# TeleICU Safety Crisis > Hospitals using remote doctors for ICU care face deadly delays as patients die without bedside support. - Title: TeleICU Safety Crisis · TIME | Shortify - Summary: Hospitals using remote doctors for ICU care face deadly delays as patients die without bedside support. Three U.S. - Keywords: teleicu, hospital safety, remote doctor, icu care, patient death, emergency response, medical oversight, cms report, hospital policy, critical care, TIME - Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/11/10/inside-the-trouble-rise-of-teleicus - Author: Alana Semuels - Published: 2026-11-10T12:00:04.05+00:00 - Read time: 1 min - Topics: teleicu, hospital safety, remote doctor, icu care, patient death, emergency response, medical oversight, cms report, hospital policy, critical care, news, world ## Nurse's emergency Joyce Selph, a 30-year nurse, gave medication without doctor's orders after teleICU calls went unanswered. > They did it as a cost-saving measure because they were having trouble getting hospitalists to want to be there ## Conor Hylton's death 26-year-old Conor Hylton died after being transferred to teleICU at Bridgeport Hospital in Connecticut. > I started thinking about the guy in the screen, and thinking, 'What the hell was that?' ## CMS investigation CMS found Bridgeport Hospital failed to ensure quality care after Conor Hylton's death. > the hospital failed to ensure quality medical care was provided to a patient who presented to the Emergency Department ## TeleICU deaths Three hospitals had patient deaths after teleICU systems caused critical care delays. > the patient died while waiting to be transferred ## TeleICU model Hospitals use teleICU to have remote doctors monitor multiple ICUs overnight. > the hospital used a vendor to run the program ## Cost-saving issue Hospitals cut costs by using teleICU instead of bedside doctors for critical care. > it was a cost-saving measure because they were having trouble getting hospitalists to want to be there ## Patient safety risk Patients face delays in emergency care when teleICU doctors don't know hospital layout. > the ER physician who had been called up to intubate him did not know the way to the ICU ## CMS reports CMS found three hospitals had patient deaths after teleICU systems caused critical care delays. > the hospital failed to ensure quality medical care was provided to a patient ## Hospital policy Hospitals don't inform patients when teleICU is used for critical care. > the hospital violated its own policy by not informing Conor’s parents that he had been transferred ## TeleICU failures TeleICU systems cause delays when doctors don't know hospital layout or processes. > the only doctor who could intubate him, the emergency room doctor, did not arrive until 4:45 a.m. ## Patient transfer Patients die while waiting for transfer to hospitals with bedside doctors. > the patient died while waiting to be transferred ## Family concerns Families demand transparency about teleICU use in hospitals. > There was no doctor in person providing critical care ## Hospital response Hospitals claim teleICU improves care but fail to address safety concerns. > the hospital failed to ensure quality medical care was provided to a patient ## Nurse's warning Nurses warn teleICU delays can be deadly in critical care settings. > if there’s a time delay in getting care, for an ICU setting, that’s deadly ## Systemic issue TeleICU systems lack clear communication protocols between doctors and hospitals. > there was no process for the in-person emergency room doctor to sign out to the teleICU doctor ## Patient safety Patients need bedside doctors for immediate critical care. > You can’t insert a breathing tube through a television ## Key takeaway Three U.S. hospitals failed to provide critical care after teleICU systems caused fatal delays in emergency response.