U.S. Tele-Intensive Care Unit (ICU) Market - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2022-2027

MARKET INSIGHTS

The U.S. Tele-Intensive Care Unit market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20.13% from 2022 to 2027 and is expected to reach USD 2.4 billion by 2027 from USD 814.24 million in 2021. Tele- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) refers to electronic communications to transfer health information from one hospital critical care unit to another. Tele-Intensive Care Unit intensivists work with multiple care facilities in real-time, regardless of location.

In recent years, the number of patients requiring ICU care has increased without corresponding growth in the availability of intensivists. Critical care is in high demand due to the absence of intensivists and the expansion of the pandemic. Through real-time, remote consulting drastically lowers ICU mortality. Tele-Intensive Care Unit makes remote critical care and full-time bedside care accessible as the demand for critical care and full-time bedside care grows.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• Intensive care units play an essential role in the treatment of critically ill patients. It occupies about 10% of the acute care bed of inpatients, 46 million patients are admitted to the ICU each year, and the mortality rate from all causes is about 10%.
• Telemedicine was introduced in the ICU to address intensivist shortages, increasing demand for critical care services, and increasing complexity in modern ICUs. Telemedicine, used and developed in various disciplines, has improved patient outcomes through advanced monitoring, clinical decision support, and improved treatment protocols to bridge the supply-demand gap.
• In 2020, Teladoc Health, a key leader in virtual care, announced a $13.9 billion merger with Livongo. The company is a leader in digital chronic condition management solutions for employers and insurers. Livongo brought facilities encouraging people with chronic conditions to live healthier lives, including diabetes prevention, hypertension, weight management, diabetes, and mental health.
• In 2020, Teladoc Health also acquired InTouch, the leader in delivering scalable, incorporated virtual care solutions to health systems, hospitals, and other provider units, for a cumulative $1.1 billion.

THE ROLE/ CONTRIBUTION OF TELE-ICU DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

• The COVID‐19 pandemic has exhausted some US health care systems, emphasizing ICU bed capacity burdens, specifically in outbreak hotspots. ICU beds are necessary to treat the sickest COVID‐19 patients and are always the subject of bed capacity concerns.
• Amidst the COVID‐19 outbreak, intensive care unit telemedicine (Tele‐ICUs) is essential to facilitate high‐quality patient care, particularly in rural parts of the US.
• In rural areas, Tele-ICU networks are often set up in a hub-and-spoke model, and central hub hospitals host many of the resources that are virtually deployed to multiple-spoke hospitals that require critical care services.
• Due to various factors, rural Americans are at increased risk of not having access to ICU beds during high demand, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. Rural Americans, on average, have more vulnerable demographics — they are older, poorer, and have more comorbidities.
• Approximately 2,100 rural hospitals that provide rural Americans with access to community care can be challenging to provide critical care during a surge in events. Tele-ICU can be a mechanism by which local hospitals can provide critical care to local Americans.

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENTS IN TELE-ICU

• Technology provides an essential foundation for the success of Tele-ICU, as it enables remote clinician involvement through data access and communication tools. The most widely used Tele-ICU technology allows remote clinicians to see patient vital signs, access patient care plans, and remotely view test results and medications.
• As ICUs are intelligent, virtual, silent, and have less visual equipment, the number of wires and cables will reduce drastically. Patient monitoring will be done using unique cameras and simple wireless biosensor systems.
• With integrated video capabilities, remote clinicians can not only interact in real-time with patients, their families, and bedside staff but also observe the patient's physical characteristics and indoor environment. Familiar Tele-ICU service providers integrate other proprietary technologies to support collaborative care models and enable various hospital-specific process flows.
• Leveraging video communications, predictive analytics, and data reporting, this comprehensive suite of Tele-ICU technologies gives onsite care teams access to critical care specialists and professional comparison data as needed.

LACK OF SKILLED INTENSIVISTS INCREASING DEMAND FOR TELE-ICUS

• The shortage of critical care specialists is burdening hospitals across the country. Many small rural hospitals often struggle to hire and retain critical care centers due to a lack of coverage on holidays and weekends.
• Emergency physicians need to be competent and a wide range of disorders common to critically ill patients, as they play a central role in coordinating patient care. These providers also require experience with the technical procedures and equipment used in the ICU.
• According to a 2016 survey, nearly half of the 10,000 critical care specialists in the US and one-third (25% 33%) of the 500,000 essential care specialists far exceed "severe burnout."
• Tele-ICU clinical decision support tools and step-by-step staffing models help reduce this burnout by optimizing the working hours of highly skilled emergency physicians to guide and direct teams to shifts.

AN INCREASE IN ICU ADMISSION RATES & OVERCROWDING ENCOURAGE PROVIDERS TO USE TELE-ICU

• Over 5 million patients are admitted to the US ICU annually for intensive care or invasive monitoring. Airway, respiratory or circulatory support; Stabilizing acute or life-threatening medical problems; Comprehensive management of injuries and illnesses; Maximum comfort for dying patients.
• On March 11, 2020, WHO declared that the new coronavirus (COVID-19) would cause a pandemic. Almost all US states occupy at least 70% of hospitals and ICUs. With the current prevalence of delta and new omicrons, the ever-increasing number of coronavirus cases faces hospital limitations.
• According to the Ministry of Health, as of December 2021, 611,917 (78.7%) hospital beds and 65,226 (79.3%) ICU beds were used in the US, and Covid 19 patients had 59,579 (7.75%) hospital beds and ICU beds accounts for 13,736 (17.53%).
• Prior to COVID-19, the rate of admission to the US ICU was 7,112. Therefore, as the pandemic continues, US admission rates to the ICU are increasing further due to new cases of COVID-19. This will increase the rate of admission to the ICU.

US TELE-ICU MARKET SEGMENTATION

The US Tele-Intensive Care Unit market is segmented based on health Model, Components, Patient Group, and Hospital type.

Insights by Model

• Centralized
• Decentralized
• Hybrid

The centralized Tele-Intensive Care Unit segment reported a significant share of around 54.18% in 2021. The segment is estimated to be higher due to the wider acceptance of this model across the US. There is a central remote physical structure where nurses, doctors, and managers are connected to one or more satellite ICUs. Centralized and collaborative Tele-ICU model. Centralized models such as the Philips e-ICU improve the decentralized temporary approach by making the care provided by the emergency physician accessible throughout the hospital system and promoting a higher level of care.

Insights by Component

• Hardware
• Service
• Software

The tele-Intensive Care Unit hardware segment reported a significant share of around 70.41% in 2021. Due to the increasing ICU beds, the aging population, the number of surgical procedures, and the growing number of COVID-19 pandemics in the country have surged the demand for tele-ICUs. Thus, the demand for hardware systems in Tele-ICU is increasing.

Insights by Patient Group

• Adult Patients
• Neonatal & Pediatric Patients

The adult Patients segment reported a significant share of around 79.44% in 2021. The adult patient segment is the witness of high share because the CDC estimates that 6 out of 10 adults in the US currently have chronic illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. Chronic disease is one of the leading causes of death in the US, with heart disease and cancer alone accounting for about 38% of all causes of death. Thus, increasing chronic disease in the adult population has increased the share of adult ICU patients.

Insights by Hospital Type

• System Affiliated Hospitals
• Independent Hospitals

System Affiliated Hospitals segment reported a significant share of around 79.44% in 2021. The system Affiliated Hospital’s segment is a witness of high share due to the fact that hospitals in the network work together to provide different services to a single community or multiple communities. Participating in a hospital network is primarily economical as it helps improve efficiency, eliminate service redundancy, and ensure the quality of care for all patients, whether in local communities or large cities.