title: Intensive care units in the triage mode. An organizational perspective.
abstract: Decisions to admit and discharge patients to and from the intensive care unit (ICU) when resources are scarce should be made according to the triage principle--that is, resources should be allocated based on the patient's ability to benefit from critical care. The ICU organizational structure and the constraints on decision-making processes are discussed in this article along with strategies for improvement in both areas.
authors.affiliation: Graduate Management Institute, Union College, Schenectady, NY.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Strosberg
mesh_terms: D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016134:Organizational Policy; D010343:Patient Admission; D010351:Patient Discharge; D014218:Triage; D014481:United States