ICU Physician Staffing

Abstract

More than four million patients are admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) each year in the US. An ICU is a consolidated area of a hospital where patients with acutely life-threatening illnesses or injuries receive around the clock specialized medical and nursing care, such as mechanical ventilation and invasive cardiac monitoring, Mortality rates in patients admitted to the ICU average 10-20% in most hospitals.2 Overall, approximately 500,000 patients die in U.S. ICUs each year. Given the high stakes involved, quality of care in ICUs is particularly important. Unfortunately, evidence suggests that quality varies widely across hospitals.