Intrinsic Influences on Medical Emergency Team Call Stand-Down Decision-Making: An Observational Study

The aim of this research was to describe factors that influence Intensive Care Unit liaison nurses' decision to stand down a medical emergency team call response. The decision to end a medical emergency team response for a deteriorating patient is referred to as the medical emergency team call stand-down decision. Intensive Care Unit liaison nurses, also known internationally as critical care outreach nurses, make medical emergency team call stand-down decisions in complex and challenging clinical environments. However, the factors influencing these decisions are not well described in the literature.

Exploratory descriptive qualitative study.

Seven Intensive Care Unit liaison nurses who attended medical emergency team calls in a large acute metropolitan tertiary referral public hospital, with a mature three-tiered rapid response system, were observed and interviewed. Observations of 50 medical emergency team call responses and 50 post medical emergency team call interviews were conducted between March 2022 and August 2022. Findings were analysed using inductive content analysis.

Intensive Care Unit liaison nurse decisions to stand down MET call responses were influenced by three intrinsic factors: (1) propositional knowledge, (2) experiential knowledge, (3) situational knowledge and information processing styles. Intensive Care Unit liaison nurses utilised these intrinsic factors to support their decision to terminate medical emergency team call response.

This study explored the intrinsic influences on individual Intensive Care Unit liaison nurses in deciding to end a medical emergency team call. By highlighting these individual influences on decision-making, the findings may be used to support medical emergency team responders educational needs and identification of potential heuristics and biases inherent in clinical decision-making which contribute to adverse events.

No patient or public contribution.

By understanding the influences on an individual's clinical decision-making, strategies can be put in place for educational development and support for experiential learning. The study highlights areas of potential bias and heuristic use that may lead to sub-optimal clinical decisions and increased risk for deteriorating patients. Research findings can be applied internationally to a range of rapid response systems and critical care outreach teams that respond to deteriorating patients.

The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) guidelines were used for reporting this study.