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Early warning system scores and response times: an audit
1Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Intensive Care Unit, Derbyshire Royal Infirmary, Derby. barbara.day@sdah-tr.trent.nhs.uk
Nursing in Critical Care
|August 28, 2003
Summary
A modified early warning system (DMEWS) in critical care prompted nurses to act, but surgical team response times fell below standards. Further research will assess the impact on patient outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare Management
- Critical Care Medicine
- Surgical Services
Background:
- NHS reforms necessitated improvements in critical care.
- A modified early warning system (DMEWS) was implemented by the surgical directorate at Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.
- Nursing staff reported concerns regarding delayed medical responses triggered by the DMEWS.
Purpose of the Study:
- To audit response times to calls for assistance initiated by the DMEWS.
- To identify disparities in response times within the surgical teams.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the DMEWS in facilitating timely medical intervention.
Main Methods:
- An audit was conducted to measure response times.
- Data was collected on calls triggered by the DMEWS.
- Response times were compared against established standards.
Main Results:
- The DMEWS successfully prompted nurses to initiate immediate treatment actions.
- Response times by surgical team members did not meet the agreed-upon standards.
- A disparity in response times was identified.
Conclusions:
- While the DMEWS aids in early nurse-initiated action, it does not guarantee timely surgical team response.
- Further investigation is required to determine the clinical significance of delayed responses on patient welfare and outcomes.
- The findings highlight a gap between system activation and definitive surgical team intervention.