New benchmarks may highlight opportunities for care improvement in the ICUs

New nationwide benchmarks representing current critical care practices for ICUs may highlight opportunities for care improvement.

Researchers from the University of Massachusetts, the University of Maryland, and Maine Medical Center analyzed data representing 243,553 adult admissions from 271 ICUs and 188 US nonfederal hospitals during 2008. Using electronic medical records, they found that more than half of these critically ill adults were less than 65 years old and returned to their homes after discharge. Admission to an ICU in 2008 involved active treatments, frequently involving life support and counseling for end-of-life issues. Most patients experienced favorable outcomes.

These study results, which are published online ahead of print in the journal Chest, serve as a long-missing benchmark, allowing clinicians and administrators to evaluate local practices and outcomes against other ICUs.