To augment patient safety and quality of care in the intensive care unit (ICU), Newport Hospital has partnered with Hicuity Health to provide 24/7 virtual intensivist support for ICU patients, or tele-ICU care.
Newport is the only Brown University Health hospital, and the first in the state of Rhode Island, to partner with Hicuity for their Caregility Cloud telehealth platform. A key benefit of the partnership is knowing that patients are being vigilantly monitored at all times by experienced critical care nurses and intensivists at Hicuity, in addition to their bedside team.
Hicuity Health is the nation’s largest provider of tele-ICU services. Its intensivist-led team provides around-the-clock care to critically ill patients, operating from centralized operation centers that are electronically connected to receive feeds of real-time patient data. Connected by audio/video in each patient room, they work in collaboration with the ICU bedside team and in partnership with the hospital physicians.
No. There is no additional cost for the tele-ICU service.
No. A key benefit of Newport Hospital’s partnership with Hicuity Health is knowing that patients are being vigilantly monitored simultaneously by experienced providers from Hicuity as well as Newport’s in-person bedside team. This partnership provides added intensive care support and expertise.
The tele-ICU providers and nurses will monitor the patient’s vital signs, lab results and test results, and visually check in on them (through the camera) to support their bedside team. Patients will be alerted with a bell sound before the camera turns on.
The Hicuity Health team provides around-the-clock care to critically ill patients, operating from centralized operation centers that are electronically connected to receive feeds of real-time patient data. Connected by audio/video in each ICU patient room, the Hicuity team works in collaboration with the Newport Hospital bedside team.
The Hicuity Health team works to accomplish four goals:
No. Use of a privacy indicator is always available. The bedside nurse can contact Hicuity to activate the privacy indicator. Video sessions are never recorded.
Between the hours of 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. a doorbell will ring when the camera is activated. Camera assessments occur throughout the day and night, but there will be no sound between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. When the tele-ICU camera is off, it is facing away from the patient and pointing toward the wall. The camera does not turn on without a bedside nurse present.
Because of zoom capability, the Hicuity Health providers may not see a person upon entering the room. However, visitors are encouraged to say hello. The camera is facing away when not performing a video assessment.
The Newport Hospital care team maintains primary responsibility for the patient’s care, including an in-person physician who remains the attending physician of record.
It is clear from the medical literature that 24/7 monitoring of patients by providers in the ICU results in better patient care and reduces complications. To support the current staff at Newport Hospital, we have partnered with Hicuity Health to provide an added layer of qualified healthcare monitoring.
“Having intensivists managing patients in the ICU reduces complications and improves patient outcomes. Partnering with Hicuity Health is yet another example of how we will continue to deliver the highest possible level of patient care and safety.”
- Jeffrey Gaines, MD, MHCM, FACEP, Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Medical Affairs, Newport Hospital
