Improving medical emergency system: Results of a multi-professional questionnaire

This study aimed to identify ways to improve the Medical Emergency System (MES) in its different components and infer Medical Emergency Team (MET) activation failure causes.

A questionnaire regarding opinions and attitudes towards the MES was conducted, targeting all professionals at the hospital, which has an implemented MES with Basic Life Support (BLS) since 1998.

Thirty two percent (n=585) of hospital professionals answered, from these 37.8% were neither doctors nor nurses. In mean six years passed since the BLS certification, yet 102 professionals (17.4%) had not done it. A relevant percentage admitted to not being familiarized with the different components of the MES (activation criteria 16.4%, telephone number 4.1%, content of the resuscitation trolleys 42.4% and defibrillator-monitor 47.4%), percentages lessened among those had taken the BLS course. The majority highly valued MET, however 83 (23%) could not confirm that debriefingand 17 (4.4%) that allocation of tasks happened after and during activation, respectively. When activating MET 52 (18.1%) admitted fear of criticism and 38 (13.3%) agreed that they needed validation by another professional, factors not influenced by BLS course completion. Excessive workload as a barrier to recognize ill patients was pointed by 127 (45.7%) of the respondents.

Despite educational and auditing efforts, the MES is not fully integrated into hospital culture. BLS certification for all professionals and non-technical skills of MET were identified has major areas for MES improvement. Unfamiliarity with activation criteria, fear of criticism and excessive workload were identified as failure of activation causes.