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Rapid response systems

Michael D Buist
Med J Aust 2015; 202 (10): . || doi: 10.5694/mja14.01601
Published online: 1 June 2015

To the Editor: Hillman and colleagues give an excellent overview of rapid response systems (RRSs).1 There is no doubt that this system of care that matches “the right people — with the right skills and knowledge — with the right patients at the right time” is a vast improvement on the usual traditional hierarchical referral model of care, particularly for patients in acute care hospitals whose condition is deteriorating.


  • University of Tasmania, Burnie, TAS.


Correspondence: Michael.Buist@utas.edu.au

Competing interests:

I am the founder and a shareholder of Patientrack.

  • 1. Hillman KM, Chen J, Jones D. Rapid response systems. Med J Aust 2014; 201: 519-521. <MJA full text>
  • 2. Chen J, Ou l, Hillman KM, et al. Cardiopulmonary arrest and mortality trends, and their association with rapid response system expansion. Med J Aust 2014; 201: 167-170. <MJA full text>
  • 3. Landrigan CP, Parry GJ, Bones CB, et al. Temporal trends in rates of patient harm resulting from medical care. N Engl J Med 2010; 363: 2124-2134.
  • 4. Classen DC, Resar R, Griffin F, et al. ‘Global trigger tool' shows that adverse events in hospitals may be ten times greater than previously measured. Health AFF (Millwood) 2011; 30: 581-589.
  • 5. Baines RJ, Langelaan M, de Bruijne MC, et al. Changes in adverse events in hospitals over time: a longitudinal retrospective patient record review study. BMJ Qual Saf 2013; 22: 290-298.
  • 6. Buist MD, Moore GE, Bernard SA, et al. Effects of the medical emergency team on the reduction of incidence of and mortality from unexpected cardiac arrests in hospital: preliminary study. BMJ 2002; 324: 387-390.
  • 7. Shearer B, Marshall S, Buist MD, et al. What stops hospital clinical staff from following protocols? An analysis of the incidence and factors behind the failure of bedside clinical staff to activate the rapid response system in a multi-campus Australian metropolitan healthcare service. BMJ Qual Saf 2012; 21: 569-575.
  • 8. Buist M, Bernard S, Nguyen TV, et al. Association between clinically abnormal observations and subsequent in-hospital mortality: a prospective study. Resuscitation 2004; 62: 137-141.

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