Early recognition of patient clinical deterioration followed by a prompt and effective response can minimise the occurrence of adverse events and may reduce the level of intervention required when delays occur. Failure to escalate care for a deteriorating patient can have devastating consequences, especially when the patient is a child.
The ESCALATION Project will develop a best practice approach to the early recognition and response to clinical deterioration in the WA health paediatric setting.
The benefits will be:
reduce practice variations and provide an evidence based system
allow nurses and doctors and families to effectively use the system
enable safer patient monitoring
standardise handover communication within and between hospitals
enable clinical staff to easily work across WA health facilities
provide a uniform pathway for families to escalate care