What the work can inform
Facility and capacity inventories, population travel-time estimates and regional comparisons can inform service expansion and referral planning.
microscopIA · GLOBAL CRITICAL CARE OBSERVATORY
Better evidence for where critical care is needed.
Connect ICU capacity, geographic access and clinical research to the decisions that shape health systems.
A microscopIA research programme bringing regional teams, clinicians and methods experts together. Explore the work, read the evidence and join a defined project.
From local records to regional decisionsVerified sources → reproducible analysis → transparent interpretation
21Regional mapping projects accepting applications
01Clinical pilot in planning
RemoteDefined tasks, training and supervision
English or SpanishEither language is sufficient for mapping projects
A clear route into the work.
Project applications and professional Observatory participation are different pathways. Choose the one that fits your role.
- Read the project briefCheck language, workload, dates, eligibility and available routes.
- Use the matching applicationMember category or eligible external route. The project code travels with you.
- Agree responsibilitiesSelection, training, permissions and scientific contributions are reviewed before execution.
THE QUESTION · THE USE · THE STATUS
Where is critical care within reach?
What exists and what comes next
Colombian access research has a public preprint under journal review. Regional mapping projects are listed separately; global coverage is an objective.
Which route fits my interest?
Join a projectReview requirements and availability. Use your membership category; the external route appears where eligible.Contribute expertise or dataDescribe your contribution without transferring confidential information. Scope, permissions and responsibilities are agreed before work begins.Institutions and fundersDiscuss a defined collaboration: question, deliverables, resources and governance.
Each project must define accountable investigators, data sources and date, methods, limitations, applicable approvals and contributions. Funding and membership do not determine findings. Scientific governance →
Kapazitätskartierung · externe Bewerbungen
Mitglieder und externe Bewerber können sich ohne Mitgliedschaft für Kartierungsprojekte zu Intensivmedizin, ROP und Kinderkrebs bewerben. Wohnsitz, Sprache und wissenschaftliche Kriterien stehen im Projektbrief.
- Bewerbungsschluss
- 31. Oktober 2026 · 23:59, Kolumbien
- Benachrichtigung
- 1.–3. November 2026
- Einführung und Schulung
- 4.–7. November 2026
Auswahl und Einführung hängen von Kriterien, Plätzen und projektspezifischen Genehmigungen ab. Diese Termine erlauben keine klinische Arbeit.
SCOPE · INPUTS · USE
What we could develop with your team.
These pathways guide a scientific conversation. Outputs, resources, permissions and timing are agreed per project; they are not a contractual offer or results already delivered.
Capacity and geographic access
- Inputs we would need
- Dated facility sources, operational ICU definitions, population and transport data.
- A possible agreed output
- A verified inventory, documented access maps and uncertainty analyses under an agreed protocol.
- What it could inform
- Identify gaps to discuss referral networks and service-planning priorities.
Clinical research questions
- Inputs we would need
- A defined question, authorized study inputs, outcomes and responsible clinical supervision.
- A possible agreed output
- A protocol and feasible analysis plan; clinical execution requires separate approvals.
- What it could inform
- Assess whether the available evidence can answer the question before committing resources.
Regional adaptation
- Inputs we would need
- Local data owners, source availability, definitions and validation partners.
- A possible agreed output
- An agreed data dictionary, calibration process and update plan.
- What it could inform
- Establish feasibility and comparability before extending the mapping.
FROM YOUR INTEREST TO A DEFINED CONTRIBUTION
Three ways to move forward with the observatory.
Choose your goal. Applying to a project, contributing expertise and funding work are different pathways.
Students, professionals and engineers
Join a project with defined tasks, training and supervision. Check language, residence, dates and the application route in each brief.
Find a project →Clinicians and investigators
Contribute clinical expertise, verifiable sources or a research question. Describe your contribution without sending patient data.
Propose scientific collaboration →Governments, institutions and funders
Define a capacity, access or planning need. Agree outputs, local responsibilities, permissions and resources before work begins.
Discuss a partnership →Designated mapping projects accept eligible external applicants. Members use their own category. Selection, permissions and authorship are verified separately.
