Medical Malpractice News: Rapid response team activation by patients can mitigate errors
Wow. Kentucky malpractice lawyers, what do you think of this unique concept?
Allowing patients and their families to demand prompt medical attention saves lives.
Who knew?
Rapid response team activation by patients can mitigate errors
Many hospitals are familiar with the concept of rapid response teams (RRT), one of six initiatives that comprise the 18-month-long Institute for Healthcare Improvement's 100,000 Lives Campaign. The idea is simple: any healthcare worker can bypass the typical chain-of-command and call what is essentially a medical "SWAT team" to quickly assess the patient and intervene when life-saving care may be needed (1). Unlike the traditional "code" team, the RRT intervenes before the patient experiences a respiratory or cardiac arrest. The results have been impressive, with reductions in cardiac arrests, deaths, and length-of-stay (2).
Taking this intervention to a whole new level, The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Shadyside, is perhaps the first hospital in the nation to invite patients and families to call for a RRT to address unresolved concerns about their safety and health (3,4,5). Upon admission, patients and family members are encouraged to pick up any phone in the hospital to report a Condition H (for "help") if they:
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