Thumbs-Up For TeleICUs

July 7, 2016 by InTouch Health

The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) is an influential organization with just under half a million members. Its teleICU nursing practice guidelines provide a very thorough blueprint for how health systems can join the ranks of the 45 teleICUs currently connecting more than 200 hospitals.

In the American Journal of Critical Care, the AACN recently published the results of a survey that affirmed the teleICU’s effectiveness to date. Here are some of the highlights from that study:

• Nearly 80 percent of the nurses who took part in the survey indicated that teleICU systems improve patient care
• About 75 percent of respondents felt that teleICU technology improves their job performance
• 63 percent found that the teleICU enables faster work performance
• 66 percent saw improvement in clinical collaboration
• Nearly 50 percent of the respondents felt that telehealth allows more time for patient care

Survey respondents felt that telehealth’s three top benefits were the ability to monitor vital signs, provide medical management and improve patient safety.

The study also revealed some obstacles to teleICU adoption, including the lingering belief among some clinicians that telehealth interferes with care. The overall findings were quite positive – and reflect the prevailing views of America’s largest specialty nursing association.

It’s estimated that up to 1,000 nurses work in American teleICUs, and an additional 16,000 nurses interface with them every day. It’s clearly a nursing career path that has just begun to blossom.