Beth Israel Deaconess adopts rapid response teams

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December 12, 2005

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston is slowly rolling out a rapid response team (RRT) program, which officials hope will reduce the number of code patients and deaths. If a patient exhibits one of six trigger readings, the team is called in to evaluate the patient and take appropriate action, according to an article in The Boston Globe.

The goal is to prevent a patient from coding by addressing problems before they become a crisis situation. Beth Israel looked at the Australian medical system's experience with RRTs when making their decision to move forward with the program.

Initial studies showed a dramatic decrease in codes and patient mortality from cardiac arrest in the hospital setting. More recent Australian studies have shown commensurate decreases in mortality in both RRT and non-RRT hospitals, however.

To read the complete article, click here.