Real-time alerts sent to a rapid response team regarding patient clinical deterioration were not associated with improved patient care, according to a study in the Journal of Hospital Medicine.
Researchers implemented the alert intervention at eight units at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis.
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Researchers found real-time alerts sent to rapid response teams did not significantly reduce patient transfers to the intensive care unit. The alert intervention group experienced a 17.8 percent transfer rate and the control group experienced an 18.2 percent transfer rate. The need for subsequent long-term care was not significantly different, at 26.9 percent in the intervention group and 26.3 percent in the control group. Additionally, hospital mortality rates between the two groups were not significantly different, at 7.3 percent in the intervention group and 7.7 percent in the control group.
However, length of stay was slightly less for patients in the intervention group, at an average of 8.4 days compared to 9.4 days in the control group.
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