FIND YOUR PROJECT
Choose a region. Contribute to a shared picture.
Review the work, countries and application conditions. Apply directly from each project card; its ICU code is included in the link.
Which application is right for me?
Active members: choose your membership category. External applications to the regional mapping projects are for students and young professionals, subject to eligibility and available places. Clinicians and investigators apply through the professional-member route.
A research programme can be ongoing while accepting new team members. The clinical pilot is planned and has no open application here.
22 / 22 projects match your filters
Regional capacity & geographic access
Andean & Northern South America
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Bolivia · Colombia · Ecuador · Peru · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · French Guiana
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Australia & New Zealand
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Australia · New Zealand
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Caucasus & Anatolia
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Armenia · Azerbaijan · Georgia · Türkiye
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Central Africa
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Angola · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Congo - Brazzaville · Congo - Kinshasa · Equatorial Guinea · Gabon · São Tomé & Príncipe
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Central America & Caribbean
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Belize · Costa Rica · El Salvador · Guatemala · Honduras · Nicaragua · Panama · Antigua & Barbuda · Bahamas · Barbados · Cuba · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Grenada · Haiti · Jamaica · St. Kitts & Nevis · St. Lucia · St. Vincent & Grenadines · Trinidad & Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Caribbean Netherlands · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Guadeloupe · Martinique · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · St. Barthélemy · St. Martin · Sint Maarten · Turks & Caicos Islands · U.S. Virgin Islands
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Central Asia
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
East Africa & Horn
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Burundi · Djibouti · Eritrea · Ethiopia · Kenya · Rwanda · Somalia · South Sudan · Tanzania · Uganda
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
East Asia
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: China · Japan · North Korea · South Korea · Mongolia · Taiwan · Hong Kong · Macao
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Eastern & Southeastern Europe
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Albania · Belarus · Bosnia & Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Czechia · Hungary · Moldova · Montenegro · North Macedonia · Poland · Romania · Russia · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Ukraine · Kosovo
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Middle East
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Bahrain · Cyprus · Iran · Iraq · Israel · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · United Arab Emirates · Yemen
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Nordic & Baltic Europe
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Denmark · Estonia · Finland · Iceland · Latvia · Lithuania · Norway · Sweden · Faroe Islands · Åland Islands · Svalbard & Jan Mayen
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
North Africa
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Algeria · Egypt · Libya · Morocco · Sudan · Tunisia · Western Sahara
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
North America
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Canada · Mexico · United States · Greenland · Bermuda · St. Pierre & Miquelon
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Pacific Islands
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Fiji · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Tuvalu · Vanuatu · Cook Islands · Niue · American Samoa · French Polynesia · Guam · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Tokelau · Wallis & Futuna
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
South Asia
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Afghanistan · Bangladesh · Bhutan · India · Maldives · Nepal · Pakistan · Sri Lanka
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Southeast Asia
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Brunei · Cambodia · Indonesia · Laos · Malaysia · Myanmar (Burma) · Philippines · Singapore · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Vietnam
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Southern Africa
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Botswana · Eswatini · Lesotho · Madagascar · Malawi · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Seychelles · South Africa · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Comoros · Réunion · Mayotte
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Southern Europe
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Andorra · Greece · Italy · Malta · Portugal · San Marino · Spain · Vatican City · Gibraltar
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Southern South America
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Argentina · Brazil · Chile · Paraguay · Uruguay · Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
West Africa
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Benin · Burkina Faso · Cape Verde · Côte d’Ivoire · Gambia · Ghana · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Liberia · Mali · Mauritania · Niger · Nigeria · Senegal · Sierra Leone · Togo · St. Helena
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsRegional capacity & geographic access
Western & Central Europe
Verify ICU facilities and capacity, document sources, check coordinates and contribute to population travel-time analysis and regional interpretation.
