In August 2024, 26-year-old Connor Hilton checked into Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut with severe abdominal pain.

Overnight, he was transferred to critical care where he died.

Only after did his family find out that

Connor was treated at what's known as a Tala ICU.

Connor had a lot to live for. Conner worked very hard to get where he was. And to have that

taken away from us, the way it did doesn't sit well with me. That's Connor's father, William Hilton.

We'll hear more from him later in the hour. Conner's story puts a spotlight on a practice that's

been around for two-plus decades, but still lacks substantial research, hospitals using

telemedicine critical care or tele-ICUs. They vary widely, but what they have in common is that at least

part of the patient care is handled off-site by remote doctors, nurses, or specialists. Up to a third

of ICU beds in the U.S. are in tele-ICUs. That's according to a study using data from the American

Hospital Association. Take Wisconsin. As of May 1st,

critical care physicians are no longer physically present in the ICUs of several Ascension

satellite hospitals. They remain available via video call to help bedside nurses and on-site

hospital medicine doctors, known as hospitalistsists who do not specialize in critical care.

Tele-ICUs do present an opportunity to expand and improve the health care people receive,

but what are the risks of providing remote care in the most critical life or death moments?

I'm Jen White. You're listening to the 1A podcast. We'll be back with more after a short break. Stay with us.

Welcome back to the 1A podcast. We're talking about the use of tele-ICUs and hospitals, and the kind of care patients can expect.

Joining us from Chicago is Dr. Nandita Nadeg.

She's a pulmonary and critical care physician

and associate professor at Northwestern University's

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