WSHA continues our commitment to improving patient safety and reducing harm from all causes by supporting Rapid Response Teams, which are supportive clinicians with advanced skills who are able to assess a patient when there is a concern that a patient’s condition is declining. Rapid Response Team processes can be initiated by patients, family members and staff. Ensuring access to an additional safety check when staff are uncertain or a patient’s family member notices a change in condition is crucial to the early detection of a problem that could be avoided.
The concept of a Rapid Response Team is based on the observation that “failures to rescue” a patient often include failures in care planning, communication and recognition of early clinical warning signs. Failure is not intended to imply negligence or wrongdoing, but rather is an indication of the overall performance of a hospital and its culture.
Rapid Response Teams vary from one hospital to another in team composition and number, criteria for calling, who can activate the process, who responds and whether the teams focus exclusively on recognizing early signs of deterioration or providing expanded support to patients and mentoring to staff. The standard of care is always the best care a hospital can provide. Learn more. (Ryan Hosken)
