Tele-ICU shows promise, if hospitals can handle the price

Telemedicine is just beginning to carve out a niche in intensive care. The evolution of tele-ICU programs is detailed in a report from the New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI), a health policy group that promotes the expansion of telemedicine. The report notes that, as of late 2012, there were 54 civilian and government tele-ICU monitoring centers in the U.S. While most were operated by academic medical centers, others were run by a mix of providers that included "regional hospitals, health plans, commercial firms, and the Veteran's Health Administration."

High startup costs associated with tele-ICU programs have presented a barrier to many rural hospitals that could benefit the most from such programs, the report suggests. But "most indicators suggest that use of tele-ICUs is on the threshold of major change" and increased competition among providers is likely to "push tele-ICU care toward a more scalable and potentially more widely available technology," the report says.

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Source: HealthLeaders Media