The future is now: implementation of a tele-intensivist program.

Based on overwhelming scientific evidence, The Leapfrog Group focused on 3 practices that have tremendous potential to save lives by reducing preventable mistakes in hospitals. The authors describe these practices and how they served as a driving force to create a "virtual ICU" within a Magnet hospital network. The effort combined services of a board-certified intensivist and technological advancements in telemedicine to ensure the delivery of high-quality care to all critically ill patients throughout the network. A computerized physician-order entry system, an electronic medication administration record, an electronic documentation system, and a remote ICU were the 4 programmatic phases necessary to realize the concept. The purpose of this article is to describe the process of planning and implementing the tele-intensivist program.