Does a full-time, 24-hour intensivist improve care and efficiency?
This article reviews the hypothesis that staffing with full-time intensive care physicians leads to improvements in the management of ICUs and in the outcome for ICU patients. Variations in the professional organization of critical care units in the United States are discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of open, closed, and transitional (comanagement) ICU organizational structures are presented.
Carlson
R W
RW
Department of Internal Medicine, Maricopa Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA.
Weiland
D E
DE
Srivathsan
K
K
D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D017722:Hospital Charges; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008511:Medicine; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010561:Personnel Staffing and Scheduling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013038:Specialization; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States