Under the direction of Drs. Mohamed Saad, Rodrigo Cavallazzi and Juan Guardiola of the UofL pulmonary division, the new initiative was launched March 30 in the Medical Intensive Care Units of University of Louisville Hospital, Jewish Hospital and the Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Developed by critical care experts at the University of Louisville, the initiative is aimed at improving outcomes while at decreasing costs in the critical care setting.
With the implementation of MICU Care, protocols defining the management of critical care disorders ranging from pneumonia and sepsis to pulmonary embolism, gastrointestinal bleeding and acute lung injury will be used by critical care specialists at the three hospitals.
Standardization is essential in critical care medicine, said Dr. Jesse Roman, chairman of the UofL Department of Medicine and chief of the pulmonary division. It ensures that patients are treated based on best practices, promotes health equality, improves outcomes and decreases costs.
The primary objectives of MICU Care include:
- Implementing clinical protocols for the management of multiple critical illnesses, thereby standardizing Medical ICU care throughout a hospital network.
- Developing a monitoring strategy that ensures that the protocols are used, while being updated as soon as new data are available to ensure that protocols are consistent with evidence-based practices and national standards.
- Improving medical education for fellows, residents and students as trainees will be exposed to patients cared for in the same manner in Medical ICUs throughout the system.
- Engaging in clinical translational research in Medical ICUs designed to identify best practices that lead to improved outcomes (e.g., decreased length of stay and less complications) while decreasing costs.
MICU Care represents the foundation for standardized education, and the infrastructure for future multi-hospital clinical trials which is needed for advancing discovery, Roman said. I am proud of this team of faculty and fellows who have worked to improve the quality of care we deliver in medical intensive care units.
For more information regarding the MICU Care initiative, please contact Drs. Saad, Cavallazzi and Guardiola at 502-852-5841, or Dr. Roman at 502-852-5241.
