Quality Improvement and Telemedicine Intensive Care Unit: A Perfect Match

Abstract

The health care delivery system is complex. New technologies offer new treatment options. The process of quality improvement includes system re-engineering. Telemedicine intensive care is an evolving area of delivery. Its core characteristic is the need for a merger of human and machine activity. Optimal use of quality improvement tools can lead to improved patient-centered outcomes. This article outlines how quality improvement tools can be used to facilitate the patient-centered collaboration with a focus on defining evidence-practice gaps, developing actionable metrics, analyzing the impact of proposed interventions, quantifying resources, prioritizing improvement plans, evaluating results, and diffusing best practices.

Keywords: Communication; Critical care; Quality improvement; Tele-ICU.