Ever since their development, intensive care units (ICU) have treated countless patients for severe and life-threatening illnesses and injuries, including acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), trauma, sepsis, and multiple organ failure.
These conditions require round-the-clock and close monitoring, with specialized equipment and well-trained medical professionals on hand. This is to ensure that the body still functions as normally as possible.
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However, there are plenty of hospitals that are understaffed but filled with patients. Even with the unprecedented rapid growth of the nursing workforce due to baby-boomer nurses deferring retirement, Bloomberg notes that the demand for nurses still outpaces the increase in number of nurses. The primary reasons are expanded healthcare coverage, and population growth and aging.
To address this, more electronic ICUs (eICU) are being developed. This is a form of telemedicine that employs progressive technology, allowing nurses and physicians to remotely monitor ICU patients, assist in ICU management, and intervene early in patient care – either from within the building itself or a different location.
eICU utilizes two-way cameras, microphones, smart alarms, high-speed data connection, and other monitoring tools.
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The facility has been instrumental in the significant reduction of mortality rate, length of stay, and medical care costs.
As of 2016, more than 50 health systems and 500 hospitals in the US have installed an eICU facility. That number is seen to increase in the near future as installation is seen to be less costly and as Internet services in rural areas improve.
Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon has a career in medicine spanning more than 15 years. Her specializations are pulmonology, internal medicine, sleep medicine, and critical care. Learn more about these medical fields by subscribing to this blog.
Dr. Lisa Marie Cannon 
