Exploration of a rapid response team model of care: A descriptive dual methods study

Background: Avoidable in-patient clinical deterioration results in serious adverse events and up to 80% are preventable. Rapid response systems allow early recognition and response to clinical deterioration.Objective: To explore the characteristics of a collaborative rapid response team model. Design: Dual methodology was used for this descriptive study.Setting: The study was conducted in a 500-bed tertiary referral hospital (Sydney, Australia). Participants: Inpatients (>17 years) who received a rapid response team activation were included in an electronic medical audit. Participants were rapid response team members and nurses and medical doctors in two in-patient wards. Methods: A 12-month (January-December 2018) retrospective electronic health record audit and semi-structured interviews with nurses and medical doctors (July-August 2019) were conducted. Descriptive statistics summarised audit data. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically.Results: The rapid response team consulted for 2195 patients. Mean patient age was 67.9 years, and 46% of the sample was female. Activations (n = 4092) occurred most often in general medicine (n = 1124, 70.8%) units. Overall, 117 patients had >5 activations. The themes synthesised from interviews were i) managing patient deterioration before arrival of the rapid response team; ii) collaboratively managing patient deterioration at the bedside; iii) rapid response team guidance at the bedside; and iv) 'staff concern' rapid response activation.Conclusions: Some patients received many activations, however few required treatment in critical care. The rapid response model was collaborative and supportive. The themes revealed a focus on patient safety, optimising early detection, and management of patient deterioration.