Telemedicine in the intensive care unit.

It is estimated if each hospital implemented intensivist physician staffing, approximately 55,000 lives and $4.3 billion dollars could be saved in the United States. However, there is a limited supply of new critical care specialists as teaching hospitals have decreased the size of critical care programs for financial reasons. Tele-ICU can be used to provide coverage in facilities that cannot support a full-time specialist in critical care medicine and as an adjunct to facilities without 24-hour intensivist coverage. This article discusses the benefits and challenges of tele-ICU and its implications for nursing practice.