Offshore Outsourcing: Is Your Critical Care Next?
Technology never ceases to amaze me. And how fast new and innovative ideas seem to flourish is astounding. Case in point: patients at three Swedish Medical Center hospitals in Seattle are now sleeping a bit more soundly as their physicians watch over them from afar. Using telemedicine technology and Webcams, off-site physicians monitor the well-being of critically ill patients in the facilities' intensive care units (ICUs).
The Sept. 17, 2007, issue of Newsweek ran a story titled "Care From Afar," which details how Swedish Medical is one of a growing number of hospitals looking to benefit from this new service. Developed by Visicu, these eICUs have been established in 40 hospital systems across the country, monitoring about 4,800 beds.
According to the company, an eICU center is staffed with an intensivist-led care team that can monitor and care for hundreds of patients at the same time. Likened to an air traffic controller, the monitoring physicians use software alerts to track patient vital trends and intervene earlier-before complications occur. The care team has audio, visual and data connections to the patients and their rooms. If they see a problem developing, they can speak directly with the patient's hands-on caregiver.
According to Swedish Medical President Rodney Hochman, patients are resting easier without the predawn interruptions and they are getting better medical care. The off-site intensivist has access to each patient's medical record and is able to monitor trends in physiologic data, looking at real-time vital signs and making corrections in each care plan to prevent emergencies.
So, is this the newest trend in outsourcing? Forget medical transcription or coding, now your actual medical care could be outsourced overseas where doctors are compensated much less than U.S. physicians.
What do you think? Is this new technology for you? Would getting a few extra winks outweigh the possibility of your caregiver being located in Bangalore? Could this be the answer to getting more care to those living in rural areas? What are the implications for use in the military? Lots to think about. Tell me your opinion.