- Working language
- English or Spanish — either is sufficient
- Commitment
- 5–7 h/week · remote
- Application deadline
- Oct 31, 2026
- Listed team places
- 7 · subject to allocation
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Austria · Belgium · France · Germany · Ireland · Liechtenstein · Luxembourg · Monaco · Netherlands · Switzerland · United Kingdom · Guernsey · Jersey · Isle of Man
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Any nationality; project-specific onboarding and calibration are required. Review the full brief for eligibility, duration, dates and responsibilities.
Read the full project briefApply as a member
Use your active membership category:
Students & Young ProfessionalsClinicians & InvestigatorsClinical research · planned
Pilot Clinical Trial of Phototherapy in Adult Critical Care
Protocol-led evaluation of phototherapy in critically ill adults. Patient recruitment and intervention require study-specific approvals; this listing does not authorize either.
Countries, leadership and requirements
Countries and areas: Colombia
Principal investigator(s): Dr. Joseph L. Nates · Dr. Agamenón Quintero Villarreal
Technical & methodological support: Jorge Racedo · microscopIA, Bogotá, Colombia
Read the full project briefApplications are not open. Review the project brief or discuss a scientific contribution.
Discuss a scientific contributionGeographic groupings define working scope, not completed coverage, local institutional participation or political affiliation. Listed places are not a live vacancy count. Applications, scientific approval, ethics permissions and patient recruitment are separate decisions. UN M49 reference
PURPOSE · METHODS · PUBLIC VALUE
More than a map. A basis for better questions.
Measure the gaps
Verify facility locations, capacity and source quality. Model population travel times and identify places where geographic access may be limited.
Build decision-ready evidence
Develop traceable facility datasets, reproducible maps, regional comparisons and manuscripts that state their assumptions and limitations.
Inform stronger care networks
Use findings to discuss referral design, workforce planning and transparent expansion priorities with health-system stakeholders.
FOUNDATIONAL EVIDENCE · COLOMBIA
Public preprint · under peer review in Scientific Reports
Prolonged travel time to intensive care in Colombia: a national analysis to inform critical care policy and network design
This study evaluates population-level travel-time access to intensive-care services across Colombia and identifies areas with prolonged geographic access to inform critical-care policy, service planning, and network design.
Principal investigators of this study: Dr. Joseph L. Nates · Dr. Agamenón Quintero Villarreal · Jorge Racedo
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-10233105/v1Journal information & publication status
Scientific Reports ↗
Springer Nature
Journal-level metric, not a manuscript assessment. Submission or review does not imply acceptance.CLINICAL QUESTIONS BEYOND GEOGRAPHY
Follow the science and its current stage.
Submitted · not yet accepted
Prognostic Instruments in Obstetric Critical Care: A Systematic Review of Intended Use, Validation, Calibration, and Clinical Readiness
A systematic review of 41 reports evaluating prognostic instruments in obstetric intensive or high-dependency care by intended use, target outcome, validation stage, discrimination, calibration, risk of bias and clinical readiness. Evidence supports risk stratification more strongly than transportable individual risk prediction; no universally transportable stand-alone instrument for high-stakes decisions is established.
Study investigators: Dr. Joseph L. Nates · Jorge Racedo
Findings, limitations & journal
Manuscript findings
- 41 studies
- 109 model evaluations and 65 score variants. Search through 25 April 2026.
- 34%
- Evaluations reporting calibration. General ICU models had median AUROCs of 0.82–0.87, but frequently overestimated mortality.
Interpretation & limitations
Heterogeneity precluded quantitative pooling. Discrimination does not guarantee calibrated probabilities. Validation and recalibration are needed before using these models for individual decisions.
Summary of a submitted manuscript, not yet accepted.
Critical Care Medicine ↗
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins · Wolters Kluwer
Journal-level metric, not a manuscript assessment. Submission or review does not imply acceptance.Submitted · not yet accepted
Rural–urban differences in obstetric intensive care in Colombia
This study evaluates rural–urban differences in obstetric intensive-care admission, organ support, resource use, and maternal–fetal outcomes within a Colombian hospital cohort from 2014 through 2018.
Study investigators: Dr. Francisco Camargo-Assis
Findings, limitations & journal
Manuscript findings
- 257 patients
- 103 rural and 154 urban; one referral obstetric ICU in Montería, Colombia, 2014–2018.
