ABSTRACT
Although a consensus has emerged over the value of intensive care units (ICUs) in
improving both the outcome and efficiency of critical care, the optimal staffing configuration
of physicians who provide this care remains controversial. The value of open ICUs,
where many clinicians can admit and care for patients, versus closed ICUs, where an
on-site intensivist or housestaff team (or both) provides primary care of the critically
ill patient is one aspect of this controversy. The roles of the intensivist, the ICU
housestaff team, and the ICU director have also been debated. This article reviews
the available literature on physician staffing in critical care units and its relationship
to outcome and cost-effectiveness of care.
KEYWORD
Intensive care unit - critical care - intensivist - outcome - cost-effectiveness
