Ensuring that patients who deteriorate receive appropriate and timely care is a key safety and quality challenge. All patients should receive comprehensive care regardless of their location in the hospital or the time of day. Even though a range of systems have been introduced to better manage clinical deterioration, this area needs to remain a high priority while patients continue to experience preventable adverse events because their deterioration is not identified or properly managed.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care commenced a program of work in 2008 with the goal of improving the recognition of, and response to, clinical deterioration in hospitals and other acute care facilities. In 2010 the National Consensus Statement was endorsed by Health Ministers as the national approach for recognition and response systems in Australian acute care facilities.
Implementing Recognition and Response SystemsThe National Consensus Statement sets out agreed practice for recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. A series of resources have been developed to help health service providers to identify strategies for implementing robust recognition and response systems. |
Observation and Response ChartsMonitoring and documenting physiological observations is a key component of recognition and response systems. The way in which observation charts are designed and used can contribute to both the poor recording of observations and failure to interpret them correctly. Five track and trigger observation and response charts (ORCs) designed using human factors principles are available from the Commission. |
Tools and ResourcesFact sheets, self-assessment and planning tools, audit and evaluation tools and example resources from Australian healthcare organisations are available to support the implementation and evaluation of recognition and response systems. |
Evaluating Recognition and Response SystemsThe Commission has developed detailed specifications for a number of quality measures that facilities can use to review their processes and outcomes relating to recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. |
The Commission hosted the 7th Annual International Conference on Rapid Response Systems and Medical Emergency Teams in Sydney from 7-9 May 2012. Sydney welcomed the 500 delegates from 24 different countries who attended the conference, which had a theme of Revolutionising Rapid Response Systems – Past, Present and Future. Videos and slides of all sessions can be accessed here.
The 8th Annual International Rapid Response Systems and Medical Emergency Teams Conference will be held in London in 2013.
A survey of recognition and response systems in Australia was conducted in 2010 and a summary of the survey findings can be found here.
Contacts
Dr Nicola Dunbar, Program Manager, (02) 9126 3600, Email: mail@safetyandquality.gov.au