A Clinical Audit on Recognising and Responding to a Deteriorating Patient

Description

A Clinical Audit on Recognising and Responding to a Deteriorating Patient: NSQHS Standard Eight. – Project Aim The purpose of this clinical audit is to evaluate the role health care professionals play in ensuring effective response in the wake of physical, mental, or cognitive deterioration in patient health, in alignment with the eighth NSQHS standard. This aim of this audit is to identify key factors that take play in the situation of a deteriorating patient, whether that is at the level of an individual, a healthcare team, or the healthcare system itself, in order to implement preventative measure, and if necessary, any changes that may need to be made in relation to protocol and education. This will in turn aim to improve the delivery of care by healthcare professionals, and improve patient health outcomes. – Objective’s > When carrying out routine vital sign and observations, ensure that all nursing staff complete an Adult Deterioration Detection system (ADDS) assessment for every patient in the emergency department, and record the score on the observation and response chart. > If an ADDS score is identified, ensure that it is escalated to the appropriate medical personnel as specified by protocol > If an ADDS score is identified, ensure that it is escalated within the allocated time period as specified by protocol – Location of Audit: Fiona Stanley Hospital > single centered project – Duration of Audit: 4 weeks, May 2019. Week 1: set up the project and pull together necessary resources, Week 2: collect the data, Week 3: formulate results, Week 4: analyse results, draw conclusions. – Recruitment Process This project will collect data via a prospective research design, as it will be assessing a cohort of individuals and their actions. The cohort aforementioned will be nursing and medical staff, and it will be in relation to the actions they undertake in the wake of acute clinical deterioration.