In 2000, Sentara Healthcare's ICUs were seeing a death rate of up to 40% among patients who stayed more than a week. So when a startup said technology would help the nonprofit seven-hospital chain slash death rates by allowing specialists to monitor patients 24/7, they were interested. And it worked: Mortality fell 27% initially, and Sentara thinks the new system has saved almost 500 lives. Now the e-ICU concept is spreading. More than 100 U.S. hospitals have e-ICUs, and the company that makes the technology went public in April. Sentara Executive Vice-President Rodney Hochman talks about it
