Mortality and Length of Stay Trends Following Implementation of a Rapid Response System and Real-Time Automated Clinical Deterioration Alerts

A study was performed to determine the potential influence of a rapid response system (RRS) employing real-time clinical deterioration alerts (RTCDAs) on patient outcomes involving 8 general medicine units. Introduction of the RRS occurred in 2006 with staged addition of the RTCDAs in 2009. Statistically significant year-to-year decreases in mortality were observed through 2014 (r = -.794; P = .002). Similarly, year-to-year decreases in the number of cardiopulmonary arrests (CPAs; r = -. 792; P = .006) and median lengths of stay (r = -.841; P = .001) were observed. There was a statistically significant year-to-year increase in the number of RRS activations for these units (r = .939; P < .001) that was inversely correlated with the occurrence of CPAs (r = -.784; P = .007). In this single-institution retrospective study, introduction of a RRS employing RTCDAs was associated with lower hospital mortality, CPAs, and hospital length of stay.