TELE-ICU
UAB eMedicine 2020 Report
UAB eMedicine implemented a full tele-ICU service internally for UAB . In this telehealth model , each room is wired with videoconferencing equipment and monitored by critical care nursing staff and ICU attendings . Benefits include shorter length of stay , decreased nursing turnover , and improved clinical outcomes . Thank you to Steve Stigler , MD ; James Johnson , MD ; Terri Scarborough ; Paul Malito ; and HSIS . The go-live date was November 17 , 2020 , and thus far , the tele-ICU service encompasses 46 beds .
CONNECTING PATIENTS WITH FAMILIES / PRESERVING PPE
UAB eMedicine facilitated numerous indirect patient care activities . These included teleorchestra and patient / family visitation during COVID-19 for patients who did not have the means to conduct a videoconference themselves . This helped increase patient satisfaction while cutting down on PPE usage .
HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE :
• 1,231 calls to devices in our neonatal nurseries to connect families with their newborns
• 19,327 calls to devices in other areas of the hospital , connecting families with loved ones and facilitating rounding and consultations
PROJECT ECHO
UAB launched a Substance Use Disorder Project ECHO ( Extension for Community Healthcare Out-comes ), thanks to an Appalachian Regional Commission Grant . This continues to expand and has received state recognition . Thank you to Davis Bradford , MD ; Ellen Eaton , MD ; Li Li , MD , PhD ; Leah Leisch , MD ; and Mark Bailey , DO , PhD .
Furthermore , UAB will participate in an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-sponsored “ COVID-19 in Nursing Homes ” ECHO project to facilitate COVID-19-related communication and edu-cation between UAB and nursing homes .
You can learn about these programs at : uabmedicine . org / web / medicalprofessionals / project-echo .
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