- Invasive ventilation
- 9.7% rural vs. 3.2% urban. Crude RR 2.99; 95% CI 1.05–8.50.
- Red-cell transfusion
- 23.3% rural vs. 12.3% urban. Crude RR 1.89; 95% CI 1.09–3.27.
Interpretation & limitations
Exploratory, unadjusted, single-center complete-case comparisons; 52 of 309 admissions were excluded. Deaths were too few for reliable comparisons. Findings do not establish causality or population-level ICU access; they motivate research on referral and pretransfer care.
Summary of a submitted manuscript, not yet accepted.
BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth ↗
BioMed Central · Springer Nature
Journal-level metric, not a manuscript assessment. Submission or review does not imply acceptance.SCIENTIFIC LEADERSHIP
Clinical expertise. Defined scientific accountability.
The Observatory connects regional execution with clinical interpretation, reproducible methods and microscopIA governance. Each study retains its own named investigators, protocol and approvals.
OBSERVATORY PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Joseph L. Nates
Professor and Deputy Department Chair, Department of Critical Care Medicine, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.
TECHNICAL & METHODOLOGICAL SUPPORT
Jorge Racedo
microscopIA · Bogotá, Colombia
Methodological coordination and shared technical-scientific infrastructure.
Affiliations describe professional roles; they do not imply institutional endorsement or participation by an employer. The phototherapy pilot separately lists Dr. Agamenón Quintero Villarreal and Dr. Joseph L. Nates as principal investigators.
Experienced ICU professional? Explore an observer role
OBSERVER APPLICATIONS
Bring ICU experience to better health-system decisions.
Intensivists, ICU nurses, investigators and other ICU professionals are invited to apply to join the Observatory as observers.
- Prepare your CV in English.
- Attach a proposal for a joint project: question, setting, methods and your proposed contribution.
- Email both documents to Dr. Joseph L. Nates.
Areas of interest include ICU capacity and access, regional validation, quality of care and obstetric critical care.
MEMBERSHIP & CONTINUING COLLABORATION
One network. Different ways to contribute.
Eligible external applicants can apply to the mapping projects without buying membership. Active members use their own membership category. Professional Observatory participation uses the Clinicians & Investigators pathway; there is no additional Observatory subscription.
Membership supports shared staff, infrastructure and approved programmes. It does not purchase scientific admission, authorship, confidential data access or a particular project role.
GOVERNED COLLABORATION
A project starts with agreement, not an assumption.
Before access to data
Document institutional authority, ethics and consent requirements, permitted uses and secure transfer. A public application must not contain patient-identifying information.
Before execution
Confirm scientific approval, supervision, scope, milestones, methods, resources, conflicts of interest and responsibilities in writing.
Before publication
Apply contribution-based authorship, manuscript review, final approval and accountability. Journal acceptance, indexing and editorial timing remain independent.
Full project-approval process
From proposal to execution
Every new research project, case report, case series or innovation proposal requires written approval from the Observatory steering committee under microscopIA governance or appointed research group scientific lead. Admission or membership does not replace this approval.
- Submit the aim, methods, proposed team, data, resources and expected outputs to the responsible scientific authority.
- The scientific authority reviews and approves the proposal, documenting its scope and conditions.
- Once approved, the scientific reviewing authority notifies microscopIA to initiate execution of the approved project.
- microscopIA coordinates responsibilities, staff, budget, milestones and data/IP agreements. Activities begin with the required ethics, institutional and regulatory permissions in place.
microscopIA appoints competent reviewers before execution. Reviewers disclose conflicts and recuse themselves where appropriate. Membership does not confer contracting authority or permission to reuse contacts or data for external projects.
Protocols and collaboration agreementsFOR HEALTH SYSTEMS, INSTITUTIONS & FUNDERS
Turn a regional question into a defined collaboration.
Discuss capacity mapping, referral-network questions, analytical support or a research portfolio. Agree deliverables, local responsibilities, data permissions, timelines and commercial terms before work starts.
Propose an institutional collaboration