Telemedicine in Intensive Care Unit: Current Practice and Future Prospect

Abstract

Telemedicine in the intensive care unit (tele-ICU) is an increasingly significant field that leverages advanced technology to provide remote critical care services for patients in the ICU. The primary goal of tele-ICU is to enhance access to expert intensive care specialists, improve clinical outcomes, and optimize the management of critical care capacity and resources. Numerous studies have demonstrated that telemedicine can improve the efficiency of resource utilization, foster adherence to clinical best practices, and directly enhance both the quality of care and patient outcomes in the ICU setting. Moreover, telemedicine facilitates greater access to critical care knowledge, strengthens collaboration between healthcare providers across different institutions, and supports the development of specialized training programs for critical care professionals. Currently, the most widely adopted tele-ICU model is the centralized hub-and-spoke model, where a central monitoring station oversees multiple ICUs at geographically distant locations. While this model has proven effective in many contexts, there remains significant potential for further advancements in tele-ICU practices. In this article, we propose two novel theoretical models of tele-ICU that aim to address current limitations, improve quality of care, optimize personnel deployment, and maximize resource utilization. These proposed models are intended to offer a more flexible, scalable, and efficient approach to delivering critical care in diverse healthcare settings, ultimately contributing to better patient outcomes and more sustainable healthcare practices.

Keywords: intensive care unit (ICU); tele-ICU; telemedicine; teleservices.