Development of a Pragmatic Measure for Evaluating and Optimizing Rapid Response Systems
The availability of rapid response systems to assist deteriorating patients is the standard of care in children’s hospitals. Metrics for evaluating their effectiveness include cardiac and respiratory arrest rates, rare events that require years of data to show significant improvements.
A proximate outcome for in-hospital mortality among patients receiving rapid response system assistance was developed. This "critical deterioration" metric was eightfold more common than arrests and demonstrated criterion and construct validity, facilitating meaningful evaluation over shorter periods of time. (Read the full article)