Rapid Deployment of International Tele–Intensive Care Unit Services in War-Torn Syria

The authors describe the development of a tele-ICU programs in Syria in 2012. Based on the U.S. model, these programs managed the care of ICU patients "by using inexpensive, off-the-shelf video cameras, free social media applications, and a volunteer network of Arabic-speaking intensivists in North America and Europe." The program has delivered care within a high-conflict country for years and includes virtual chat rooms for patient rounds, radiology review, and trainee teaching.