Die Visite auf der Intensivstation

Although ward rounds are one of the most important daily activities in an intensive care unit, there are no established concepts or standards regarding form and content of a ward round. This paper addresses several organizational aspects, such as time and location of a ward round. It describes the composition of a ward round team, the roles of the team members as well as the tasks of a ward round. These reach from all aspects of patient management to organizational tasks, e.g., teaching and maintaining a good communication and safety culture. A well structured ward round from our point of view is one of the most important components of quality management in an intensive care unit.