Abstract
Background: Rapid response teams are now a well-established phenomenon in many hospitals worldwide. Rapid response teams are made up of specially trained health professionals who bring their critical care knowledge and skills to the deteriorating patient's bedside. The goal is early intervention in an effort to reverse the progression of a patient's deterioration. Research into rapid response team effectiveness has predominantly taken the form of studies considering quantitative outcome measures. However, the number of qualitative studies is increasing, and these fill an important gap in the research considering healthcare clinicians experiences of facilitators and barriers to successful rapid response team implementation.
Aim: The author's place of employment, a tertiary-level care hospital, is planning the development and implementation of a rapid response system and rapid response team. With a view to informing this process, the aim of this review was to carry out a metasynthesis of qualitative research examining healthcare professionals' experiences of rapid response teams.
Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institutes meta-aggregative approach to qualitative meta-synthesis was utilised in this review. Three online databases were searched: Google Scholar, PubMed, and CINHAL, and 11 articles were found that were eligible for review inclusion.
Results: Two meta-syntheses were developed from results obtained from reviewed articles. Meta-synthesis one described system factors that impacted the success of the rapid response team. Three practice-based recommendations were generated from metasynthesis one. These include ensuring organisation-wide support for the rapid response system and the development of a culture of safety, ongoing investment in technology and innovation relating to patient deterioration, and enlisting primary medical team support in the development of a rapid response service. Meta-synthesis two incorporates rapid response team member characteristics and functions that influence the effective implementation and management of the rapid response team. Two practice-based recommendations were developed from metasynthesis two. These include the importance of rapid response team members having advanced clinical expertise, the ability to work successfully in a team, and effective communication. The rapid response team member functions recommended include bedside teaching and mentoring of ward staff, and the use of proactive rounding to visit at-risk patients and build trust with ward staff.
Conclusion:The qualitative studies reviewed in this meta-synthesis were unanimously supportive of rapid response teams. The reviewed studies reinforce available quantitative data, indicating that rapid response teams are an effective patient safety strategy. It is hoped that this review and the practice recommendations in particular will assist in the successful implementation and management of rapid response teams.