Intensive care unit of the future—insights in the Intensive care unit at the Samsung Medical Center in Seoul

Abstract

Integration of live-acquired data and processing through personalized precision medicine is increasingly employed in clinical practice. The Samsung Medical Center in Seoul shows it is not only feasible but also a relevant tool for delivering fast and targeted medical attention to critically ill patients. For every patient admitted to the general ward, a modified early warning score (MEWS) is calculated. MEWS is widely used in other rapid response systems and is calculated using systolic blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and mental status. The value is displayed as a traffic light in the electronic medical record system. A score of 0–2 is displayed as green, 3–4 as yellow, 5–6 as orange, and a score of more than 7 as red. For patients with an orange or red light, the Samsung Medical Alarm Response Team (SMART) consisting of both physicians and nurses is activated. For patients with an orange light, nurses with long-term ICU experience perform a real-time screening. For patients with a red light, a text message alarm is sent to the entire SMART team. If an abnormal single medical alarm is observed (such as low blood pressure or extreme tachycardia), anybody can immediately call the SMART team for help. Whenever contacted by text message or phone, a member of the SMART team will visit the patient face-to-face within 10 min.