The system is designed to support local physicians and their patient care. There is no effect on their billing of professional fees. The attending physician maintains the authority to set the daily care plan. The role of Advanced ICU Care’s program is to facilitate and expedite the local physician’s care plan while enabling him or her to conduct his or her hospital/office practice more efficiently. Specific protocols for eICU intensivists are developed during implementation. A common practice is for eICU intensivists to field calls from the ICU at night and on weekends. Local physicians often discover that the number of calls interrupting their nights, office hours and operating room time declines dramatically.