower NICU-associated mortality rate and hospital LOS, improved disposition, and better chart documentation.

A nationwide survey of intensive care unit discharge practices

OBJECTIVE

To describe intensive care unit (ICU) discharge practices, examine factors associated with physicians' discharge decisions, and explore ICU and hospital characteristics and clinical determinants associated with the discharge process.

DESIGN

Survey in adult ICUs affiliated with the Swiss Society of Intensive Care Medicine.

INTERVENTIONS

Questionnaire inquiring about ICU structure and organization mailed to 73 medical directors. Level of monitoring, intravenous medications, and physiological variables were proposed as elements of discharge decision. Five clinical situations were presented with request to assign a discharge disposition.

MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS

Fifty-five ICUs participated, representing 75% of adult Swiss ICUs. Responsibility for patient management was assigned in 91% to the ICU team directing patient care. Only 22% of responding centers used written discharge guidelines. One-half of the respondents considered at least 10 of 15 proposed criteria to decide patient discharge. ICUs in central referral hospitals used fewer criteria than community and private hospitals. The availability of intermediate care units was significantly greater in university hospitals. The ICU director's level of experience was not associated with the number of criteria used. In the five clinical scenarios there was wide variation in discharge decision.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that there is marked heterogeneity in ICUs discharge practices, and that discharge decisions may be influenced by institutional factors. University teaching hospitals had more intermediate care facilities available. Written discharge guidelines were not widely used.

Critical Care Unit Organization and Patient Outcomes

The delivery of critical care medicine has seen many advances and changes over a relatively short period of time. This article explores some of the models of critical care delivery and the implications of these models on patient outcomes.

Critical care organization

The organizational structure of critical care services likely affects the quality of patient care, and ultimately, patient outcomes. Based on the available data, the ideal intensive care unit would be a closed-unit staffed by dedicated intensivists. Whether or not around-the-clock intensivist staffing is necessary, however, is debatable. Because financial realities preclude all units from being ideal, alternative strategies for organization must be explored.

The impact of a neurointensivist-led team on a semiclosed neurosciences intensive care unit*

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact of a newly appointed neurointensivist on neurosciences intensive care unit (NICU) patient outcomes and quality of care variables.

DESIGN

Observational cohort with historical controls.

SETTING

Ten-bed neurointensive care unit in tertiary university hospital.

PATIENTS

Mortality, length of stay (LOS), and discharge disposition of all patients admitted to the NICU were compared between two 19-month periods, before and after the appointment of a neurointensivist. Data regarding these patients were collected using the hospital database and the University Hospitals Consortium database. Individual patient medical records were reviewed for major complications and important prognostic variable documentation.

INTERVENTIONS

Appointment of a neurointensivist.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

We analyzed 1,087 patients before and 1,279 after the neurointensivist's appointment. The unadjusted in-hospital mortality decreased from 10.1% in the before to 9.1% in the after period (95% confidence interval, -1.3 to 3%, relative mortality reduction of 9.9%), but this decrease was significantly different than the expected increase of 1.4% in University Hospitals Consortium mortality during the same period (p = .048). The unadjusted mortality in the NICU decreased from 8% to 6.3% (95% confidence interval, -0.5 to 4, relative mortality reduction 21%) and mean NICU LOS from 3.5 to 2.9 days (95% confidence interval, 0.2 to 0.9, relative NICU LOS reduction 17%). A significant 42% reduction of the risk of death during the first 3 days of NICU admission (p = .003) and a 12% greater risk for NICU discharge (p = .02) were found in the after period in multivariate proportional hazard models. Discharge home increased from 51.7% in the before to 59.7% in the after period (95% confidence interval, 4 to 12, relative increase of 15%) and discharge to a nursing home decreased from 8.1% to 6.8% (95% confidence interval, -1 to 4, relative decrease of 16%). Although a higher total number of complications occurred in the after period, fewer of them occurred in the NICU (odds ratio, 0.2; 95% confidence interval, 0.08 to 0.54, p = .001); this may possibly be due to the better documentation by the NICU team in the after period.

CONCLUSIONS

The institution of a neurointensivist-led team model was associated with an independent positive impact on patient outcomes, including a lower intensive care unit mortality, LOS, and discharge to a skilled nursing facility and a higher discharge home.

Optimizing postoperative outcomes with efficient preoperative assessment and management

OBJECTIVE

To review the essential features of preoperative assessment, management, and planning, with special emphasis on high-risk patients who are likely to have manifestations related to their co-existing disease and disease treatment(s) in the postoperative setting.

DATA SOURCE

Review of recent studies and reviews as reprinted in Index Medicus.

CONCLUSIONS

The major shift in preoperative assessment and management from within the hospital to outside the hospital has prompted new efforts to coordinate preoperative care. Much of this can be accomplished with the introduction of a preadmission testing center. Under the direction of a physician (typically an anesthesiologist), the Pre-Admission Testing Center staff performs necessary assessments and coordinates necessary information about the presurgical patient. This assessment should include features essential to the general history and physical examination, as well as the specific issues related to anesthesia and surgery. The preoperative visit is also an opportunity to perform directed laboratory testing (as opposed to across the board batteries of tests) and to carefully plan out the continuance, discontinuance, or initiation of medications in the perioperative period. It also may be beneficial to stabilize disorders such as hypertension and, when indicated, initiate preoperative optimization of patients with advanced disease. The ultimate goal is to provide safe and "efficient" care, without exhausting highly valued intensive care resources.

