RRT, the hospital SWAT team that prevents needless deaths

Josie King was just 18 months old when she died of thirst.

At one of the best hospitals in the world.

The medical team at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center failed to realize Josie was suffering from severe dehydration — even after repeated pleas from her mother.

Thousands of medical mistakes… some deadly… are happening every year because doctors and nurses aren’t listening to patients or their caregivers.

But that all may be starting to change. After deaths like Josie’s, hospitals across America are adopting a new concept called Rapid Response Teams.

And choosing a hospital with an RRT just might save your life — or the life of someone you love.

A medical SWAT teamThe statistics are staggering.

Nearly 100,000 patients a year die because of medical mistakes. In fact, these errors may be killing more people than Alzheimer’s or diabetes.

Then there are the untold numbers who are harmed, but survive.

And after the death of Josie King, Johns Hopkins realized that medical mistakes often happen because doctors don’t listen to patients’ concerns — and patients feel like they have nowhere to turn when they’re not getting the best care.

The idea of RRTs was born, and it’s spreading like wildfire to other hospitals around America.

The concept behind RRTs is simple. Hospitals assemble an independent “medical SWAT team” of doctors, nurses and therapists that you can call when you’re concerned about the treatment you are receiving.

These RRTs can bypass medical red tape, review your records, listen to your concerns, and even demand changes to your care if necessary.

“When the rapid response team is called… two or three additional sets of eyes are focused on the patient,” said registered nurse Kathy Duncan, who trains RRTs. “The patient becomes the center of attention.”

When the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center… which runs 21 hospitals… rolled out its RRT program (called “Condition H” for “Help”), staff members weren’t exactly on board. They were worried they’d be flooded with frivolous complaints about bad hospital food or broken televisions.

But the program was such a hit that UPMC brought Condition H to the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh next.

And now, every patient admitted to the hospitals are told about the program, how it works and how to get help from any phone. Patients are also given a brochure telling which situations should prompt a call for help.

For example:

If you feel like something is going wrong with your care, but your fears aren’t being acknowledged by your doctors or nurses.
If your medical team isn’t communicating well, or you’re confused about what care or medication you’re being given.
If your condition is going downhill, and you want to speak with someone about your concerns.

RRTs are becoming more common — and picking a hospital that has one can be a life-or-death decision. A study last year found that patients at hospitals with RRTs were 50 percent less likely to suffer cardiac arrest. And RRTs have also lowered hospital death rates by up to 33 percent.

So obviously this plan works and works well.

Of course, calling an RRT might make you a little uncomfortable. It can feel like you’re going over the heads of your doctors or nurses.

But hospitals are making clear that asking for help from RRTs isn’t about disrespecting anyone — it’s about keeping you healthy and getting your care right.

And by being able to nip mistakes in the bud, you might keep a simple medical error from turning into a tragedy.

Sources:

“When hospitalized, call a hospital Rapid Response Team to address unresolved safety or health concerns” Michael R. Cohen, RPh, June 3, 2015, philly.com

“How medical errors took a little girl’s life” Erika Niedowski, The Baltimore Sun, baltimoresun.com