Many Rapid Response teams have been formed in hospitals as a result of the IHI’s 5 million Lives campaign. Early warning system tools are also a recommendation along these lines to help identify when activate the Rapid Response Team. One hospital in Wales has developed MEWS* (Modified Early Warning System). The MEWS consists of a scoring tool and interventions based on these scores in assessing a deteriorating adult patient. View the MEWS. The tool is compact in that the scores in the middle show zero for normal then go out to the left as 1-2-3 for parameters that are dangerously low and out to the right as 1-2-3 for parameters that are dangerously high. Interventions for scores are listed at the bottom. This is a user friendly all-in-one algorithm/flowchart template for a safety assessment tool…..
The IHI also recommends using an SBAR communication tool when healthcare professionals are having conversations about deteriorating patients. Here is a form developed by the folks at Kaiser. View SBAR tool.
Read more about Early Warning System tools from the IHI
The Pediatric version of the MEWS is the PEWS. Read its description and use here
*MEWS developed by Conwy & Denbighshire National Health Service (NHS) Trust
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