Guidelines on critical care services and personnel: Recommendations based on a system of categorization of three levels of care

OBJECTIVES

To describe three levels of hospital-based critical care centers to optimally match services and personnel with community needs, and to recommend essential intensive care unit services and personnel for each critical care level.

PARTICIPANTS

A multidisciplinary writing panel of professionals with expertise in the clinical practice of critical care medicine working under the direction of the American College of Critical Care Medicine (ACCM).

DATA SOURCES AND SYNTHESIS

Relevant medical literature was accessed through a systematic Medline search and synthesized by the ACCM writing panel, a multidisciplinary group of critical care experts. Consensus for the final written document was reached through collaboration in meetings and through electronic communication modalities. Literature cited included previously written guidelines from the ACCM, published expert opinion and statements from official organizations, published review articles, and nonrandomized, historical cohort investigations. With this background, the ACCM writing panel described a three-tiered system of intensive care units determined by service-based criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

Guidelines for optimal intensive care unit services and personnel for hospitals with varying resources will facilitate both local and regional delivery of consistent and excellent care to critically ill patients.

Proactive error prevention in the intensive care unit

Care provided in the ICU accounts for nearly 30% of acute care hospital costs and, with the aging of Americans, there is an increased demand for critical care services [1]. Critical illness reduces an individual's physical resilience. Minute-to-minute care decisions and interventions mean life or death during this acute disease phase. Critically ill patients have limited ability to defend themselves from the consequences of health care error. This patient population has the least ability to communicate symptoms to health care providers. The risk of adverse events caused by medications or equipment malfunction is higher because patients in the ICU receive twice as many medications as patients in general care units [2] and often require mechanical support of normal body functions, such as breathing, eating, and eliminating body waste. Consequently, the patient in the ICU has a higher exposure to medical error than patients in other areas of the hospital.

A new conceptual framework for ICU performance appraisal and improvement

PURPOSE

This study examined the use of outcomes for the purposes of ICU evaluation and improvement. We reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of an outcomes-centered approach to intensive care unit (ICU) evaluation and present a more comprehensive conceptual framework for ICU evaluation and improvement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data was collected from 2 sources: (1) a structured review of the literature, with relevant articles identified using Medline, and (2) 85 semistructured interviews of health care professionals (eg, physicians) and health care administrators (eg, chief executive officer). The interviewees came from 4 institutions: a 900-bed East Coast teaching medical center, a 600-bed East Coast teaching medical center, a 590-bed East Coast teaching medical center, and a 435-bed West Coast private community hospital. A nonrandomized, purposeful sample was used.

RESULTS

A conceptual framework for ICU evaluation is presented that identifies and defines 3 different types of variables: performance (eg, appropriateness of care, effectiveness of care), outcome (eg, resource use, mortality), and process (eg, timeliness of treatment, work environment). The framework emphasizes performance variables and the relationships between performance, outcome, and process of care variables, as a logical focus for ICU evaluation and improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Performance variables offer distinct advantages over outcome variables for ICU evaluation. Their use, however, will require additional development of current evaluation tools and methods. They provide the ability to identify the value an ICU adds to patient care in a hospital or to an episode of illness, and to evaluate integrated systems for providing care.

Reorganizing the delivery of intensive care could improve efficiency and save lives

Critically ill patients are at high risk for death and permanent disability. Their care is also very expensive. The method of delivering critical care services to these patients can have an impact on their clinical and economic outcomes. Researchers face significant challenges when attempting to identify an association between an intensive care unit (ICU) organizational characteristic and patient outcomes. In this paper we review the challenges faced when evaluating the impact of ICU organizational characteristics on patient outcomes and highlight ICU characteristics that are consistently associated with improved patient outcomes. These characteristics include: (i) the presence of specialist physicians devoted to the ICU; (ii) increased nurse : patient ratios; (iii) decreased use of tests and evaluations that will not change clinical management; (iv) development and implementation of evidence-based protocols and guidelines; (v) use of computer-based alerting and reminding systems; and (vi) having a pharmacist participate in daily rounds in the ICU. When implementing these in ICUs, it is important to evaluate the impact of these characteristics on patient outcomes. We provide a format for such an evaluation. Given the growing evidence supporting the association between specific ICU characteristics and improved patient outcomes, we hope the future realizes broad implementation of these beneficial characteristics.

Twenty-four hour presence of physicians in the ICU

Intensive-care units (ICUs) must be utilised in the most efficient way. Greater input of intensivists leads to better outcomes and more efficient use of resources. 'Closed' ICUs operate as functional units with a competent on-site team and their own management under the supervision of a full-time intensivist directly responsible for the treatment. Twenty-four-hour coverage by on-site physicians is mandatory to maintain the service. At night, the on-site physicians need not necessarily be specialists as long as an experienced intensivist is on call. Because of the shortage of intensivists, such standards will be difficult to maintain everywhere, but they should, at least, be mandatory for larger hospitals serving as regional centres.

Emerging trends in ICU management and staffing

It is likely that greater on-site intensivist coverage in critical care units will be observed in the future. Regionalization of critical care services will make this a financial reality because this level of expertise cannot realistically be provided to all hospitals. Perhaps units above a certain size will warrant this level of coverage and smaller community hospitals will transfer patients in need of a very high level of service, which can be provided only by intensivists on site. Community hospitals may rely on specially trained nurse practitioners or physician assistants to provide more on-site coverage during off hours. As technology advances, telemedicine will play a greater role in providing intensivist coverage to ICUs during off hours or to community hospitals in remote areas. Advanced technology and reorganization of critical care services offer opportunities for creative and nontraditional ways to deliver improved care to patients.