• Benjamin K Scott, Jaspal Singh, Marilyn Hravnak, Sonia S Everhart, Donna Lee Armaignac, Theresa M Davis, Matthew R Goede, Sai Praveen Haranath, Christina M Kordik, Krzysztof Laudanski, Peter A Pappas, Subhash Patel, Teresa A Rincon, Elizabeth A Scruth, Sanjay Subramanian, Israel Villanueva, Lisa-Mae Williams, Rodney Wilson, and Jeremy C Pamplin.
• University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO.
• Crit. Care Med. 2024 Nov 1; 52 (11): 175017671750-1767.

ObjectivesTelecritical care (TCC) refers to the delivery of critical care using telehealth technologies. Despite increasing utilization, significant practice variation exists and literature regarding efficacy remains sparse. The Telecritical Care Collaborative Network sought to provide expert, consensus-based best practice recommendations for the design and delivery of TCC.DesignWe used a modified Delphi methodology. Following literature review, an oversight panel identified core domains and developed declarative statements for review by an expert voting panel. During three voting rounds, voters agreed or disagreed with statements and provided open-ended feedback, which the oversight panel used to revise statements. Statements met criteria for consensus when accepted by greater than or equal to 85% of voters.Setting/SubjectsThe oversight panel included 18 multidisciplinary members of the TCC Collaborative Network, and the voting panel included 32 invited experts in TCC, emphasizing diversity of discipline, care delivery models, and geography.InterventionsNone.Measurements And Main ResultsWe identified ten core domains: definitions/terminology; care delivery models; staffing and coverage models; technological considerations; ergonomics and workplace safety; licensing, credentialing, and certification; trust and relationship building; quality, safety, and efficiency, research agenda; and advocacy, leading to 79 practice statements. Of 79 original statements, 67 were accepted in round 1. After revision, nine were accepted in round 2 and two in round 3 (two statements were merged). In total, 78 practice statements achieved expert consensus.ConclusionsThese expert consensus recommendations cover a broad range of topics relevant to delivery of TCC. Experts agreed that TCC is most effective when delivered by care teams with specific expertise and by programs with explicit protocols focusing on effective communication, technical reliability, and real-time availability. Interventions should be tailored to local conditions. Although further research is needed to guide future best practice statements, these results provide valuable and actionable recommendations for the delivery of high-quality TCC.Copyright © 2024 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

15 keywords...

hide…