A national survey of Intensive Care Medicine Services in Portugal: where we are and the road ahead.

Objective: The goal of this study was to assess the Portuguese Intensive Care Referral Network, namely the mission and organization of the Portuguese National Health Service Intensive Care Medicine Services and patient flows between them.

Methods: The study was based on the responses to a semi-structured questionnaire by the directors of the forty-one Intensive Care Medicine Services, characterizing four domains: a) number, type, and management of beds; b) human resources and their consumption; c) outreach, including activities in the resuscitation room, intra-hospital emergency team and follow-up clinics; and d) referral network.

Results: The number of active Intensive Care Medicine Services beds in Portugal markedly increased in the last 12 years, but the beds/habitant ratio is still below the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average.