A Comment linked to the Series says that in the USA, attempts to meet the increasing challenges of intensive care medicine are based on the creation of a new class of physician extenders, nursing practitioners, and telemedicine. But most European countries have taken a different stance by aiming to increase the number of new specialists capable of delivering this care. The Comment is by Dr Rui Paulo Moreno, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal, and Dr Andrew Rhodes, St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, General Intensive Care, London, UK. Dr Moreno is the president of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM), while Dr Rhodes is its president-elect.
The authors say: "For this reason, the European Board of Intensive Care Medicine believes that we need to increase the recognition of intensive care medicine within European legislation. Intensive care medicine is not yet described as a specialty, which has obvious implications for its profile, ability to attract trainees, and the overall quality of care."
They announce that ESICM is launching its Linking Intensive Care to Family Experience (LIFE) campaign during the ESICM annual congress in Barcelona (Oct 10-13). This campaign is an attempt to continue to improve quality, but by including the views of the patients and their partners. The authors say: "Only with this domain can we be sure that what we believe is quality is what will really make the difference. As Henry Ford described, 'quality is doing it right when no one is looking'."
Dr Rui Paulo Moreno, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Central, Lisbon, Portugal. T) +351 21 3153784 E) r.moreno@mail.telepac.pt
For full Comment see: http://press.thelancet.com/cccom.pdf
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Journal
The Lancet