Improving critical care through telemedicine: a comprehensive analysis of a Tele-ICU project in northern and northeastern regions of Brazil

IntroductionThe Tele-Intensive Care Unit (Tele-ICU) project aimed to standardize and improve the quality of critical care services, particularly in regions where access to specialized care and resources remains limited. We herein provide a detailed overview of the implementation of the Tele-ICU project in Brazil's northern and northeastern regions, describing its multi-modal approach, which combined telemedicine implementation, educational initiatives, simulation-based training, protocol development, and structured data reporting to enhance critical care delivery.MethodsThe implementation of the Tele-ICU project, developed in a partnership between the Ministry of Health and Hospital S & iacute;rio-Liban & ecirc;s from June 2022 to December 2023, was supported by the Support Program for Institutional Development of the Unified Health System (PROADI-SUS). The intervention strategy included on-site implementation workshops, tele-rounds, and structured educational initiatives. A set of indicators was collected to monitor the implementation process. A mixed-methods approach was employed to analyze quantitative indicators and qualitative feedback from intensive care unit (ICU) teams.ResultsA total of 5,471 patients were treated across 15 ICUs through 3,971 tele-rounds. During these tele-rounds, 20,168 telehealth visits-bedside discussions focused on individual patients-were conducted, covering 74% of inpatients. Additionally, 30 educational activities were developed, involving 760 health professionals. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction throughout the project.ConclusionThis study demonstrated the feasibility of implementing telemedicine in critical care delivery within resource-limited settings. Our findings suggest that the Tele-ICU model can be a scalable solution for enhancing critical care in these environments.