Abstract:
Introduction: Early warning scoring systems and rapid response teams are important strategies to improve the detection of patient deterioration in hospitals. Initiation of an appropriate response relies on nurses recognising changes in patient condition and alerting the required emergency assistance team. Study Objective: To determine the level of concordance between the nurse’s assessment and that of the emergency team, based on early warning scores (EWS). Methods: An audit of data collected between June 2011 and May 2013 was undertaken and 2780 instances were reviewed in order to determine the degree of concordance on EWS scores between nurses initiating calls and those assigned by the emergency response team. Results: 881 instances lack of concordance was identified. In the majority of instances, the nurse overestimated the severity of the patient’s condition when compared to the emergency response team’s score. Conclusion: Such lack of concordance is problematic given that failure to activate an emergency response when required has obvious implications for patient safety while inappropriate referral to emergency response teams can result in inefficient use of resources.
