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Adding a rapid-response team -- a crisis team that is mobilized within the hospital -- reduced overall death rates in a pediatric hospital, according to a Stanford University study that found an 18% reduction in mortality over a 19-month period.
Rapid-response teams, or RRTs, are designed to mobilize around patients showing signs of early distress before they need more acute care. For example, the team can be called if a child shows a sudden drop in heart rate or blood pressure or if a staff member feels something is wrong.
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, a nonprofit agency focused on patient care, first recommended their use in 2004 as a tool to improve patient care, and the use of RRTs since then has grown rapidly.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1195...googlenews_wsj accessed today.