title: [Telemedicine in Dutch intensive care].
abstract: Telemedicine is a way to provide care over a distance. In teleconsultations the intensivist gives advice to his or her colleagues in a remote centre. In tele-intensive care (tele-IC) the intensivist makes medical decisions for the remote patients and is fully responsible for the treatment of the intensive care patients in a remote centre. In the USA, 11% of ICU patients are currently being treated by tele-intensivists. Telemedicine has the potential of increasing the continuity of care and of providing expertise to patients in small ICUs where and when needed. In a pilot setting, the OLVG hospital has implemented a tele-ICU for the 3-bed ICU in the MC Zuiderzee hospital. The tele-ICU was set up on 3 December 2010. Although the tele-ICU performed sufficiently, several aspects, such as cost analysis, need clarification before the system can be widely implemented in the Netherlands.
authors.affiliation: Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis, afd. Intensive Care, Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Peter H J
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: van der Voort
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Obster
authors.forename: Rob J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Bosman
mesh_terms: D003266:Continuity of Patient Care; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration