Heterogeneity of Intermediate Care Organization Within a Single Healthcare System
Intermediate care (IC) is prevalent nationwide, but little is known about how to best organize this level of care. Using a 99-item cross-sectional survey assessing four domains (hospital and physical IC features, provider and nurse staffing, monitoring, and interventions/services), we describe the o...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Critical Care Explorations |
| Online Access: | http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001201 |
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| Summary: | Intermediate care (IC) is prevalent nationwide, but little is known about how to best organize this level of care. Using a 99-item cross-sectional survey assessing four domains (hospital and physical IC features, provider and nurse staffing, monitoring, and interventions/services), we describe the organizational heterogeneity of IC within a five-hospital healthcare system. Surveys were completed by nurse managers from 12 (86%) of 14 IC settings. Six IC settings (50%) were embedded within acute care wards, four (33%) were stand-alone units, and two (17%) were embedded within an ICU. All had a nurse-to-patient ratio of 1:3, provided continuous cardiac telemetry, continuous pulse oximetry, high-flow nasal oxygen, and bedside intermittent hemodialysis. Most (> 50%) permitted arterial lines, frequent nursing assessments (every 2 hr), and noninvasive ventilation or mechanical ventilation via a tracheostomy. Vasopressors were less often permitted (< 25% of settings). Models of IC vary greatly within a single healthcare system. |
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| ISSN: | 2639-8028 |