Journal of general internal medicine
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Most U.S. academic medical centers employ "closed" intensive care units (ICUs), where critically ill patients are admitted under the supervision of intensivists managing dedicated ICU teams. Some centers utilize a unique "open" ICU structure, where primary services longitudinally follow patients who become critically ill into the ICU with intensivist comanagement. The impact of open ICUs on patient care and education of trainees has not been well-characterized. ⋯ The open ICU environment presents facilitators and barriers to trainee education and patient care. Our findings can be leveraged to improve communication, education, and patient care on both hospitalist and ICU teams.