Hospital factors that influence ICU admission decision-making: a qualitative study of eight hospitals.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

Some hospitals in the United States (US) use intensive care 20 times more than others. Since intensive care is lifesaving for some but potentially harmful for others, there is a need to understand factors that influence how intensive care unit (ICU) admission decisions are made.

Methods

A qualitative analysis of eight US hospitals was conducted with semi-structured, one-on-one interviews supplemented by site visits and clinical observations.

Results

A total of 87 participants (24 nurses, 52 physicians, and 11 other staff) were interviewed, and 40 h were spent observing ICU operations across the eight hospitals. Four hospital-level factors were identified that influenced ICU admission decision-making. First, availability of intermediate care led to reallocation

SUBMITTER: Valley TS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10035493 | biostudies-literature | 2023 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature