“A biomedical technology consortium that works with the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command aims to rapidly produce virtual critical care hospital wards to help relieve intensive care units and health systems confronting intensified demands during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“In a request for project proposals released Friday, the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium called for tech-driven partners to support the speedy development and deployment of the National Emergency Telecritical Care Network, or NETCCN—’a cloud-based, low-resource, stand-alone health information management system for the creation and coordination of flexible and extendable ‘virtual critical care wards.’’”
“According to the solicitation, this particular program is ‘specifically focused on preparation for COVID-19 related critical care capability shortages.’ Even while the U.S. has more ICU beds per capita than many developed nations, officials note that the pandemic will likely amplify the need for more support and capabilities to serve patients in dire need. In that light, tele-critical care—or the delivery of critical care services from a distance using communications technologies—can be a ‘powerful force-multiplier in the extension of limited critical care resources,’ officials explained.”
“’The vision for this program is to extend local tele-critical care capability sets to a broader, flexible network—first locally, then step-wise regionally and nationally—that can be leveraged wherever there is need,’ officials wrote…” Read the full article here.
Source: Medical Consortium Aims to Create Network of Virtual Critical Care Wards – By Brandi Vincent, April 17, 2020. Nextgov.
