| Staffing in ICUs: Physicians and Alternative Staffing Models. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 23276844 Owner: NLM Status: In-Data-Review |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
The evidence regarding physician staffing of ICUs does not yet provide a consistent view of the best model to use. Most studies have significant limitations, and this subject is complicated by the fact that optimal ICU staffing may depend on ICU characteristics. The topic with the most data regarding patient outcomes is the intensity of intensivist involvement in care, particularly the value of closed- vs open-model ICUs; however, the evidence is inconsistent here as well. Even if closed-model ICUs produce better outcomes, we do not know which specific elements of that multifaceted organizational paradigm are responsible for improvement. Also, studies of around-the-clock intensivist presence have not consistently shown that it is associated with superior outcomes. Increasingly, nonphysician providers are playing innovative roles in the ICU, and care provided by teams including nurse practitioners or physician assistants appears to be safe and comparable to that provided by other staffing models. Although we do not know the best way to staff ICUs, the conditions of ICU physician coverage will continue to change under the stresses of shortages of intensivists and increasing duty hour limitations for trainees. Nonphysician providers, innovative physician staffing models, telemedicine, and other technologies will be increasingly used to cope with these realities. This evolution makes it more important than ever to study how staffing affects outcomes. Only quantitative evaluation can tell us whether one staffing model is better than another. Accordingly, we need more research from multiple sites to develop a consistent and integrated understanding of this complex topic. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Allan Garland; Hayley B Gershengorn |
Related Documents
:
|
23680054 - Strategies for obtaining unpublished drug trial data: a qualitative interview study. 8269294 - Complexities of junctional tachycardias. 22033884 - Evidence for a general adhd factor from a longitudinal general school population study. 23089704 - Effects of sample transportation on commonly requested laboratory tests. 12432584 - Unveiling steady-state multiplicity in hybridoma cultures: the cybernetic approach. 12724554 - Investigating and analysing workplace clusters of diseases: a health & safety executive... |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Chest Volume: 143 ISSN: 1931-3543 ISO Abbreviation: Chest Publication Date: 2013 Jan |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2013-01-01 Completed Date: - Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 0231335 Medline TA: Chest Country: United States |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 214-21 Citation Subset: AIM; IM |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
|
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Cystic fibrosis therapeutics: the road ahead.
Next Document: Five myths of medical malpractice.