Telemedicine equipment systems for providing the administration and monitoring of acute care facilities and patients by intensivists via a global computer network connected to a database comprising clinical data, standardized guidelines for the care of the acutely ill, algorithms to support an acute care regimen, and knowledge-based algorithms for early intervention, all related to assisting acute care patients, consisting primarily of medical care equipment, namely, patient vital signs monitors, computer monitor workstations, a telemedicine command center consisting of monitors and computer workstations, and hardware and software customized and integrated for vital sign monitoring and patient management