Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Anaesth Intensive Care · Jun 2002
Review Comparative StudyHigh dependency units: issues to consider in their planning.
This review discusses the issues to be considered in establishing new or extending existing high dependency unit (HDU) services. A defined high dependency service becomes cost-effective when patient care requires more than one nurse for three patients. Professional guidelines for HDUs vary and there are no national accreditation criteria. ⋯ Establishing a new HDU service requires changes to care delivery. Many potential HDU patients are currently managed in general wards or in the intensive care unit. The service should be discussed widely and marketed within the institution, and the development of defined working relationships with the ICU and primary care teams on the wards is mandatory.