The use of medical emergency teams in medical and surgical patients: impact of patient, nurse and organisational characteristics.

A. Schmid-Mazzoccoli; L. A. Hoffman; G. A. Wolf; M. B. Happ; M. A. Devita

Study

The use of medical emergency teams in medical and surgical patients: impact of patient, nurse and organisational characteristics.

October 29, 2008

Schmid-Mazzoccoli A, Hoffman LA, Wolf GA, et al. Qual Saf Health Care. 2008;17(5):377-81.

View more articles from the same authors.

The adoption of medical emergency teams (METs) has generated significant controversy over their evidence and effectiveness. This study analyzed more than 100 MET calls at a university hospital and discovered that 44% of them were delayed based on pre-established criteria. Investigators found that these call delays were more common on night shifts and were predicted by shift and patient–unit mismatches. The authors suggest that their findings call for attention to factors other than simply nurse staffing ratios when devising policies to promote patient safety.

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The use of medical emergency teams in medical and surgical patients: impact of patient, nurse and organisational characteristics.

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