2006 OPEN FORUM Abstracts
A survey of Rapid Response Team (RRT) PARTICIPANTS rePORTs success BY ALL TEAM MEMBERS
Sarah
Mortell, RRT, Michael R. Jackson, RRT-NPS, CPFT, Paul F. Nuccio, RRT,
FAARC. Department of Respiratory Care,
Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Introduction: The Rapid Response Team is a small group
of clinicians who bring critical care expertise to the patient's bedside (or
wherever it is needed). The RRT is one
of the interventions recommended by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
(IHI) as part of their 100K Lives Campaign. Most rapid response teams are
comprised of a Registered Respiratory Therapist, a Critical Care Nurse, and a
Physician. The
introduction of Rapid Response Teams has become popular nationwide over the
past couple of years.
Hypothesis: Participants will view the function of a
rapid response team as a valuable asset in the care of patients who are at risk
of developing clinical complications to their present illness.
Methods: A survey was sent by email to all respiratory
therapists, nurses, and physicians who participated in rapid response team
calls during a four-month pilot. The
respondents filled out the survey online, and the data was entered into an
excel file that kept track of each respondent's answers.
Results: Of 149 total surveys received, 105, or 70%, were
completed correctly and returned. 85% of
nurses responded to the survey, as did 80% of respiratory therapists and 53% of
the physicians (fig. 1). 93% of all respondents rated the RRT call as
"appropriate" or "very appropriate". 38% of those that felt the RRT was not
appropriate cited the reason to be that either the "patient did not meet the
criteria" or the "patient was already receiving sufficient care". 80% of
respondents stated that they found the care provided by the RRT to be
"beneficial" or "very beneficial". Of those responding to the survey, 86%
stated that the RRT notification process operated "seamlessly".
Conclusion: In the eyes of the clinician, the Rapid Response
Team is an effective method of bringing expert clinicians to the bedside in a
rapid and effective manner. This early
identification and intervention program may help to reduce complications
resulting from last-minute attempts at providing emergency care. It may
also result in a reduction in the number of patients requiring transfer to an
ICU.
