Design: Develop an alternative workflow to address issues such as patient safety, delivery of evidenced based care and the declining numbers of healthcare providers. This designs needs to supplement the bedside clinician not replace it.
Concept: Teaming experts in critical care with the latest in technology allows for the development of a hub of critical care expertise that can deliver resources to an unlimited number and locations of critical ill patients. These experts will be provided with a complete “real-time” and historical patient record and web-based resources to deliver care. Early detection and best practice intervention are needed to improve patient care.
Methods: Workstations created that electronically houses the all-critical care patient's entire record. Interfaces were developed that matches data to patient that includes CPOE orders and medication lists. Audio and video technology allows for two-way communication from any bedside in our network. Events were designed to trigger every minute to search all patients' charts to identify patients that meet criteria detecting potential problems. Evidence-based decision support systems guide interventions
Results. To date we are monitoring over 50 patients and will monitor all 100 beds by conference time. The team has averaged 100 calls to the bedside a month and has received an average of 50 calls a month. Patient and staff satisfaction, time to treatment, effects on documentation time and patients outcomes evaluation were completed.
Conclusion/Implications: Barriers to implementation of this program includes cost and personnel. However, with a no boundaries framework it is possible to offer these services outside networks and support our healthcare community.