Hospital rapid response team and patients with life-limiting illness: a multicentre retrospective cohort study.

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Hospital rapid response team and patients with life-limiting illness: a multicentre retrospective cohort study.

Palliat Med. 2015 Apr;29(4):302-9

Authors: Sulistio M, Franco M, Vo A, Poon P, William L

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Approximately one-third of rapid response team consultations involve issues of end-of-life care. We postulate a greater occurrence in patients with a life-limiting illness, in whom the opportunity for advance care planning and palliative care involvement should be offered.
AIMS: We aim to review the characteristics and compare outcomes of rapid response team consultations on patients with and without a life-limiting illness.
DESIGN/SETTING: A 3-month retrospective cohort study of all rapid response team consultations was conducted. The sample population included all adult inpatients in a major teaching hospital network.
RESULTS: We identified 351 patients - including 139 with a life-limiting illness - receiving a total of 456 rapid response team consultations. The median time from admission to the first rapid response team consultation was 3 days. Patients with a life-limiting illness had a significantly higher mortality rate (41.7% vs 13.2%), were older (72.6 vs 63.5 years), more likely to come from a residential aged-care facility (29.5% vs 4.1%) and had a shorter hospital stay (10 vs 13 days). Rapid response team consultations resulted in a change to more palliative goals of care in 28.5% of patients, of whom two-thirds had a life-limiting illness.
CONCLUSION: Patients with a life-limiting illness had worse outcomes post-rapid response team consultation. Our findings suggest that a routine clarification of goals of care for this cohort, within 3 days of hospital admission, may be advantageous. These discussions may provide clarity of purpose to treating teams, reduce the burden of unnecessary interventions and promote patient-centred care agreed upon in advance of any deterioration.

PMID: 25634630 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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