Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring Experience
Background: Increasing intensivist shortages and demand, coupled with the escalating bed occupancy rate due to increased demand for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), have created enthusiasm for tele-critical care (TCC) in the form of teleconsultations. Consequently, this study aimed to describe...
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| Language: | English |
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Mary Ann Liebert
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Telemedicine Reports |
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| Online Access: | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2024.0088 |
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| author | Dalia M. Mominkhan Faisal Aldahmashi Ali H. Almudeer Abdulaziz S. Alhmod Muaddi F. Alharbi Lamya M. Alzubaidi Nada K. Alwehaibi Khalid N. Alobeiwi Manea M. Balharith Ahmed A. Alahmari Fahad A. Alamri Ghadah Alsaleh Yaser Almuzaini Mohammed K. Alabdulaali |
| author_facet | Dalia M. Mominkhan Faisal Aldahmashi Ali H. Almudeer Abdulaziz S. Alhmod Muaddi F. Alharbi Lamya M. Alzubaidi Nada K. Alwehaibi Khalid N. Alobeiwi Manea M. Balharith Ahmed A. Alahmari Fahad A. Alamri Ghadah Alsaleh Yaser Almuzaini Mohammed K. Alabdulaali |
| author_sort | Dalia M. Mominkhan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Increasing intensivist shortages and demand, coupled with the escalating bed occupancy rate due to increased demand for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), have created enthusiasm for tele-critical care (TCC) in the form of teleconsultations. Consequently, this study aimed to describe the role of TCC intervention in enhancing NICU capacity to manage discharge, bed occupancy, and neonatal mortality rates. Methods: This was an uncontrolled, retrospective, interventional descriptive study conducted over 22 months from January 2021 to October 2022 in a public hospital in Najran, Saudi Arabia. We employed the scheduled care model of TCC, in which an intensivist provides daily rounds, overnight calls, and critical care consultations upon request. Real-time outcomes, including mortality, discharge, and bed occupancy rates, were monitored in real-time by the National Healthcare Command Center. Results: Implementing the TCC program was associated with an overall reduction of 10.7% in the neonatal mortality rate from 10.3 to 9.2 deaths per 1000 live births. The discharge rate increased from 0% in the early months of the TCC application to 34.12% after 4 months of application despite the increased bed occupancy rate. The study revealed no statistically significant difference in mortality rates between the means of pre- and post-TCC (M = 9.74, SD = 4.32), (M = 10.28, SD = 7.99) respectively, p = 0.856 with a 95% confidence interval of −5.58 to 6.66. Conclusions: TCC in virtual scheduled consultations with a real-time dashboard was proven successful in controlling neonatal mortality and discharge rates. Further studies are required with extended follow-up periods and involving parameters such as the acceptance of physicians, long-term effects beyond the NICU, and the impact of TCC on logistics and resources. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8e2ac0a1554d43d58700e5340920fd6e |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2692-4366 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Mary Ann Liebert |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Telemedicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-8e2ac0a1554d43d58700e5340920fd6e2025-08-20T01:50:53ZengMary Ann LiebertTelemedicine Reports2692-43662025-01-0161505710.1089/tmr.2024.0088Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring ExperienceDalia M. Mominkhan0Faisal Aldahmashi1Ali H. Almudeer2Abdulaziz S. Alhmod3Muaddi F. Alharbi4Lamya M. Alzubaidi5Nada K. Alwehaibi6Khalid N. Alobeiwi7Manea M. Balharith8Ahmed A. Alahmari9Fahad A. Alamri10Ghadah Alsaleh11Yaser Almuzaini12Mohammed K. Alabdulaali13National Health Command Center, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Assistant Deputyship of Hospital Affairs, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Neonatology Department, King Fahd Central Hospital, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.SEHA Virtual Hospital, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.The Studies and Consulting Office at the Assistant Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.National Health Command Center, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.National Health Command Center, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Hospital Administration Department, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.National Health Command Center, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Global Centre for Mass Gatherings Medicine, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Assistant Minister of Health, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Background: Increasing intensivist shortages and demand, coupled with the escalating bed occupancy rate due to increased demand for neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), have created enthusiasm for tele-critical care (TCC) in the form of teleconsultations. Consequently, this study aimed to describe the role of TCC intervention in enhancing NICU capacity to manage discharge, bed occupancy, and neonatal mortality rates. Methods: This was an uncontrolled, retrospective, interventional descriptive study conducted over 22 months from January 2021 to October 2022 in a public hospital in Najran, Saudi Arabia. We employed the scheduled care model of TCC, in which an intensivist provides daily rounds, overnight calls, and critical care consultations upon request. Real-time outcomes, including mortality, discharge, and bed occupancy rates, were monitored in real-time by the National Healthcare Command Center. Results: Implementing the TCC program was associated with an overall reduction of 10.7% in the neonatal mortality rate from 10.3 to 9.2 deaths per 1000 live births. The discharge rate increased from 0% in the early months of the TCC application to 34.12% after 4 months of application despite the increased bed occupancy rate. The study revealed no statistically significant difference in mortality rates between the means of pre- and post-TCC (M = 9.74, SD = 4.32), (M = 10.28, SD = 7.99) respectively, p = 0.856 with a 95% confidence interval of −5.58 to 6.66. Conclusions: TCC in virtual scheduled consultations with a real-time dashboard was proven successful in controlling neonatal mortality and discharge rates. Further studies are required with extended follow-up periods and involving parameters such as the acceptance of physicians, long-term effects beyond the NICU, and the impact of TCC on logistics and resources.https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2024.0088bed occupancyintensive care unitmortality rateneonatesteleconsultationtelemedicine |
| spellingShingle | Dalia M. Mominkhan Faisal Aldahmashi Ali H. Almudeer Abdulaziz S. Alhmod Muaddi F. Alharbi Lamya M. Alzubaidi Nada K. Alwehaibi Khalid N. Alobeiwi Manea M. Balharith Ahmed A. Alahmari Fahad A. Alamri Ghadah Alsaleh Yaser Almuzaini Mohammed K. Alabdulaali Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring Experience Telemedicine Reports bed occupancy intensive care unit mortality rate neonates teleconsultation telemedicine |
| title | Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring Experience |
| title_full | Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring Experience |
| title_fullStr | Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring Experience |
| title_short | Implementing Telemedicine Intervention in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Augmented Teleconsultation and Real-Time Monitoring Experience |
| title_sort | implementing telemedicine intervention in neonatal intensive care units augmented teleconsultation and real time monitoring experience |
| topic | bed occupancy intensive care unit mortality rate neonates teleconsultation telemedicine |
| url | https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmr.2024.0088 |
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