AHRQ Patient Safety Network

Glossary
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Definitions abound in the medical error and patient safety literature, with subtle and not-so-subtle variations in the meanings of important terms. We have tried to adopt the most straightforward terminology, with definitions that enjoy the widest use.


Rapid Response Team:
 See Primer. Rapid response teams represent an intuitively simple concept: when a patient demonstrates signs of imminent clinical deterioration, a team of providers is summoned to the bedside to immediately assess and treat the patient with the goal of preventing adverse clinical outcomes.
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