Rapid response team in an academic institution: does it make a difference?
In our single-institution study involving an academic hospital with 24-h in-house coverage, we found that RRT implementation did not reduce code rates in the 27 months after intervention. Although there was a decrease in overall hospital mortality, this decrease was small, nonsustained, and not explained by the RRT effect on code rates.
A clinical pathway specifying local practice guidelines and discharge criteria can reduce the risk of readmission to hospital, the use of inappropriate therapies, and help with discharge planning.