New Intermediate Care (IMC) Unit Improves Quality of Cancer Care

On 1st December 2008, the Cancer Hospital SanaFontis in Freiburg took the next step in their effort to improve their acute oncological treatment for cancer patients and opened their Intermediate Care Unit. “This  new unit comes between intensive care and normal hospital care. It allows us to closely monitor the patients’ vital functions and perform lab tests with high-tech equipment,” explains Matthias Jenny, the Director of Nursing of the 85-bed private hospital. Especially patients in conditions difficult to manage and monitor are benefitting from the comprehensive and reliable care provided in the IMC Unit. All beds in the unit are equipped with a monitor set (ECG, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, body temperature, etc), infusion pumps, syringe drivers, suction apparatus, oxygen bottles, etc.

The monitor set feeds the patient’s data into a central monitoring system set up in two nursing centres, and - to “close the circuit” of around-the-clock monitoring - into displays mounted in the physicians’ offices. Specially trained nurses lend the human touch to this range of high-performance medicine and ensure that patients receive compassionate care while they are gradually being prepared for removal to a regular hospital ward. “One major reason for establishing this Intermediate Care Unit is that many patients just need continuous monitoring of their vital signs rather than intensive care with all the staff and equipment that the latter involves,” explains private lecturer Dr. Joachim Drevs, Medical Director of the Cancer Hospital SanaFontis. “As a result, our patients benefit from a much higher quality of cancer care because it is now tailor-made for their needs.”