DIVI structure recommendations published internationally
10.07.2023 16:31
Six months after the publication of the completely revised recommendation for an adequate structure and equipment of intensive care units by the German Interdisciplinary Association for Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (DIVI) - the DIVI structural recommendations 2022 - it has now been published in English. The specialist journal “Magazine Frontiers in Medicine” published the “Recommendations on the structure, personnel, and organization of intensive care units” as open access.
“We are proud to be able to show the German perspective on intensive care medicine to an international expert audience,” says Professor Dr. med. Christian Waydhas (photo), DIVI executive board member and coordinator of the German and English papers. The DIVI structural recommendations 2022 are a milestone for the future, not just for German intensive care physicians.
The research surrounding the English publication brought an exciting insight: “In a long time, the DIVI structure recommendation is the first worldwide to take current literature into account for the equipment and staff in intensive care units,” says Professor Waydhas. During the pandemic years, the focus of many colleagues was on treating COVID patients. “Now is the time, especially with the experiences of the past pandemic years, to discuss worldwide how the quality of patient care in intensive care and emergency medical wards can be significantly improved through structure, personnel and structural design,” said Waydhas.
Background to the DIVI structure recommendations
The DIVI published an initial structural recommendation back in 2010. More than twelve years later, the conditions in the healthcare system – and especially in intensive care and emergency medicine – have changed significantly. A shortage of staff and the provision of intensive care beds are currently the focus of an intensive debate. The fundamentally revised DIVI structural recommendations 2022 were published last December.
The authors of the guidelines were based not only on economic and social conditions, but above all on new international scientific findings, standards and recommendations. In addition, interprofessional and interdisciplinary collaboration was essential in the creation: nurses, therapists, doctors and other specialists worked together on the recommendation for two years.
Implementing the recommendations is a major joint task
DIVI continues to hope that the DIVI structural recommendations will be gradually implemented in Germany - and that there will be a lively exchange again internationally. The realization is a major joint task. The recommendations are not only addressed to the medical and nursing staff, but also to the payers, to politicians and ultimately to society. “Such important, fundamental changes can only be implemented together and through external rules,” Waydhas is certain, “and always with a view to better care for our patients in intensive care and emergency medicine.”