Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of Apulia
Recently, the growing complexity and criticality of patients hospitalized in internal medicine have highlighted the inadequacy of the traditional model based on the “average” standard of care provided to all patients. In this context, intermediate care units (IMCUs) integrated into internal medicin...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PAGEPress Publications
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Italian Journal of Medicine |
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| Online Access: | https://www.italjmed.org/ijm/article/view/1960 |
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| author | Francesco Ventrella Anna Belfiore Antonio Greco Franco Mastroianni Salvatore Lenti Domenico Ruggiero Michele Cannone Vincenzo Ostilio Palmieri Massimo Errico |
| author_facet | Francesco Ventrella Anna Belfiore Antonio Greco Franco Mastroianni Salvatore Lenti Domenico Ruggiero Michele Cannone Vincenzo Ostilio Palmieri Massimo Errico |
| author_sort | Francesco Ventrella |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Recently, the growing complexity and criticality of patients hospitalized in internal medicine have highlighted the inadequacy of the traditional model based on the “average” standard of care provided to all patients. In this context, intermediate care units (IMCUs) integrated into internal medicine departments have become essential for the management of patients who need a higher level of care than standard patients without requiring intensive care assistance. In Italy, the role of IMCUs in internal medicine was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when many internal medicine units were transformed into COVID areas at different levels of intensity of care. Patients with respiratory failure requiring non-invasive ventilation were managed at the IMCUs coordinated by internal medicine specialists. In Apulia, the debate on the reorganization of internal medicine began many years before the pandemic. In 2012, the regional section of FADOI (Federation of Associations of Hospital Doctors on Internal Medicine) and SIMI (Italian Society of Internal Medicine) had already developed and presented to the regional health department a project for the Apulian internal medicine network in terms of intensity of care. It was only after the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved several internal medicine departments in the region, that the health authorities accepted the proposal to reorganize internal medicine. The Regional Council Resolution No. 1710 of 11/29/2023, Apulia region, ruled in favor of the opening of the IMCUs in internal medicine. Several internal medicine units in the region have adopted this measure, responding to the needs of modern internal medicine.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0e0d8bf773bc4d62b8ca654614da5f86 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1877-9344 1877-9352 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | PAGEPress Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Italian Journal of Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-0e0d8bf773bc4d62b8ca654614da5f862025-08-20T03:08:21ZengPAGEPress PublicationsItalian Journal of Medicine1877-93441877-93522025-04-0110.4081/itjm.2025.1960Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of ApuliaFrancesco Ventrella0Anna Belfiore1Antonio Greco2Franco Mastroianni3Salvatore Lenti4Domenico Ruggiero5Michele Cannone6Vincenzo Ostilio Palmieri7Massimo Errico8Department of Internal Medicine, “G. Tatarella” Hospital, Cerignola (FG)Department of Preventive and Regenerative Medicine and Ionian Area, Medical Clinic “A. Murri”, University of BariDivision of Geriatric Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, IRCCS Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza, San Giovanni Rotondo (FG)Department of Geriatrics, F. Miulli General Hospital, Acquaviva delle Fonti (BA)Department of Internal Medicine and Long Hospital Stay, Lorenzo Bonomi Hospital, Andria-CanosaDivision of Internal Medicine, Sarcone Hospital, Terlizzi (BA)Internal Medicine, Andria-Canosa HospitalDivision of Internal Medicine, Polyclinic, BariArea Don Uva, Foggia Recently, the growing complexity and criticality of patients hospitalized in internal medicine have highlighted the inadequacy of the traditional model based on the “average” standard of care provided to all patients. In this context, intermediate care units (IMCUs) integrated into internal medicine departments have become essential for the management of patients who need a higher level of care than standard patients without requiring intensive care assistance. In Italy, the role of IMCUs in internal medicine was highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic when many internal medicine units were transformed into COVID areas at different levels of intensity of care. Patients with respiratory failure requiring non-invasive ventilation were managed at the IMCUs coordinated by internal medicine specialists. In Apulia, the debate on the reorganization of internal medicine began many years before the pandemic. In 2012, the regional section of FADOI (Federation of Associations of Hospital Doctors on Internal Medicine) and SIMI (Italian Society of Internal Medicine) had already developed and presented to the regional health department a project for the Apulian internal medicine network in terms of intensity of care. It was only after the COVID-19 pandemic, which involved several internal medicine departments in the region, that the health authorities accepted the proposal to reorganize internal medicine. The Regional Council Resolution No. 1710 of 11/29/2023, Apulia region, ruled in favor of the opening of the IMCUs in internal medicine. Several internal medicine units in the region have adopted this measure, responding to the needs of modern internal medicine. https://www.italjmed.org/ijm/article/view/1960Internal medicineintermediate care unitscomplexity of carecouncil resolution |
| spellingShingle | Francesco Ventrella Anna Belfiore Antonio Greco Franco Mastroianni Salvatore Lenti Domenico Ruggiero Michele Cannone Vincenzo Ostilio Palmieri Massimo Errico Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of Apulia Italian Journal of Medicine Internal medicine intermediate care units complexity of care council resolution |
| title | Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of Apulia |
| title_full | Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of Apulia |
| title_fullStr | Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of Apulia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of Apulia |
| title_short | Intermediate care units in internal medicine: the case of Apulia |
| title_sort | intermediate care units in internal medicine the case of apulia |
| topic | Internal medicine intermediate care units complexity of care council resolution |
| url | https://www.italjmed.org/ijm/article/view/1960 |
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