title: [Concept for a department of intensive care].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Demographic change and increasing complexity are among the reasons for high-tech critical care playing a major and increasing role in today's hospitals. At the same time, intensive care is one of the most cost-intensive departments in the hospital.
  To guarantee high-quality care, close cooperation of specialised intensive care staff with specialists of all other medical areas is essential. A network of the intensive care units within the hospital may lead to synergistic effects concerning quality of care, simultaneously optimizing the use of human and technical resources.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Notwithstanding any organisational concepts, development and maintenance of the highest possible quality of care should be of overriding importance.
authors.affiliation: Klinik für Intensivmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Deutschland, nierhaus@uke.de.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nierhaus
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Heer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kluge
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003363:Cost Control / Q000191:economics; D005858:Germany; D015276:Health Care Rationing / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006755:Hospital Shared Services / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000191:economics; D011157:Population Dynamics; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*