Observational studyBMJ open2019
The intermediate care unit as a cost-reducing critical care facility in tertiary referral hospitals: a single-centre observational study.
Observational study in BMJ open, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
12 citing papers in PubMed.
- Extended recovery room as a strategy to reduce inappropriate ICU admissions: an Italian hospital experience.Journal of anesthesia, analgesia and critical care · 2026Article
- Trends, Predictors, and Outcomes of Monitored Acute Care Unit Admissions in Older Adults: 10-Year Retrospective Analysis.Interactive journal of medical research · 2026Article
- Intermediate care units: an effective alternative to reduce intensive care unit admissions-a prospective cohort study.Internal and emergency medicine · 2025Observational
- Intermediate Care Units in Europe and Italy: A Review of Structure, Outcomes, and Policy Implications for Internal Medicine.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Review
- Predictive Scoring Methods for Postoperative Level of Care Needs in the Geriatric Hip Fracture Patient Population.Geriatric orthopaedic surgery & rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Utility of Intermediate Care Units: A Systematic Review Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Interventions to promote cost-effectiveness in adult intensive care units: consensus statement and considerations for best practice from a multidisciplinary and multinational eDelphi study.Critical care (London, England) · 2023Article
- Article
- Where internal medical patients receive intensive interventions: results from a tertiary-care hospital in Israel.Israel journal of health policy research · 2023Observational
- Goldilocks, the Three Bears and Intensive Care Unit Utilization: Delivering Enough Intensive Care But Not Too Much. A Narrative Review.Pulmonary therapy · 2020Review
- Persistent Inflammation, Immunosuppression and Catabolism Syndrome (PICS) after Polytrauma: A Rare Syndrome with Major Consequences.Journal of clinical medicine · 2020Article
- One Intensive Care Unit, Undifferentiated Beds: Are Intermediate Units Still Necessary?Journal of emergencies, trauma, and shockArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesTo determine whether and to what extent the surgical intermediate care unit (IMCU) reduces healthcare costs.
designRetrospective cohort study.
settingThe mixed-surgical IMCU of a tertiary academic referral hospital.
participantsAll admissions (n=2577) from 2012 to 2015. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome measure was the hypothetical cost savings due to the presence of the IMCU. For this, each admission day was classified as either low-acuity or high-acuity, based on the Therapeutic Intervention Scoring System-28, the required specific nursing interventions and the indication for admission at the IMCU. Costs (2018) used were €463 per hospital ward, €1307 per IMCU and €2224 per intensive care unit (ICU) admission day. Savings were calculated by subtracting the actual IMCU costs from the hypothetical costs in the absence of the IMCU.
resultsThere were 9037 admission days (n=2577 admissions) at the IMCU. The proportion of high-acuity admissions was 87.6%. Total costs at the IMCU were €11.808 888. Total hypothetical costs in absence of the IMCU were €18.115 284. Total cost savings were thus €6.306 395, or €1.576 599, per year.
conclusionsThe surgical IMCU may substantially reduce societal healthcare costs, making it a cost saving alternative to ICU care. Constant adequate triage is essential to optimise its potential.
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