Exploratory analyses of the "failure to rescue" measure: evaluation through medical record review

Clinicians and hospital leaders are interested in assessing the degree to which the failure-to-rescue indicator identifies true problems in processes of care at the individual or system level. Failure-to-rescue complications are flagged through administrative data, and the clinical course of events is evaluated. The review suggests that many factors influence whether a case is included in the measure, such as existing health problems, the presence of complex comorbidities, and variation in clinical documentation and coding practices.